Handwritten letter from Fr. Liam Carey to Fr. Ardle McMahon, with the report of the meeting attached (item no.126). He hopes this format better helps to outline the work of the Committee.
Typed letter from P. A. Carter, British Embassy, Dublin, to Fr. A. McMahon. He is new to the post but will continue sending reading material “in which you had an interest.” He needs assurance that the literature is satisfactory and good use can be made of it. Maybe he is receiving too much literature or not enough.
Handwritten observations on ‘V’ Committee. It is important to see the object in the larger context of Dublin society, e.g. the arts, politics, education, labour, business, religion. There is no Catholic body watching the trends, thus leaving a vacuum. The Committee is not structured for this function it is focused on those trying to disrupt society. Asks what are the social aims of the diocese? What bodies are likely to oppose these aims? On what grounds?
Two articles taken from The Irish Times, dated 26/27/28 December 1966. One writes about “English divorce in the Republic” the Irishman’s Diary reports that Focus, the first Protestant periodical, has gone.
Typed letter to + McQuaid enclosing a summary of ‘V’ Committee meetings. It recommends inviting a writer to contribute an article on censorship.
Typed minutes of ‘V’ Committee meeting. Fr. Ronald Burke-Savage, S.J., agreed to ask Dr. Masterson to write the article on censorship, which would be published when completed. The Committee agreed to ask Anthony Brown, Jerome Connolly and Thomas Rosingrave to prepare a summary of basic Catholic Social Principles to meet the needs and problems of the modern world.
An article by Proinsias Mac Aenghusa in The New Statesman on the ‘merger’ of Trinity College Dublin with University College Dublin. He praised Minister Donogh O’Malley for presenting both with a ‘fait accompli’.
Typed letter from Fr. MacMahon to Fr. Carey, thanking him for his letter and enclosing a note from Mrs. Una Byrne suggests somebody should attend this meeting, possibly Mr. Maurice Kenny, a reliable man and keen helper in the Hostel. He notes that the Labour Party is not attending.
Typed document titled “Towards a Draft Policy Document for the Committee of Priests set up by the Archbishop of Dublin to inform and advise him regarding social groups hostile to the Church. The headings in the document include: ‘The Mission of the Church in the World’, ‘Certain Conclusions’, ‘The Interests of the Church in three main areas’,’ “Movements hostile to the Church’, ‘T he Irish Situation’, ‘Counter Measures’, and ‘Our Committee’.
Fr. Carey’s memo asks if the Committee should continue to exist in its present form in relation to the work it does. One suggestion would be a Justice and Peace Committee with its own Secretary. He would link the positive aims of Justice and Peace while at the same time collect data of activity hostile to the Church. Justice and Peace would be a major source of information it would be in touch with Trade Unions it would investigate the social scene and apply the theology of human existence, education, family, work, marriage and property to the scene.