It’s not a sin to criticise the Church

by Letters Editor · July 22, 2009

The Vatican Letter by Cindy Wooden (�A safer, healing Church�) concerning child abuse in Ireland refers. Ideas concerning acceptable physical punishment have changed in the past 50 years or so, and controlling youngsters in industrial schools when they have never been controlled by their parents is no easy task. Sexual abuse, however, has always been considered thoroughly evil.

There seem to be Catholics who think it a sin to criticise the Church. The Church is not perfect, only God is. As pointed out in the Vatican Letter, without coverage and criticism in The Boston Globe, victims would not have come forward. The Church could have taken steps to stop sexual abuse. The Church is hardly likely to �be destroyed� for any reason, let alone by a difference of opinion about the English translation of the Mass.

The Church, while holy before Vatican II, is in many ways holier now. Attention is focused on loving one�s neighbours, whatever their race or religion. As Alan Kaye pointed out (�Give glad thanks�, also June 17), the Catholic Church and other churches are moving closer together. The Church is quietly trying to defuse anger and to urge the removal of injustice worldwide. This is true Christianity.

Priests should where possible live in groups so a to be safe, have company, and be decently fed.

Maybe by mid-century, when African Christians have shed unchristian elements of their culture and European Christians the more medieval aspects of their Christian culture, society will have a huge religious revival, starting in Africa.

A Haylett, Howick