Madam, - Brenda O'Hanrahan (April 26th) is selective in her quotation.The 1986 document by Cardinal Ratzinger to which she refers does indeed say, "It is deplorable that homosexual persons have been and are the subject of violent malice in speech or in action".
However, some sentences later, the document continues: "When such a claim is made [ that the homosexual condition is not disordered] and homosexual activity is consequently condoned, or when civil legislation is introduced to protect behaviour to which no one has any conceivable right, neither the Church nor society at large should be surprised when other distorted notions and practices gain ground, and irrational and violent reactions increase."
It would be difficult to think of a more offensive statement. Was it really necessary in order to communicate Church teaching on homosexuality? - Yours, etc,
ÁILÍN DOYLE, Balkill Road, Howth, Co Dublin.
Madam, - As a member of a silenced minority, a practising Catholic in the Ireland of 2005, I would like to make the following observations.
I was deeply offended by the abuse hurled at Pope Benedict XVI by the majority of your columnists before he had time even to draw his breath. (I think Seán Fagan's letter of April 21st, quoting the theologian Joseph Ratzinger's summing up of the Second Vatican Council, is the line that Irish Catholics like myself follow.)
Vincent Browne was particularly offensive. What part of the word "faith" does he not understand? The dictionary definition is "a strong belief without proof". Mr Browne should know all about gobbledygook. He dispenses it with a heavy hand on radio and in print.
The media just cannot or will not believe that however many messengers they shoot, or discredit (too many of these justly, unfortunately), for believers the message will always remain the same, a beacon in a dark world: "Christ has died, Christ has risen, Christ will come again". - Yours, etc,
EILEEN MALONE, Butterfield Avenue, Dublin 14.