Madam, - I see that Senator David Norris is on his "Pope/Hitler Youth" bandwagon again (June 7th).
Whether the young Joseph Ratzinger joined the Hitler Youth because it was compulsory, because of the madness of youth or because of mistaken ideals is irrelevant. I would imagine that a good many lads of his age in the Germany of the time felt it necessary to toe the Nazi line for a variety of reasons. I really don't know. I wasn't there. Neither was Senator Norris. Who among us could stand over all the daft, misguided things we did when we were in our teens?
Pope Benedict XVI expounds Roman Catholic teaching that homosexual acts, like all sexual acts outside marriage, are sinful. This is also the teaching of most other Christian denominations, along with Islam and Judaism. I profoundly disagree with this teaching, but feel no need to attack the leaders of Anglicanism, Presbyterianism, Judaism or Islam. I remain a Roman Catholic because there is so much more to Catholicism, and its earthly leader, than teaching on sexual morality.
By the way, Catholicism also teaches, unlike some other denominations, that there is no sin beyond forgiveness.
Senator Norris's constant attacks on the Pope, which now border on the hysterical, are not helpful to anyone. David Norris is a man whom I very much admire and like - but please, can he lay off the Pope? He is in grave danger of becoming tiresome. - Yours, etc,
GERRY McARDLE, Stapleton House, Mountjoy Square, Dublin 1.