Sir, - Fr Martin Clarke (January 2nd) rightly points out that individuals within the Church are doing much to help people to be more tolerant and sympathetic to refugees and asylum seekers.
However, racism is just one type of "differencism". To speak out against it highlights a dilemma which has always been there for churches, and the Catholic Church is no exception.
The flock want the certainty of their faith, but in promoting it the Church effectively takes sides against all other faiths. From the crusades to modern day jihads, deeds have been done in the name of this church or that, and because each church insists it is the one true faith and the others are wrong, conflict based on religious differencism is fuelled.
The Pope demonstrates in his recent encyclical Fides et Ratio that faith and reason are interdependent. All churches use this carte blanche of facts combined with leaps of faith to convince people of their version of reality. As well as preaching their faith, churches should preach tolerance of those who are different, even if that difference concerns faith, and the flock should practice this tolerance. - Yours, etc., Tom Cowap,
Loughlinstown,
Co Dublin.