Madam, - Is it any wonder that Catholics, particularly young Catholics, are confused? Fr Paul Surlis (Rite & Reason, April 18th) argues in favour of (among other things) women within the Catholic Church being entitled to become deacons, priests, bishops and even popes. He wants the new Pope to overturn the Church's "outmoded teaching on artificial birth control and homosexuality" and do away with the outdated concept of priestly celibacy.
Without turning a hair he then goes on to recognise the greatness of the last pontiff, recognising the fact that the "outpourings of grief combined with testimonies of the highest praise" which occurred on the death of Pope John Paul II "'were unprecedented in the 2,000-year history of the Catholic Church".
Had the late Pope been a supporter of the "popular" causes espoused by Fr Surlis I have no doubt that the worldwide sorrowful reaction to his passing would have been much more muted. Pope John Paul never wavered in his defence of Catholic teaching on these matters, as he wrote in his Agenda for the Third Millennium: "Woe to [ a pope] if he were to fear being criticised or misunderstood. He is charged with bearing witness to Christ, to his word, to his law, to his love."
The new Pope will do no less. - Yours, etc.,
GERARD BURNS, Richhill, Co Armagh.