Pope Francis and change

Sir, – Patsy McGarry (August 12th) quotes Dr Diarmuid Martin, who remarks that a curate in Dublin is “not at all happy” with some of the utterances of Pope Francis, which were “not in line with what he had learned in the seminary”. It occurs to me that Pope Francis wants to make changes so that the Church is there for the people. The article starts with Fr Ahearne’s view that a priest needs “humour, humanity and honesty” – qualities this pope has in abundance, more than any previous one, and which are sadly lacking in so many of the clergy. – Yours, etc,

MARY LOVATT,

Bere Island,

Co Cork