Madam, - The rather pessimistic assessment in your Editorial of June 25th on the state of the Catholic Church in this country ignores the fact that, despite the problems that have beset it, it has grown in stature as an advocate for social justice.
It has continued resolutely to try to provide ideological leadership where very little leadership exists. The Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference (Violence in Irish Society: Towards and Ecology of Peace, 2008), CORI Justice (Planning for Progress and Fairness, 2008) and the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice (several documents) have advanced strong, rational arguments against recent Irish social policies that have led to continuing high levels of relative poverty, widening income disparity and social exclusion, declining civic participation, increasing crime and, for poorer people, poor access to healthcare and education.
As the Church gradually withdraws from educating our young, one has to worry about what set of convictions will replace its teaching. It is not as if the Government seems very prepared or able to promote any valid concept of social justice within the educational system, or elsewhere. - Yours, etc,
G. BURKE, Limerick.