Madam, – Leo Clear and James McGivern (February 20th) very unjustly accuse your Roman and Religious Affairs correspondents of dismal misinformation, prejudice, misrepresentation, bad analysis and the quoting of rant. One of the main reasons I buy the The Irish Timesis to be kept up to date on church matters by both Paddy Agnew in Rome and Patsy McGarry in Dublin. I have never noticed any evidence of bias from either correspondent. If anything, from my perspective, I would often like them to be more critical of Catholic Church structures and bad practice.
Had not Cardinal John Henry Newman’s remains been recently disturbed and removed from the grave he shared with his beloved Father Ambrose St John (an act expressly against his dying wishes) the saintly cardinal would have turned in that grave at his words being used by Mr Clear in support of the reactionary and unenlightened papacy of Pope Benedict XVI.
I would refer Mr Clear and Mr McGivern to The Letters and Diaries of John Henry Newman(ed. Charles Stephen Dessain et al.), and particularly to a letter to the Duke of Norfolk. Cardinal Newman says: "I add one remark. Certainly, if I am obliged to bring religion into after-dinner toasts (which indeed does not seem quite the thing) I shall drink – to the Pope, if you please – still, to Conscience first, and to the Pope afterwards".
In another part of that letter he declares: “Conscience is the aboriginal Vicar of Christ.” I have already had this last quote carved on the headstone that stands at the spot where my mortal remains will be laid in the earth. Would that all Catholics and Christians had the same words carved on their hearts for, as Cardinal Newman’s father John warned him early in life, “Religion, when carried too far, induces softness of mind”. – Yours, etc,