Sir, – John Waters writes, “Journalism has become a branch of the entertainment industry” (Opinion, January 3rd). He questions the veracity of much that is written in newspapers and suggests news is increasingly becoming a story-telling exercise to keep “bums on seats” .
One such “story”, where truth is turned into fiction, is where the media present Pope Francis as a “people’s pope” – a sympathetic, caring and democratic-minded Pope, compared to his excessively cerebral and conservative predecessor.
This is “pure fantasy”, Waters writes, as this Pope has announced no doctrinal initiatives, nor does he seem likely to do so.
I can only congratulate John Waters on how well he reads this Pope. He is head and shoulders above most journalists. But while he correctly points to the “pure fantasy” of the media in turning truth into an entertaining “story”, he must be praised for his own storytelling ability.
He writes that “the Pope exists to convey an understanding of God to mankind, not the other way around”, making it clear that there can be no such thing as a “people’s Pope”.
So one man has a better understanding of God than all humanity?
What a story! – Yours, etc,
DECLAN KELLY,
Whitechurch Road,
Rathfarnham, Dublin 14.