Madam, - While Fr Gerard Moloney (Rite and Reason, November 20th) may be the editor of a magazine entitled Reality, he appears to have difficulty coping with reality itself.
He would be best advised to counsel his friend Fr Tom, whom he describes as "on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week", that he is a candidate for either a sabbatical or a mental breakdown; the choice is his. In the short term I recommend a holiday in the sun for both of them.
It might be worthwhile if Fr Eamonn Bourke (November 24th), director of vocations for the Dublin diocese were to accompany them, as he too seems in need of a reality check. I sincerely hope he sees his role as more than a mere recruiting officer of young males for a celibate priesthood.
The future of the Church does not depending on increasing the number of uniformed male members, as in the recent Garda recruitment drive - although that did have the advantage of of gender equality.
All three clergymen are like the man found roaming in dense forest 20 years after the second World War had ended. For him the most difficult adaptation was to accept that the war was in fact over.
I am astonished that they have not yet grasped that there is no going back: the war is over, everything has changed. We now ought to rejoice in faith that, despite our reluctance, stubbornness and blindness, the Spirit is leading us as church to new ground and to fresh pasture, to proclaim our faith anew, as Catholic Christians.
It is foolish to suggest that the change was sudden and unexpected. John XIII gave us ample notice; we just didn't realise the depth of change he was announcing, or maybe at times we didn't want to.
It is time for the Fr Toms of this world to take a well-deserved break and to have their good work over the years acknowledged. A new church is being born and, unfortunately for some, the birth is difficult. It is sad that Fr Moloney can only visualise Fr Tom as an "energiser bunny" running out of steam and without hope for the future. Could someone read to him the Emmaus story and speak to him of the message of Easter? - Yours, etc,
Fr DECLAN MORIARTY CC, Anne Devlin Park, Dublin 14.