Sir, The survey findings that most Catholics follow their conscience is, of course, basically a 500 year old canard, since the Roman Catholic Church says you should always follow your conscience.
There is something new today, however. It is the spin put on the findings. If it is true that people now make up their minds independently on serious moral issues, then it follows that we never on principle exclude committing rape, drug abuse or drug dealing, mugging, child abuse and so on. Instead, we consider the question what benefit is there? What is the likelihood of detection. The chief thing going for this analysis is that it explains the 45 murders in Dublin so far this year.
If the commentaries are correct and we reject the Church because of Casey and Smyth and the others, then since Casey and Smyth themselves rejected the Church, there is a complete reversal of logic. We are not repudiating them, we are joining them. Yours, etc., Chair Child Protection Society, 35 Wellington Road, Dublin 6W.