Sir, - The demonising of the "paedophile priest", and in particular the publication of the award-winning photograph of Brendan Smyth, were bitterly denounced by Harry Ferguson (The Irish Times, April 28th). Why not the "paedophile farmer", for instance, he asks?
The paedophile farmer is a father with a small "f". A Father with a capital "F" is one of the chosen few, one of the highest authorities on such obscenities. The text he preaches calls for a child to be put in the midst, for such is the Kingdom of Heaven . . . "Woe to him that shall scandalise one of those little ones. It were better for him that a millstone should be hanged about his neck and that he should be drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matt.18.6).
All paedophiles are to be condemned, but surely the one who preaches the doctrine is to be condemned with a capital "C". - Yours, etc., Maureen Barry,
Duncormick, Co Wexford.