Sir, – I would have to disagree with Fr Patrick McCafferty's assertion that the primary call of the Gospel is to "repent" (January 15th). He declares every human being is "infected" and that we need to turn away from the "disorder" of sin. This is medieval.
The medicalisation, the pathologising of all human beings as “disordered” is not my understanding of Jesus’s message.
I understand Jesus came on Earth to tell us precisely the opposite: that He loves us all regardless; that his love is boundless, that love matters. To tell us we are all to “love one another” and his concentration on love was exemplified in many situations where he denounced the Pharisees from judgmental ideology. Yes, he talks about sin, but his actions and message were focused on loving, not sin per se.
The Catholic Church’s pathology is the concentration on “the disorder of sin” in all of us, at the expense of concentrating on the love for all of us that God has.
The other pathologies of the Catholic Church are: the judgmental, misogynist and patriarchal clericalism that is so common; and failure to love a large majority of human beings outside its perceived “without sin” cohort of Catholics.
The Pharisees still exist within our clergy and hierarchy, and this is a gross distortion of Jesus’s true call to all of us: love. – Yours, etc,
Dr MARGARET KENNEDY,
Redford Park,
Greystones, Co Wicklow.
Sir, – In a letter dense with biblical citations, Seamus O’Callaghan (January 14th) announces himself as understanding of "sinners". I have taken his words and sentiments to heart. I in turn wish to announce myself understanding of his sin of defining a sector of society as "sinners" without having provided any argument or justification. Now we can both feel accepting and forbearing while simultaneously retaining our existing beliefs and animadversions. Surely a perfect "win-win" state of affairs? – Yours, etc,
NEIL JOHNSTON
Broomfield Wood,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.