Sir, - The news that Rupert Murdoch has been honoured with a papal knighthood confirms what many of us had already surmised: that Vatican decision-making is influenced more by pragmatism than by ethics. Mr Murdoch is now a Knight Commander of St Gregory. The media tycoon was apparently given this high Church honour, approved by the Pope, in appreciation of his contributions to charity.
As Fintan O'Toole tells us in his column "Misdirected honour for the knight of the gutter" (Opinion, January 16th), "Murdoch has been an egregious hypocrite. His newspapers have been full of stern moralising in their editorial columns and of soft pornography on the other pages. Even his own right-wing political convictions have been sacrificed to his greed." Mr Murdoch is surely one of the least deserving candidates one could choose for such an honour. It beggars belief that the Catholic Church can rationalise this action.
Since it is now clear that the Vatican II vaccination did not take, some stronger medicine is indicated. Could it be time for Reformation II? - Yours, etc.,
Seapoint, Co Dublin.