Sir, I was bemused by the letter (April 12th) bearing the signatures of no less than 10 reverend gentlemen, "appalled" at the "letter from a prestigious Roman ecclesiastical address", which appeared in your letters page on April 8th. Could it be that they are selective in noticing the contents of letters coming from Rome? A much earlier letter from Rome (c.67 AD) has the following sentence:
"Of the same kind, too, are those men who insinuate themselves into families in order to get influence over silly women who are obsessed with their sins and follow one craze after another, always seeking learning, but unable ever to come to knowledge of the truth" (II Tim 3:6-7).
Since this letter was issued from prison and not a "prestigious Roman ecclesiastical address" (and one's address is everything) it may have escaped attention or maybe it got too much attention, hence no reverend woman among your 10 appropriately "appalled," just men. It may also be that, given the notorious state of the Italian postal service, this letter hasn't arrived yet on the desks of Irish ecclesiastics.
Meanwhile, priests in Rome should note that its author was beheaded! Yours, etc.,
Killeagh,
Co Cork.