Madam, - Yet another cleric has complained that the media are "just anti-clerical" (The Irish Times, September 1st).
Of course they are anti-clerical. The whole of Ireland is now anti-clerical. Have people no understanding of what happened in the world over the past two centuries? Every Catholic country has gone through an anti-clerical phase: it's a necessary step on the way to becoming a nation of adults. We're just a bit late, that's all.
It is human nature to resent, at least to some degree, those who exercise authority over us. When this becomes abusive authoritarianism (as described by Archbishop Martin), or it becomes distorted by criminality, then people's resentment will turn to cordial detestation. What do they expect?
Has the Catholic Church in Ireland any idea of how fortunate it has been compared with other countries? Churches have not been burned out; church property and lands have not been confiscated; priests and nuns have not been exiled, or imprisoned, or killed, or incinerated. Church schools have not been taken over by the State.
I'm not advocating such treatment (apart from the schools), but simply pointing out what happened in France, Spain, Mexico and elsewhere.
Instead bishops et al. complain now that anti-clerical attention is being paid to the dereliction of their civic duties. Aw, diddums. - Yours, etc.,
CHRISTOPHER ROBSON, Chelmsford Avenue, Ranelagh, Dublin 6.