Sir, – As someone not averse to criticising the Catholic Church, I was still deeply pained by Sebastian Barry’s comment “I am violently against having a priesthood now, I will be honest about it. I really think they should disband if they could be safely monitored”, tarring yet again our many inspiring priests (“‘A vigilance is required of us as human beings’”, Books, February 24th). He forgets that most abusers and paedophiles are in the lay community. – Yours, etc,
SM REID,
Dublin 7.