Sir, – It was with a great sadness that I read of the censuring of Fr Brian D’Arcy (Home News, April 26th).
This follows in the wake of the censuring or silencing of several other dedicated and committed Catholic priests in recent times.
It appears that the majority of those priests who have been censured or silenced are members of religious orders or congregations, eg Passionists, Redemptorists, Capuchins. It strikes me as particularly sad that none of the religious communities to which the priests belong have seen fit to publicly support their own members who have given many years of service to the church and their communities. The silence of their religious superiors and confreres is to be regretted as it effectively condones the curtailing of free speech and discussion by the Vatican. – Yours, etc,