Sir, - Many will sympathise with Cardinal Connell and the Taoiseach in the embarrassment they suffered at the Castle reception. The protocol experts of Church and State may need to revise their policies and guidelines to avoid similar embarrassment on future occasions. But the incident gives rise to wider questions. Would a Church leader be embarrassed at having to meet a Taoiseach widely known for decades of marital infidelity, or under scrutiny for massive alleged failure to meet his tax obligations, or suspected of abuse of political power for private gain? Will simple Catholics wonder if it is still the Church's tradition that sexual behaviour is by far the most serious area of morality? Are all those offshore account holders who are guilty of tax evasion (as distinct from mere tax avoidance) aware that their behaviour is immoral and not simply illegal, that they are stealing from the poor in the harm they do to the common good?
In today's complex, pluralist world, a case can be made for distinguishing between a president's official position and his/ her private life, so a Church leader might have little hesitation in meeting such a person in his or her official capacity.
But there are situations in which a Church leader ought to be embarrassed and ashamed. The Gospel was certainly compromised when papal nuncios and several bishops in South American countries socialised freely with notorious dictators responsible for torturing and murdering thousands of their citizens. It was particularly damaging to the Church's image to see them taking the salute as they solemnly blessed the soldiers and tanks that were part of a murder machine. Catholics around the world were powerless to do anything more than switch off their TVs. - Yours, etc.,
Fr Sean Fagan, SM, Lower Leeson Street, Dublin 2.