Sir, - Ms Liz O'Donnell has been sharply censured for her recent criticism of the Roman Catholic Church. She referred to its failure to deal adequately with cases of clerical and institutional abuse, and asserted that many Catholics ignore large tracts of the teachings of their Church.
In 1978, a working party for the Catholic Bishops concluded that, for many, the practice of religion is more a matter of habit and social pressure than of intellectual or personal conviction. Sociologists and historians have also pointed out that for many in Ireland, religion is more a matter of convention than conviction. Further evidence of the gap between Church teaching and practice was provided in 1997 by an MRBI opinion poll (The Irish Times, November 12th 1997). This is the social reality of modern Ireland, and this is what makes Ms O'Donnell's assertion true.
It is unclear whether those insulted by her comments are offended by defection from principle within their Church, or by the fact that Government Minister publicly adverted to it. - Yours, etc.,
John McCarron, Glendasan Drive, Wicklow.