Sir, - It is now quite obvious from Justin Kilcullen's response to Brazil's ambassador, Mr Carlos Bettencourt (April 22nd) that political and agrarian activity is something much higher on Trocaire's agenda than spiritual and corporal works of mercy. It is plain from Mr Kilcullen's words that corrupt regimes have to be opposed and it is equally obvious that a certain percentageof money collected from the Irish people during Lent is spent in dealing with the problem he mentions, "the unjust and unequal distribution of these resources" in Brazil and elsewhere. Karl Marx would have understood that kind of language.One has to wonder if the Irish people support Trocaire in order to promote political subversion overseas. Neither Mr Kilcullen nor I have the answer to that one. Many a widow's mite goes into Trocaire boxes during Lent and in my experience that money is donated generously to fulfil the Gospel injunction to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the sick and imprisoned and bury the dead of people less well-off than ourselves.Down here in rural Ireland we never see a copy of Trocaire's annual report nor any reference to its management of finances so we have no idea, for instance, how much money is spent on administration before a penny goes on overseas aid. God be with the religious congregations of men and women of a former era who collected money for the Black Babies and spent none of that money on administrative costs. Nor do we know how much money is spent on works of charity per se and how much is set aside for political subversion.Come Lent each year, though, no matter what part of the backwoods we inhabit, we are bombarded by Trocaire boxes and expensive posters.What Mary Kenny wrote on Trocaire in June of 1989 is still relevant today: "I look at the expensive Trocaire posters seen all over Dublin, issued by the Irish bishops. I look at these and I think, that is the last time I will give a penny piece to Trocaire. I know how much this kind of advertising costs and how advertising executives drink Chablis for lunch while planning their campaign from the pennies of the Irish poor. Apartheid is vile but I don't support Christian charities in order that they should engage in political action; there are plenty of other agencies for political action." - Is mise, Eadaoin Ni Chuill,"Loch Owel", Bothar Ath Luain, An Muileann Cearr.