Madam, - Vincent Twomey (Opinion, April 21st) sees the new Pope as a man who can encourage dialogue within the Church, because of his sterling human and intellectual qualities.
He writes: "Based on his negative image, many fear for the future of the Church. But those who know him think otherwise." However, most of the new Pope's leading critics do know him personally, or were his students or colleagues, and they are well aware of his gifts and qualities. They are keenly disappointed that despite his outstanding promise, Cardinal Ratzinger was a divisive figure who certainly did not encourage theological dialogue within the Church and who caused grievous hurt to women, gays, and members of the other Christian churches.
If he now, in the heel of the hunt, suddenly puts his qualities to the uses for which they seemed to be destined, his critics will be eager to rejoice and to forgive.
I agree that his name, recalling the glorious and forgotten reigns of Benedict XIV, the Pope of the Enlightenment, and Benedict XV, the conscience of war-torn Europe, is an encouraging sign. - Yours, etc,
Rev JOSEPH S. O'LEARY, DD, Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan.