The Pope will address Ireland tomorrow in an unprecedented letter apologising for chronic Catholic child abuse.

A FEW ideas for the Catholic Church, a bit tongue in cheek of necessity.

YOU carried a full-page feature article by TP O’Mahony who was highly critical of Pope Benedict XVI (July 12).

LAST Sunday’s gatherings in Rome, Poland and elsewhere to mark the first anniversary of Pope John Paul’s death were exactly what you would have expected: big, atmospheric, emotional events.

In the short time since his election as Pope Benedict XVI, there have been strong expressions of opinion about the new Pontiff from an unusually wide range of people.

Rita Ciolli, New York

A NEW era has begun. Yesterday the crowds had thinned around St Peter’s Square. The startling drama of the previous night had receded.