Our media is letting us down with its misunderstanding of religion

LAST week’s Sunday Tribune featured a not-very-revealing article about the contenders to succeed Desmond Connell as Archbishop of Dublin, and installed the Bishop of Derry, Dr Séamus Hegarty, as the favourite.

We were not told why. The newspaper simply noted that he was a "good administrator" with "orthodox views that would be very much in line with Vatican thinking".

That line neatly exposes the average journalist's take on the Catholic Church in Ireland. When covering the appointment of bishops, the focus is all on power-play, unholy rivalries and liberal versus conservative. Very little attention is given to faith, holiness, pastoral ability and the other characteristics a bishop needs in order to run his diocese well these aren't newsworthy.