Let’s put an end to the age of deference

I AGREE with Paddy Phelan (Letters, December 28) when he complains that we all have been too deferential to the Catholic Church authorities.

But we have also, to our cost, been too deferential to the political and banking authorities as well.

The love of neighbour which the church preaches but does not always practice is the foundation for the equality of all human beings enshrined in our laws and democratic ideals. The fact that we do not always abide by the precepts that they proclaim does not render them invalid. Given the deserved loss of credibility of church, political and banking authorities we need to replace all of them with people who have not been sullied by involvement in the failed practices of the past.