Cardinal surrounded by stone-throwers

THE attacks on Cardinal Seán Brady remind me of the incident mentioned in the gospel of the woman caught in adultery.

In this scene, the men present wanted to stone her to death, but Jesus stopped them with the famous words “let him who is without sin throw the first stone”.

Then the men moved off, beginning with the eldest, who presumably had accumulated the most sins.

Those now circling the cardinal are so self-righteous they have no problem in throwing the first stone. Do they realise that a classic interpretation of this scene holds that in wanting to stone the woman, her attackers were projecting their own guilt on to her?

Aidan McGing

Sunday’s Well Road

Cork