Catholic Church doctrine is not negotiable

Apart from fat-cat trade unionists, the Labour Party, and the bankers, is there any group in Irish society more hypocritical than liberal Catholics?

People like Mary McAleese and Enda Kenny want to have all the rights of being Catholic, with none of the responsibilities. They want the right to accept certain Church teachings, while criticising others.

It’s simple: the head of the Church is the Pope, and Church doctrine is made in Rome.

If you don’t like it, there are plenty of liberal Protestant churches that make their doctrine by simple majority rule, which you can join, so you can have whatever doctrine takes your fancy. Mary McAleese, in particular, sounds incredibly confused about the faith, even though she has just spent a year in Rome, apparently studying canon law.

I am sure that there are many people in Ireland who would be more than happy to pay for Mary and Enda to spend a year in a Carmelite convent together, provided they have to take a vow of silence, so they can’t annoy us any more with their barmy views.

Séamas O’Hanluain

Fairview

Dublin 3