Church compassion

It is quite impossible to imagine the Carpenter of Nazareth sitting comfortably with the richly dressed cardinals assembling in Rome to elect his successor.

These cardinals, many of whom have been involved in the cover-up of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, should now lay aside their silk finery and adopt the penitential dress of sackcloth and ashes and elect someone who would represent the compassionate face of God for our generation.

Brendan Butler