So it’s Church and State and Civil Society in this letters saga. Each earnestly using the word “respect’’.
I will too.
a. I think we should respect the Archbishop’s decision not to make his letters public. Evidently, he has changed his mind about what he has written – and he is entitled to.
b. I don’t think Function 8’s decision to release its own letter to the Archbishop, despite the redacted parts, respects the Archbishop’s wish to make the communications private. There were phrases would seemed to imply that he agreed with its position on the detentions of the Marxist conspirators. This puts the Archbishop in a bind since he has said he won’t make his own letters public.
c. I think it’s extremely disrespectful of Function 8 to use biblical references its letter. I know the MSM has not published the full letter in print but it’s so everywhere online that too many people know that it had asked the Archbishop what he thinks should be “rendered to God’’. It’s arrogant of Function 8 to think that the Archbishop should give them a blow-by-blow response when it phrases its letter in such a way.
d. I think we should respect the line between religion and politics. Function 8’s insistence that the Archbishop release his letters is an attempt to drag him into the fray over the issue of the ISA. Seems he said some things in it that he regretted. Why push him like this?
e. With all due respect, I think the Home Affairs ministry should take itself out of this triangle. Its presence further politicises the issue. It might also want to engage in that dialogue that Function 8 has asked for.
Truth to tell, I am curious about the contents of those letters and the identity of the mysterious Mr X on the cc list too. But in this instance, I am not sure transparency is the key element that should be respected in this tangle. Already, I am watching the issue unfold with some consternation along with, I am sure, my fellow Catholics. As I said, the Church will close ranks and rally behind their leader, whatever his political orientation, as respected Church lay leader Gerard Ee said in his Forum Page letter in ST today.
Respectfully, I ask again that every side backs down.
An ex-journalist who can't get enough of the news after being in the business for 26 years
