Sizing Up the New Pope and His Church

Re “Conclave Confidential: One Cardinal’s Secret Diary,” Commentary, April 20: As a non-Catholic, I found Patt Morrison’s Op-Ed piece on Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony particularly offensive and derogatory, and not at all humorous, if that’s what she intended. I think her article was in extremely poor taste. I am equally puzzled that The Times chose to run that piece. Surely, respect for the man’s position would have dictated not printing that article.

Emanuel R. Baker

Los Angeles

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As much as we look forward to reading Morrison, we cannot sit by and not express our sense of dismay at her lack of respect for the Catholic Church. How dare she make light of the seriousness with which we believe the members of the College of Cardinals have to give themselves in the form of prayer, discussion and deliberation before they elect our pope.

To participate in the conclave is a sacred duty. We considered what she wrote to be mean-spirited and insensitive to Catholics, the cardinal of Los Angeles and the cardinals in Rome.

When we say church, we mean the people that make it up. So when she makes fun of our cardinal and the traditional process we use to elect our pope, she also makes fun of all of us and it is very offensive and insulting.

Romi Rubio

Becky Orona

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Whittier

Though not unexpected, your April 20 lead editorial, “The German Pope,” concluded that the Catholic Church had failed to make the right choice and instead chose a “polarizing” figure. Your backhanded compliment that Pope Benedict XVI was likely to take care of administrative housekeeping unfairly painted him as a Vatican bureaucrat before he served 24 hours. Let’s give him a fair chance and write the caustic editorials about those who have earned them.

John H. Heinrich

Rancho Palos Verdes

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Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will reach out to other religions. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he and the leaders of all faiths agreed to set aside their doctrinal differences and join in a worldwide effort to promote ethical behavior. So much energy and hatred have been spent on enforcing and promoting “moral” behavior that we seem to have lost sight of a sense of right and wrong, transcending religion and sectarianism. Like medicine, religion should have as its first precept: Above all, do no harm.

Phyllis O’Connor

Long Beach

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Re “A Catholic Call for Dissent,” Commentary, April 21, Charles Curran’s call for dissent in the Catholic Church should not be limited to that communion. Truth-seekers in any religious communion must keep asking the hard questions on subjects the churches consider settled. By asking them, they do the churches a favor by forcing the doors on “settled” doctrines open, letting in needed light.

Robert H. Rowland

Corona