Dear Editor, I do hope that Fr Gabriel Daly’s attack on Cardinal Levada (IC Letters 12/12/13) will not go unanswered. It is not likely that Cardinal Levada will be reading the letters in your paper. But someone should point out that Fr Gabriel avoided any specific details as to why the cardinal did act as he did. So we can’t judge whether he was justified in his actions or not.
It is all very well for Fr Daly as a theologian to be drawing fine distinctions between unity and conformity, but the ordinary good Catholic just wants to know what is authentic Catholic doctrine. He is not concerned with the boundaries of heresy or when a maverick cleric has finally crossed the line into heresy.
It is the responsibility of the local ordinary authority to see that clerics do not become predators in the moral sphere, or cause confusion and havoc in the doctrinal area. If they fail, which they did, then a higher authority must step in if it becomes informed of the situation. Pope Francis makes it clear that he hopes for the future the local and regional authority will become more vigilant and active. It will allow the Church as a whole to focus on the message of the Gospel. Unfortunately it is the mavericks that often grab the attention of the media and the multitude with their controversial and novel ideas. This does not lead us to Christ. Christ established an authority in the Church in order to guarantee unity. He said “he that heareth you heareth me, and he that despiseth you despiseth me and him that sent me”.
Yours etc.,
James Neville,
Abbeyfeale,
Co. Limerick..