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	Mass-goers Have Mixed Reaction to Pope's Letter to the Faithful The Fermanagh Herald March 24, 2010 http://www.nwipp-newspapers.com/FH/free/335335423251730.php THERE has been mixed reaction to the Pope's letter in Enniskillen. People coming out of Mass in Enniskillen were asked for their reaction. Some women suggested their husbands would be a better choice, others wanted to think more before commenting, but others were prepared to give an opinion, provided their identit was witheld. 'Saddened' One woman told us: 'I think it (the letter) was a good start. I feel saddened for the good priest. That's the way I feel about it. I would feel very sad for the victims as well but I thing for the very good priest it's a very difficult and hard time for them. 'No, it (clerical child abuse) would not deter my faith in the church. I would be 100 per cent behind a good priest. I feel for the good priest, and I would not have any doubts in that regard and I would still be a good Catholic in supporting the priest." The Pope's letter made no reference to bishops standing down, so what were her views on Cardinal Brady's position. 'I think he should stay. What I do think is he was very junior when this whole thing happened and he had to obey his superiors. He is a very experienced man. My feeling about it is: if he goes the person coming in may have the same problem.' Another woman was less impressed. She found the letter hard to take in in one go but some of the bits she did hear troubled her. 'The whole thing is really horrifying. How much more is going to come out? This is only the tip of the iceberg. 'The Pope's letter seems to be putting an onus on us the laity towards helping the victims come to terms with what went on. I felt he wasn't supportive enough of the survivors. OK, he said this carry-on was a disgrace and that the abusing priests let down the church and the people, but he still wasn't that forceful about them. 'Should heads roll? Of course they should. I don't think he was strong enough or forceful about what he was going to do about these priests who have been doing it and continuing to do it - and they are continuing to do it.' She was then asked if her faith had been dented by the whole clerical child abuse scandal. 'Yes, in certain things, for instance confiding things in priests, and confessions.You are wondering to yourself; you are going to this man and, God knows, he could be a bigger sinner than you are. Things like that would worry me - who are you looking for absolution from. We don't know what's going to come out in, maybe, five years' time.' The woman did add she was very happy with her own priests. A quietly-spoken man saw positive things in the Pope's letter and in that morning's gospel about the woman taken in adultery. 'To look at it in a subjective way it is really, really disturbing and very challenging. But, I also feel a lot of people have different agendas. You have people maybe wanting to attack the Church. That was one of my first reactions. I may be wrong, but I know there are a lot of people jumping on the bandwagon. 'It was very interesting this morning to hear the readings and the gospel message. It mentioned about looking back. This way of looking at things. Maybe we have to concentrate on the future. Of course, you would expect a survivor to look back, but the gospel mentions about who will cast the first stone, and it's really those who are taking advantage of the survivors I'm thinking of. 'It must be horrendous for these people who have been abused at a very early age, and difficult to come to terms with. At last, that has been recognised in the Pope's letter and it also recognises there must be considerable healing. 'The Pope maybe will address them in some way, even meet with them. There is a lot in there (Papal letter). I was listening to a couple on the radio last night and they said they had good points that he hasn't addressed in his letter. But, as I say, he may meet with the survivors. 'It is going to be a long process, but it's an encouraging start.'
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