The blame for this situation lies equally upon the shoulders of the miscreants, and on the hierarchy of an organisation which is so afraid of scandal that it is prepared to cover it up, even when such action perpetuates the scandal.

The Vatican needs to take a long hard look at its role in all this, and react decisively and vigorously to ensure that in the future, a much more open and responsible stance is adopted by the church authorities.

Catholics all over the world bear absolutely no blame, and are of course appalled and disgusted by those involved, and do not in the slightest condone what has been done.

But Catholics, as a group, have absolutely no power to make changes, as the Catholic Church is not a democracy. It makes its own rules, and decides autonomously what its members will do, or not do, to remain within its aegis.

It seems likely that all this publicity will force change, and that will be a good thing.

On the subject of the church's influnce and authority over the people of Eire, I have personal observations.

I spent many holidays with my grandmother in Ballyclagh, county Cork, and I was surprised at the way that working class country folk were cowed by the parish priest.

He would visit Gran within a day or so of my Grandfather coming home from England, where he worked on the roads, as a gang foreman.

He would open the front door and enter without knocking, and make himself at home in the most comfortable chair.

He would demand tea and biscuits, and then sit and chat, until he'd had his fill, and at that point he would hold his hand out for a donation, knowing that Grandfather would have three months wages in his pocket.

He would graciously accept £30-£40, and walk out without thanks, saying only "See you in church on Sunday", on which occasion we were all expected to make a further donation.

My Grandparents never said a word against this regular mugging until 1980, when the old man got finally sick of it and threw him bodily out of the house.

This might explain how these guys were able to act in the way they did, and, in some areas still do.

Don T.