A painful issue raised by the cases of Cardinals O'Brien and Groer (The Tablet, 28 March) is that of the abuse of power to which the Church's own structures and practices contribute. In 2010 I wrote to Pope Benedict, and received a brief but courteous acknowledgement, to suggest a number of reforms to address this problem.
All ranks, titles and forms of address (I recognise eight between the Pope and me) should be abolished. The ranks of bishop and priest only should remain.
Bishops should be elected ("called") by the faithful of the diocese to serve for a fixed period of 10 years, returning then to parish pastoral service.
National cardinals should be elected by national bishops' conferences to serve for 10 years, returning then to basic pastoral service.
No priest should spend more than seven consecutive years in Rome in a student or bureaucratic capacity.
The Pope alone should be elected for life, with the option of retirement.
Reforms along those lines would re-energise the Church, underlining the fundamental role of the priest as the "alter Christus" in and among his people. They would curb the temptation to clerical careerism which concerns the Pope greatly.
They would call the faithful to a more active sense of responsibility in and for the Body of Christ of which they are members.
The challenge presented by the two cardinals may be a graced opportunity.
Peter Simmons, North Berwick
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