While Tablet readers and other Catholics queue up to express their outrage at the behaviour of Damian McBride (Letters, 5 October), I find myself more dismayed by the Catholic community’s reaction to the demonisation of this man. McBride must have anticipated the hostile reaction from politicians and the press when Power Trip was published, but he deserved to be judged differently by Catholics who espouse values of forgiveness and compassion. Cafod was fully aware of McBride’s past when it recruited him as its head of media. He repaid the organisation’s faith in him to such an extent that he was later promoted to be director of communications. He is widely respected and admired by those who work with him as he was in his first job outside government at Finchley Catholic