The treatment of Fr Tony Flannery by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is scandalous and there is an urgent need for Pope Francis to step in and immediately restore a good man to his rightful position as a caring, devoted pastor.

The undertaking that you report that Fr Flannery has been asked to give (News from Britain and Ireland, 14 January) would present problems for any honest priest or layperson. Obviously there will be women priests within the next decade; Catholics abandoned the Church’s teaching on contraceptives in 1968 following Humanae Vitae; and enlightened attitudes to homosexuality recognise the person rather than the sexual orientation.

The Catholic Church needs brave men like Fr Flannery today as we needed Hans Kung and Karl Rahner in 1962 to bring some credibility into a creaking church.

Rose Mullarkey
MORETON, WIRRAL