Clifford Longley’s examination of abuse (“Abuse: learning the lessons”, 21 November) refers to “a severe crisis in the Catholic priesthood after the Second Vatican Council”. Should we infer that the Council turned good priests into bad? For sure, there are those who see Vatican II as “the problem”, blaming it for the exodus of faithful even though other denominations in developed countries lost their flocks in equal measure.

What is true is that at Vatican II, because almost all the world’s bishops were present in Rome expressing the needs of their far-flung flocks, reforms were able to be introduced at every level, which the Italian-dominated Curia was unable to block. The thrust of those reforms was a return to the Gospel, to the teachings and witness of Christ, and a reaction against the dominant culture of clericalism as represented by the Curia’s stranglehold on our faith. Because clericalism was so dominant, it follows that many priests would have felt their status undermined and become disappointed and resentful, thus leading to a collapse of their moral framework.

Just as there continue to be wonderful manifestations of new hope and rebirth in the life of the Church after the Council, so we are aware of constant rearguard actions of clericalism to perpetuate itself. Our Church is human, but we are a people of Charity, of Faith, and of Hope.

John Howard
Presteigne, Powys