I congratulate you on your editorial “Reclaim the laity before it’s too late” (28 January). The parallels between Martin Luther and the modern Church should ring alarm bells. Pope Francis asked the Irish bishops to become goalkeepers in the game of being Church in our time. This is gloriously timed. Many bishops think they are the manager of the team, if not the actual owner of the club.

There is an urgent need to recalibrate ministry, with more goalkeepers, also dribblers with the common touch of the Pope himself. The Church has played a defensive game for decades with too many own goals and far too many fouls. Our bishops need to acknowledge and value every church member as a team player.