Letters: Flowers column, pro & con

PLAUDITS for Christine Flowers column

("The New Inquisition"

) about pedophile priests.

We all know that there are many whose conviction about the Catholic Church is that the only noteworthy thing about it is negative. It is a constant undercurrent that seems to have some degree of acceptability. (But they treated Jesus the same way!)

The sad aspect of all of this is that it ignores the real issue for all of us and one of Jesus' main lessons (together with the Jewish and Muslim faiths): The absolute need for and virtue of forgiveness.

How is it that our society, including politics, the media and even some self-proclaimed religious, can't forgive? And not only forgive, but also enter into a new relationship with the ones forgiven? That's what Jesus taught, and that's what we celebrate, especially during this season of passion, death and resurrection.

Clement J. McGovern Jr., Chadds Ford

The Christine Flowers column in which she claims the outrage over new revelations about the pope's documented involvement in protecting priests who had been molesting children (including 200 handicapped kids) is nothing but "boilerplate attacks" over "long-ago transgressions" is unconscionable.

I hope you reap a whirlwind of outraged letters.

Brendan Skwire, Philadelphia

Our debt to Obama

Re the letter from Barbara Ziccardi in which she stated that President Obama is "one of the finest presidents we ever had."

She also lambastes Bush for the "trillions" he spent on the war in Iraq. Were you safe for eight years, or did you have to worry about the next suicide bombing?

You think Obama is the greatest president we ever had. Well, I'm not sure how old you are, but after 83 years, I'll still take this country over any other, but I worry about the debt being forced upon my children and grandchildren. I wonder if your opinion will change when the bill comes due?

Joe Tursi

Upper Darby