To The Australian It will be good for the nations of the West, and thus for humanity as a whole, if the Catholic Church engages in a serious and substantial revision of its "millennia-old doctrine" ("Catholic Church at the crossroads", 6-7/10) under Pope Francis, but this must not involve yielding to Chinese communism, socialist fantasies or "high-minded internationalism". Welcoming other Christians to share in communion at the Catholic mass, and becoming more flexible about the treatment of divorced and remarried Christians - these look like steps towards a more inclusivist religion; and just because certain basic theological propositions have been accepted for two thousand years does not mean they are necessarily in accordance with truth. Chris Kenny ("Come on PM, show us what you stand for") and Bernard Salt ("Act for the public good, and public goodwill will follow") both urge Australia to end the "disconnect between voters and the political class." A more generously and sensibly articulated public presentation of the Christian sacred tradition would make that so much easier.
Nigel Jackson, Belgrave, Vic