Editor:
Concerning the bells of St. Dunstan's Basilica, I would like the bishop to reconsider his objection to their reinstatement.
This is a time when the Roman Catholic Church is in the news nearly every day in an uncomplimentary way. Many priests have ruined many lives with their pedophilia. Many more who, while innocent of actually molesting children, were actively engaged in hiding the crime and protecting the perpetrators.
The consequences of the decades-long horror are now hitting churches in the bank account. Small parishes all over the country are being forced to hand over assets that were always understood to belong to the local congregation to pay for the sins of the larger Roman Catholic Church. Buildings that were the centres of communities are being sold off. To my knowledge, none of the thousands of priceless and quite portable works of art held in Rome are being contributed to ease the pain of the flock.
I see a community group trying to do a positive thing involving the church in the local community. Perhaps, Bishop Grecco, a worthy priority of your office, would be to help heal the church image and regain its important role in the community. Bells won't accomplish that alone, but an active campaign by your office to discredit a grassroots group with a laudable goal like this will only bring the regard of the church lower still.
Adam Drake,
Morell
