Necessary light

Regarding Bishop David A. Zubik's Forum commentary, "The Media Declare Open Season on the Catholic Church" (April 18):

The more media attention the priestly pedophilia scandal receives, the better it is for the Roman Catholic Church. The print medium, thanks to the invention of the printing press, stoked the Reformation, and allowed Luther to disseminate his ideas across Europe. Indeed, Luther has been called the world's first great journalist. Rome's paranoia over adverse publicity is understandable, but misguided.

The first paragraph of the mystical, non-Synoptic Gospel of John ends with this sentence: And the light shines in the darkness; and the darkness grasped it not. Light has always been a Christian metaphor for Christ and for truth and for salvation. The more light the media shine on this great betrayal of clerical trust, the less likely it is to reoccur.

If a religion is not a living, growing, changing entity, it becomes irrelevant. As a Roman Catholic, I believe the only permanent solution to this crisis is reforming the priesthood by making celibacy optional and ordaining women.

ROB BILLER

Fombell