Poor Father Lynch! He hardly has his feet under the table in Fermoy and he’s being roasted on all sides. What with his ‘cheap verbal stabs’ at Father Flannery, ‘outraged and incensed’ folk walking out of Mass, it’s a wonder someone hasn’t checked to see if he has 666 tattooed on the back of his head.

The essence of what Father Lynch said was that Father Flannery was departing to such an extent from Church teaching that we shouldn’t listen to him.

This is absolutely correct. A fine fellow he may be, a ‘genuine human being, full of empathy’ but on the subject of Catholic doctrine, he talks a load of nonsense. Unfortunately, it is popular nonsense which is why Father Lynch took it upon himself, as the shepherd of his flock, to make people aware of the errors inherent in Father Flannery’s views.

I cannot think of a better place for a Catholic priest to remind a congregation of Catholic parishioners of the need to be vigilant against erroneous teachings than the pulpit of his own Church.

Father Lynch is an orthodox priest given to expressing firmly held orthodox views. I expect he will ruffle a few more feathers!

Yours sincerely,

Conor McGarry,

Glenabo,

Fermoy.