I refer to the letters by Theresa Marie Clare Nochera and Christopher regarding the Catholic Church.

My wife is a Catholic (and still is a practising Catholic) while I am a free-thinker. We have been happily married for 20 years and as far as religion is concerned, we have never faced a situation where we were at each other's throats. We have approached it with objectivity and with mutual respect for our respective beliefs.

The Catholic Church (and particularly Pope John Paul II), like the other religious institutions, has done quite a bit and this has to be respected and appreciated. John Paul has personally stamped his mark in the area of human rights and whether we believe in the religion or not, we have to take cognisance of this fact.

However, there is also a painful chapter which people like Mary and Christopher should see and understand. While we humans are easily susceptible to the trappings of life, those who have vowed to do the work of the Creator should have the basic decency and honesty to admit their human weaknesses.

When Catholic priests were implicated in sexual abuse, such honesty was not displayed and instead, hypocrisy and cunningness were used to sweep their acts under the carpet. And this by the very people who were supposed to address and heal the wounds.

The sexual abuse of children is inexcusable and the Church, by never addressing it directly showed the deep-seated hypocrisy which prevailed. But perhaps this is true of all religions.

We, as human beings, have to feel and understand the long years of silent suffering of those who felt ashamed to talk about the abuse because those to whom they turned to in the Church turned a deaf ear.

So, while we have to appreciate good deeds, we also have to understand the pain of others. Otherwise, our belief would be meaningless.