'Christian charity' means ...

... wishing good health and long life even to individuals such as this; Cardinal O'Brien has it seems been fitted with a heart pace-maker, following recent dizzy spells associated with a heart murmur he suffers from.

It might be tempting to assign the Cardinal's health problems to the [rightful] veangeance of the 'Almighty' for some of his less charitable (and dare I say it unChristian) views, even if I support his call for a 'free vote' on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, although for purely libertarian reasons, not because I share his viewpoint on the 'evil' that this would represent. Yes, I know of his repugnant views and the stance he adopted on the possibility of children being adopted by same-sex couples when legislation on adoption was being debated a few years ago.

But then I, who do not believe in a 'God' and who as a consequence am hardly going to call myself a 'Christian', actually do believe in the fundamental goodness of all people, even people such as Cardional O'Brien. It would be extremely pleasing if many of those in the hierarchy or the Roman Catholic Church (and indeed in the hierarchies of many other Christian and non-Christian religious bodies) could once in a while promulgate views of inclusiveness rather than divisiveness. If, as I hope, Cardinal O'Brien will now enjoy many years of renewed vigour, having been fitted with a pace-maker, I can also hope that he may recall and begin to practise what is supposed to be the basis of the religion he preaches rather than the proscriptive moral posturing into which his Church has become diverted (and perverted) in its efforts to retain its traditional pastoral power in countries where significant numbers of its adherents reside. The views of O'Brien and senior people in his clique of co-religionists would be less farcical, if not more acceptable, had their stance on kiddie-fiddling over many years by priests not been so lamentable