Unnatural rules

THE leader of Austria's Roman Catholics is right when he states that one of the main reasons for the amount of sex abuse in his church is due to "priestly celibacy" (your report, 12 March). When coupled with the fact that paedophile priests are protected by the church from prosecution, it is little wonder that there is so much abuse going on.

To deny their priests the right to have normal human relations is just as ridiculous as keeping ducks out of water. The only devils at work in the Vatican are the ones responsible for creating these unreasonable and unnatural rules and regulations.

JIM CARSON

Larchfield

Edinburgh