Dear Editor: The question remains (Dolan: Even Without Vote, Discussing Abuse Protocols Still ‘Productive,’ The Tablet, Nov. 17) that if the Vatican’s only concern was to ensure that the best possible solution would be reached in a larger context than that of the U.S. Church alone, why did they wait until the eleventh hour to articulate their view and request that the vote be suspended?

Presumably, a draft agenda and package of materials would have been circulated sufficiently in advance of the meeting to allow for reflection and response or perhaps that is exactly why they waited – to avoid such things. In the name of good governance, the Vatican has used bad governance to slow a process deemed by all to be necessary and overdue.

Moreover, the optics beg the question as to whether the Vatican is dragging its feet and if so, why?

The faithful are being sorely tested and, on the public square, the cynics are optimistic that this inertia will continue to weaken a particularly meddlesome institution.

JAMES K. GILLIGAN

Via website

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Dear Editor: Whoever advised the Vatican to request a delay in discussing the abuse crisis has done a disservice to the Vatican, to the USCCB and to the American Catholic faithful. (Vatican Asks U.S. Bishops for Delay in Responding to Sex Abuse Crisis, The Tablet, Nov. 17) Why did this come at the very last minute? It is not as if no one in Rome knew what was on the agenda of the USCCB.

JAMES FINLEY

Via website 

Editor’s Note: It has been confirmed that the Vatican didn’t receive the U.S. bishops plan until a few days before the Bishops’ Conference in Baltimore.