In your editorial, ‘Benedict the media darling?’ (September 19), you end by saying that “So long as things remain that way, the Church will retain the power with which to impart its teaching, as well as moral authority. The biggest danger it faces, of course, is indifference.” I beg to differ.

Moral authority is achieved after considering your place in the world and the part you play and realising that it’s not all about you or your cause but about being able to consider other people’s insights and experiences.

The Church seems to do the opposite. It considers its position and its laws non-negotiable as they were sanctioned by a God that people are quickly becoming disillusioned with.

Compared with war, AIDS and poverty, many issues that the Church deems to be far more important seem to pale into insignificance. Gay marriage and contraception… these issues tend to dominate the Church’s efforts.

How can we accept moral authority from this Pope? The challenge to our society comes from a Church that is out of touch, run by self-serving men who will hang on to power and who insist on imparting their view of how we should live our lives.

On the issue of the priesthood, how can a Church dismiss the whole of female humanity? How can female humanity accept moral authority from a man who says they are not fit to administer spiritual guidance?

How can we accept moral authority from a man who says a husband must not use a condom to protect his wife from infection – even if he has HIV?

This is not moral authority.