TOM Shields's column, with its dusting down of some jolly ecclesiastical japes, is entertaining as far as it goes but, lest the unsuspecting reader believe its skewering of "self-indulgent bishops" is all gospel truth, perhaps a "veritas" checklist needs to be drawn up ("Tom Shields on ...
self-undulgent bishops", The Herald, March 6).
There has been no instruction from Archbishop Conti or anyone else to sell "treasures " to raise £1.5m to pay for a new Bishops' Conference HQ; Mary Queen of Scots' prayer book and Bonnie Prince Charlie's snuff box are very definitely not for sale (apologies to any reader who may have had their eye on the purchase of such niche artefacts) and there is no building of a "wee Vatican on the south side of Glasgow" planned.
The grain of truth upon which Tom Shields bases his column is this: the Scottish Catholic Archives and the Blairs Museum are costing some £150,000 a year to maintain and keep open to the public. The trust which owns them on behalf of the Church is considering the sale of one or two non-core items from its collection to help offset these costs.
Your scribe's jibe at "a rerun of Marcinkus Mansions" is also mildly amusing but wide of the mark. Far from needing to "build their own wee Vatican", the building that will become the new base for the Bishops Conference of Scotland has been in ecclesiastical hands for more than 50 years, having seen past service as a convent and monastery.
They say that journalists never let the truth get in the way of a good story. In this case the columnist hasn't let the truth get in the way of a jolly jape.
Ronnie Convery,
Director of Communications,
Archdiocese of Glasgow,
196 Clyde Street,
Glasgow.
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