Sir, —
So Peter Tarleton (Letters, September 2026) doesn’t want Freemasons or members of the Orange Order serving as bishops. It’s not clear to me if he also dislikes their entry into holy orders at all though, from his arguments, it seems that is his attitude. Neither does he seem happy with selection procedures. Maybe he would prefer a 50/50 gender quota system for selecting candidates for ordination. How about a further restriction on boards of nomination- a male rector followed in one, 10, or 30 years time by a female rector? How about same quota system at all Easter vestries and for compiling lists of volunteers for the Flower Rota or the Graveyard Tidy Up?
In a wider context since Peter mentions the ‘teaching’ role of clergy, would he also require a similar quota for teaching and childcare personnel? Perhaps if such rigid (and maybe even crazy) rules were applied back in the 1970s, even Peter himself might have fallen foul of the gender quota idea.
As one who held our former (female) bishop in high regard, it did not concern me whether she was a member of an all-female group or not.
When Peter has completed a guided tour of 17–19 Molesworth St, Dublin, and searched the internet to further his knowledge, he may well conclude that the organisation within that prominent building is indeed not a secret society.
Yours, etc.,
Noel Huston (by email)
