Peter Dingli (The Sunday Times, September 26) touched on some topics taught by the Catholic Church but his letter had as its flawed punchline: “This is not moral authority.”

Mr Dingli made not a single reference to Christ, as if the Church has created her own authority. The Catholic Church, with the Pope as her head and as Vicar of Christ on earth, derives her moral authority from Christ Himself.

Christ, God made Man for our eternal salvation, has set up his one Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church and sent his Apostles, and their successors, the bishops, to go and teach all nations: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, …teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you….”. And “whoever hears you hears me, and whoever rejects you rejects me”.

Her moral authority, whether accepted by a few or by many, subsists and is always intended as a service. It is exercised in the service of truth which makes us free and worthy children of God. So the Catholic Church’s, and for that matter the Pope’s, moral authority will always remain faithful to Christ’s immutable truth.