Francis was quite clear on 'diversity'

SIR – The comments made by Pope Francis in his Dubai statement about God willing a diversity of religions probably caused theologians to raise their eyes to heaven: “The pluralism and the diversity of religions, colour, sex, race and language are willed by God in His wisdom, through which He created human beings” (Overlooked story, March 15).

When questioned about this, the Pope’s answer was very clear: he said that the diversity of religions is only the permissive will of God. The sentence says that as God wills the diversity of sexes, colour, race and language, so God wills the diversity of religions. There is an evident comparison between the diversity of religions and the diversity of sexes.