In his obituary of Pope Benedict (31 December), Peter Stanford writes that membership of the Hitler Youth was compulsory for the Ratzinger boys. It was not. My sister, brother and I are very proud that our father, Walter Gomm, born in 1925 in Königsberg, now Kaliningrad, resisted the pressure from his father (afraid for his only child) to become a member. Joseph Ratzinger had a choice. He didn’t take it.
Barbara Schurenberg
Vaison-la-Romaine, France
• While accepting some criticism of Labour’s immigration acts (Letters, 29 December), we must not forget that Labour governments enacted all four major pieces of legislation banning racial discrimination (1965, 1968, 1976, 2000).
John Boaler
Calne, Wiltshire
• In a TV pundits’ discussion about Pelé (Obituary, 29 December) during the 1966 World Cup, Joe Mercer’s pronunciation of the great man’s name – “Peeli” – was corrected by Brian Moore. “How do you spell it then?” asked Mercer. “G-O-D!” said Malcolm Allison, quick as a flash.
Alan Robertshaw
Silverton, Devon
• My husband of 56 years has always done the housework that he thinks is necessary, whereas I would like him to do what I think actually needs doing. Does that help explain the gender divide on the issue (Letters, 29 December)?
Eleanor Creed
Portsmouth
• How lovely that the group searching for ET is being led by someone called Elliott (If aliens contact humanity, who decides what we do next?, 29 December).
Richard Barnard
Wivenhoe, Essex
