7 OCTOBER 2006, Page 24

Where Paul first preached

From Tim Hudson

Sir: It’s odd that the Pope should think that Christianity both defines and is defined by Europe (‘Pope Benedict was attacking the West, not Islam’, 23 September), when its very name reveals its genesis as the fulfilment of a Semitic faith — whose sacred writings remain central to its worship and beliefs.

And to use the argument as a way of blocking Turkey’s accession to the EU is surely cheap. Wasn’t the land that is now Turkey quite important itself in the history of Christianity, as the scene of St Paul’s earliest exploits and the venue for all seven of the great Ecumenical Councils?

Tim Hudson

Chichester, West Sussex