Sir: The only surprising thing about Paul Johnson's article is
that you did not distance your excellent magazine from the views expressed, which will have given offence to many — perhaps the majority — of your readers. Of course it was wrong for any bishops or priests of the Anglican branch of the Church to support the gay and lesbian celebration, just as it was wrong for early popes and bishops of the Roman branch to practice sodomy, adultery, incest, murder — you name it, they did it. I would use the same defence for my Church as they did for theirs — that the actions of individuals do not invalidate the Church they serve.
Then we have the old chestnut about Henry VIII. The Church of England owes nothing to him: he simply took the Roman Church in England away from the jurisdic- tion of the Pope, keeping all the rest of the Roman doctrine. It was later that the Church here was reformed to adopt the doctrine that if Christ didn't say it it is not necessary for salvation. Even intelligent Roman Catholics now admit that the Angli- can Church has not lost the apostolic suc- cession: why else would Rome have intro- duced the doctrine of Intention to chal- lenge the validity of Anglican Orders? Indeed, many Roman Catholics now admit that Anglican Orders are valid, though, they would claim, not perfect.
The most interesting part of Mr John- son's article is the conclusion: let's all join the Roman Church whether or not we truly believe its doctrine. Is this perhaps the way forward? Some time ago I attended in Eng- land an ecumenical service of Holy Com- munion. My wife, who is a Roman Catholic, asked her priest if I would be allowed to receive Communion and he replied, 'Yes, of course: that's the whole point of the ser- vice.' But he doesn't believe in transub- stantiation,' said my wife. 'So what? Lots of Catholics don't,' was the reply. For the time being I would prefer to stick with the Church of England; imperfect though it is, it is the branch of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church which adheres most closely to Our Lord's teaching.
Brian Foster
1 Cottage Road, Stanford in the Vale, Faringdon, Oxfordshire
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