Archbishop and Pope
Sir: I have been an avid reader of anything written by Christopher Booker for a number of years, but I was saddened by the cynical and snide comments he made about the retirement of the Archbishop of Canterbury, and his visit to East Germany. What Mr Booker doesn't seem to realise is that there is a fundamental difference in style between Donald Coggan and John Paul II, and that the nature of the two visits was different. The Pope's visit naturallY lends itself to the headline writer and to the media event; Dr Coggan's visit was a nri' vate one to encourage and support the churches of East Germany and HungarY* The Archbishop's visit was the culmination of four years of careful planning which was, overtaken by the more dramatic event 01 the return to Poland of a Polish Pope. That this overshadowing took place in no waY undermines the value of the Archbishop:a visit. Indeed, the Archbishop cancelled his own visit to Poland in order not to detract from the Pope's visit. With regard to 'Dr Coggan's foraYs behind the Iron Curtain' Mr Booker has a short memory. Pastor Georgi Vins, tile exiled Baptist pastor, paid tribute to DC Coggan's visit to the USSR when he maci„e an unplanned visit to Pastor Vins's church tv ask, in front of TV cameras, why Vins was prison. After reaching America Pastor Vhls said that the visit had been highly embarras; sing to the Soviet authorities and was one 131 the factors in his release. I wonder if Mr Booker has read any of the, transcripts of Dr Coggan's speeches 01 sermons delivered during the visit to Ells Germany? If, as I suspect, he has relied oat the reporting on TV and radio I am surprised that Mr Booker has such a mYd view. I also wonder if Mr Booker has some of the speeches and sermons of til`f Pope during his visit to Poland. Reading °,5 these reveals many phrases and statemellai` of John Paul's which appear equally ba,,11 and insipid as the one which Mr Boo"e cites of Dr Coggan's. ner In the Church Times of 8 June (a Par not noted for praise of the ArchbishoP; Douglas Brown writes that Dr Coggan has°, 'sure and unaffected touch with young Pelle pie. His strength has been pastoral, and eh' has taught the Faith with a common t0.1/, bolstered but not marred by profound btu' I cal scholarship'. At my theological collegeb: was taught that you never judged a ma° rid the sum total of his public utterances, a *of suggest that Douglas Brown's assessme°`ifi a man who has worked hard as a Bishqr the Church of God for 25 years is the fa' a one, and that the Archbishop deserves better fate than comparisons with Elton John, and being admonished to 'hear no more of this J.C. Flannel stuff. Stephen Palmer 7A St. Michael's Grove, Pareham, Hants.
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