20 JULY 1991, Page 24

Faith and fun

Sir: No wonder Monsignor Gilbey smiled calmly and .patiently during most of his interview with John Mortimer (`The Mon- signor at ninety', 6 July). A priest in his 90th year is not likely to be surprised, far less to be dismayed, by the impossibility of communication between the humanist and religious positions. Most of Mr Mortimer's hard questions, so real to him, have no substance for Christians: and as for the remainder, one is tempted to echo the reply of the apocryphal Irishman to the tourist who asked him for directions 'Sure, if I were you I wouldn't start from here at all.'

Michael O'Donovan

Flat C3, 14 Lower Pembroke Street, Dublin 2