The vicar's seen it all
Sir: I was just a bit fed up with the tone of Hilary Mantel's review of 'Wild At Heart' (Cinema, 1 September). The headline 'Don't take the vicar' and the phrase in the body of the review, 'this is not a film you should recommend to the vicar' show what I thought would be an outdated view of the clergy. Long gone are the days of the 'more tea, vicar' remarks. The publication of Faith in The City, the fact that many priests have had a career in 'the outside world' before ordination, let alone the Church's long history of pastoral involvement in personal tragedy through the faithful ministry of its parish clergy, should all make it quite clear that there is very little that would shock the average priest.
I've heard tales of sexual adventure that would take the eyebrows off many a film reviewer. I've seen dead bodies (not peace- fully tucked up in bed) and the wounded victims of violence more times than I care to remember. And I don't think that I am out of the ordinary, as clergy go.
George Nairn-Briggs
1 South Parade, Wakefield, Yorkshire
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