LETTERS Church militant
Sir: I read Anthony Daniels's 'The Third World in Britain' (18 April) with interest and some sympathy. However, I was aston- ished to read his final sentence, 'They will find more illumination there [in Lord Bauer's writings] than in all the lucubra- tions of our foolish and cowardly clergy- men.'
Why this sudden attack on clergy when there was no mention of Church opinions on the inner cities in the article at all? Why the linkage between 'foolish' and 'coward- ly'? In many inner city areas the priest is the only 'professional' who lives on his patch (not many doctors do!). With one in ten clergy reporting being assaulted, and one in three being threatened in the course of their pastoral duties, 'cowardly' is hardly a fair word to use.
If Dr Daniels has an axe to grind about the clergy let us know and we can respond, but to use the freedom of an article to make unspecified accusations is just not on.
George Nairn-Briggs
Provost of Wakefield, 1 Cathedral Close, Margaret Street, Wakefield, West Yorkshire
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