Insult to Anglicans
Sir: Anglicans today must be all but im- munised from the almost perpetual belittle- ment of their church and its leaders, mostly by writers who betray that their criticism is based on the slenderest credentials.
Though the Churches correspondent of The Times, Clifford Longley, deals with the delicate issue of inter-church relations with sYmpathy and deep understanding, one cannot forget that their review of the Alter- native Service Book was not even entrusted to a Christian but, with predictable result, to the Jewish Marghanita Laski — surely the ultimate in insult.
The Daily Telegraph, I grieve to say, referred recently in a leading article to the Anglican custom in many churches of a 'ridiculous handshake' at the Pax, as though forms of greeting at this point of the Eucharist were not an age-old tradition, now brought increasingly into the Church of England services as a symbol of Chris- tian brotherhood. That the Spectator should join the denigrating trend must be cause for sorrow among all your Anglican readers — or, at least, all who practise their religion. You recently published a sneering article by one C. H. Sisson, entitled 'Have church, will travel' (10 April), critical of the Archbishop of Canterbury's visits to other countries of the Anglican communion rather than ap- plying himself to a 'disintegrated' Church at home. In the Canterbury diocese we have every reason to admire the zest and fervour with which the Archbishop, like his im- mediate predecessors, embraces the care of his flock at home as well as abroad.
But the all-time low was touched in the report by Peter Ackroyd (5 June) of the Celebration of Faith in Canterbury Cathedral on the occasion of the Pope's visit. Here we had the pre-service at- mosphere likened to that of a flower-show with 'clergymen clutching their tickets with that benign, slightly silly, expression which clergymen always seem to have'. Always!
Compared with the Pope, 'Archbishop Runcie seemed a plaintive and whimsical figure, with a tremulous voice — the voice of the mad aunt who is allowed downstairs at tea-time'. What could be more grossly offensive than this comment? Happily the nation has had the chance of making its own assessment of the quality of the Arch- bishop from such occasions as his En- thronement Service, the Royal Wedding, and, not least, this historic occasion at Canterbury. I was lucky enough to be in the congregation and to experience at first hand the spiritual power of this service, and the unarguable drawing together of Rome and Canterbury as it reached its climax in Pope and Archbishop kneeling together at the site of Becket's martyrdom. No Christian heart surely could be other than touched by the happenings on the eve of Pentecost 1982 in Canterbury Cathedral.
The recollection of the dignity and humility of Pope and Primate indeed made a grotesque contrast to the contemptuous tone of your correspondent.
E. W. Swanton
Delf House, Sandwich, Kent
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