27 JANUARY 1967, Page 13

A Christmas Sermon SIR,—Mr Waugh and the SPECTATOR deserve the

thanks of all who are concerned to prevent the cur-

rent dialogue on ecumenism from deteriorating into pious gossip, flavoured with kindly equivocation and theological ignorance.

May I cite the following points, which tend to be overlooked, from the Pope's decree on ecumenism?

1. 'Nothing is so foreign to ecumenism as the false attitude of appeasement, which is damaging to the purity of Catholic doctrine and obscures its genuine, established meaning' (I1.11).

2. 'The Catholic Church possesses the wealth of the whole of God's revealed truth and all the means of grace' (I.4).

3. 'Only through the Catholic Church . . . can the means of salvation be reached in all their fullness' (1.3).

4. Other 'churches or communities are defective' (1.3).

S. Theological discussions between Catholics and non-Catholics are of value 'provided that those who

take part, with the bishops keeping watch, are real experts' (11.9).

Rome, in fact, has not abated, because she cannot ever abate, any of her claims; so that, to all Catholics, the Archbishop of Canterbury remains technically a layman.

Could we, perhaps, go on from there?

HUGH ROSS WILLIAMSON

London W2