30 OCTOBER 2004, Page 42

Prayerful points

From the Revd John Fellows Sir: Mr S.E.G. Hopkin (Letters, 23 October) is wrong on all counts.

The Council of Constantinople did not substitute 'I believe' for 'We believe'. The Received Text of the Creed agreed at that Council uses the plural form. See the Catholic Encyclopaedia.

The laity were withdrawing from participation in the eucharist by the 5th century. See Gregory Dix's The Shape of the Lituiv.

The Anglican Church is not altering the faith nor is it acting unilaterally. Dr Oddie's complaint was that the Roman Catholic Church had made the same change.

John Fellows

Compton, Surrey