Sir: Many churchmen will deplore the action of the Bishop
of Leicester, Fr T. Corbishley, SJ, and the Revd Alan Booth, who signed a letter sent to all clergy, seeking support and donations for an organisation designating itself "Christians for Europe." Sponsors include the Bishops of London, Chichester, Manchester, Southwark, Truro, the Bishop-designate of Woolwich; the Roman Catholic Bishops of Clifton, Menevia and Portsmouth; the Duke of Norfolk, Mrs. Shirley Williams, KR, and Lord Longford.
On the reverse of the letter are two suggested prayers. The first, sixteen lines in length, is a specific plug and prayer for the "European Economic Community." The second, consisting of three lines only, asks that minds may be enlightened in regard to the referendum vote.
An accompanying circular extols the aims of what is wrongly termed the "European Community." There will be wide agreement that it is important for "ethical, Spiritual, cultural and religious values" to assume their due place, but it may be asked what grounds there are for supposing that these will be particularly found in Common Market countries where both Communism and authoritarian clericalism are rife?
As for rediscovering Europe's "historic vision," again it should be asked, What vision? This is clearly an attempt to re-establish something akin to the Holy Roman Empire, whose bloody history should not be forgotten. Idealism divorced from realism defeats its own objectives, and those whose "historic vision" is not blurred will remember that Britain's culture came from a far wider sector than those parts of Europe which were the scene of the Dark Ages, the birthplace of the Inquisition, cradled the French Revolution, and this century witnessed the appalling Nazi massacres.
No one wishing to regain Britain's sovereignty, to ensure her freedom to trade where she will, to impose only those taxes decided by Parliament, and to enact and interpret her own laws, will be beguiled by the sophistries of ecclesiastics who, not content with trying to undermine the Reformation Settlement, seek to submerge Britain in economic, monetary and political union With certain European States, whose interests and ways of life differ in so many respeFts from those of our island race and kinsmen overseas. On the great day of decision, they will not be deflected from voting NO.
L. M. Hopkins Wick Crescent, Devizes, Wiltshire.
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