SIR – I enjoyed Brian Sewell and missed him when he left the stage. Richard Ingrams (Notebook, November 27) proposes a moveable feast of “theys” who disliked him for his various idiosyncrasies, including dismissal of female artists, and has brought in God and the Church of England to support his polemic against anyone who may not be totally ad idem with Sewell.
Ingrams refers to the “argument about the gender of God”: as God is an Absolute, or perfect being, by definition God cannot be gendered. Aquinas wrote that “we know God by analogy with a loving father”. This was an attempt to combine the authority of the father with the idea of absolute love; approaching meaning rather than defining God, and considered today to be more metaphor than analogy. If Ingrams believes that male and female have essentially different qualities, it follows that God must also contain all possible female qualities.
As far as the female artist or composer goes, given that painters and sculptors trained in workshops or travelled alone to find mentors, there was no means within the social structure for a girl to do more than painting within the family. We know what happened to Alma Mahler: Gustav required her to give up composing when she married him. That, one hopes, would not happen today. Mother Julian’s music is still admired: she was safely in a convent with no husband to consider. Gwen John, whom the more famous Augustus considered a better painter, deferred too much to her lover Rodin, who put his work first: her weakness, or a female weakness?
I think it is true that men tend to be more single-minded and goal-directed, openly aiming to get to the top. Society supports them in this; little boys are allowed to be boastful in a way that girls are not. So girls, try harder.
Yours faithfully,
Jacqueline Castles
London W2
SIR – It is always good to read Melanie McDonagh, especially on a subject like the repeal of the Irish constitution concerning abortion (Comment, November 27). However, I see echoes here of the fix we got into over this same issue in Britain.
At the time of the British Abortion Act the late Norman St John Stevas MP advised Cardinal Heenan that the Church should be circumspect about speaking out against abortion lest it be perceived as a Catholic issue. Was this correct advice? Some say not. Following the passing of this iniquitous act into law here, it was the English Jesuits, just a few years later, who really gave the intellectual underpinning to the case against abortion. As one noted pro-abortionist put it to me at the time: “I see you now have the best of the argument – but it is simply irrelevant.”
I am not au fait with Irish politics, but it seems to me that Melanie’s own profession is in denial in Dublin, as it still is here, after the 1967 Act, by failing to pose the unborn child as the underdog through investigative journalism and documentaries.
Yours faithfully,
Bernard Cartwright
Stourbridge, West Midlands
SIR – As a born Jew and faithful Catholic, I am amazed at the English and German bishops’ attitude to the conversion of Jews. They have seemingly bought the lie that conversion is wrong. Maybe methods in the past have been somewhat misguided and crass, but the Gospel admonition remains that the salvation is for all humanity. Indeed: “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Rm 1:16). A Church that abandons that divine commission is under the wrath of God. In Catholicism I received the fullness of faith, and the blessings of all the sacraments. Her teaching on medical ethics is divinely guaranteed and of inestimable value. It is really anti-Semitic to exclude Jews from the Great Commission of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Yours faithfully,
Ben Margolies
By email
SIR – Let us hear the parable of the two families. One was lax and laid back, with few boundaries and the children did as they pleased. The house was a mess though there was much discussion and some creativity along the way. The other family was disciplinarian, exact, rulebound and very tidy. Not much open, free discussion and not a great deal of creativity either, though. This is an imaginary scenario, though such families do exist and at least one documentary in recent years has focused upon such family approaches to show the differences in attitudes, education and opportunities. We were left wondering which type of family we would prefer to belong to – neither, actually, but perhaps a mixture of both was needed. Let us transpose this scenario to the Church. We see the liberal set, the 1960s radicals.
Then there are the traditionalists with their immaculate yards of lace, clouds of incense, Latin and birettas. Things are exact, proscribed, but often a little scary, if we are honest. We don’t really want to be in either “family”. There is a middle ground, to be committed, to recognise the faith once handed to the Apostles, but to be relaxed, human, and responsive to modern styles and questions, as well as appreciating traditional styles, and a bit of Latin here and there can also be a good thing. George Weigel’s analysis (Cover story, November 27) was therefore apposite and helpful. What John XXIII really wanted is what we all really need.
Yours faithfully,
Fr Kevin O’Donnell
Eastfield, East Sussex
SIR – However much I appreciate Fr Ronald Rolheiser’s “The Last Word”, I am nevertheless surprised by what he has written concerning Islam (December 4). As far as I understand, the Inquisition was a Christian affair whether we like it or not. Then Islamic extremism must also have something to do with Islam.
We have no right to pass judgment on those who call themselves Muslims (ISIS) just because we don’t like their interpretation of the Koran. If we
do so then we must conclude that all Lutherans in my country, Sweden, are not Christians as they consider abortion a human right. The courtesy we owe our Muslim brothers and sisters must be matched, in all fairness, by the courtesy we owe our Christian brothers and sisters.
Yours faithfully,
Fr Anders Nilsson
By email
SIR – There seems to be some worry about the phrase “the
great theological and spiritual enrichment that came from the Reformation” (News focus, December 4). I’m not sure why: surely it’s usually known as the Council of Trent.
Yours faithfully,
David Mayers
London SW12
This page is available to subscribers. Click here to sign in or get access.
Areas of Catholic Herald business are still recovering post-pandemic.
However, we are reaching out to the Catholic community and readership, that has been so loyal to the Catholic Herald. Please join us on our 135 year mission by supporting us.
We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching.
We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values. Please consider donating.