Letters should include a genuine postal or email address, phone number and the style or title of the writer. Email: [email protected]
Due to space constraints, please keep correspondence below 250 words, longer letters may be published online
SIR – According to Dennis Sewell (Books, December 8), Catherine Pepinster’s thesis that relations between Britain and the Holy See are warm and getting warmer is based on three reasons: the continuing embourgeoisement of this country’s Catholic population; the fact that British Catholics are in senior positions in the Curia; and (more tendentiously) that Rome looks to Britain as a model of how to adapt to secularism.
To advance her second point she suggests that Archbishop Paul Gallagher is “arguably the highest English office holder in Rome since … Pope Adrian IV in the 12th century”.
However, Henry Benedict Stuart, Cardinal Duke of York (the brother of Bonnie Prince Charlie), was dean of the Sacred College of Cardinals, and Cardinal Rafael Merry del Val (who was born in London and educated at Ushaw College) was first secretary of state under Pius X and then head of the Holy Office (known in those days as La Suprema, the Supreme Congregation) under both Benedict XV and Pius XI.
Before 1965 the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (previously known as the Holy Office) reigned supreme – and the secretary of state was always subject to the judgments of the Holy Office.
But since 1965 the Secretariat of State has reigned supreme – with the secretary acting as a kind of prime minister to the supreme pontiff.
Church policy has sometimes been influenced by public opinion and diplomacy, too; although clear-sighted pontiffs have always decided that truth is more important than diplomacy.
I think history will testify as to which judgment was the wiser.
Fr Francis Coveney
Our Lady of Grace, London E4
SIR – Reading Richard Rex’s anniversary book on Martin Luther, I could not but recognise a number of parallels between the Luther-Eck disputes of 1519 and the current controversies over the new Kasper-Marx-Bergoglio theologising. As follows:
1) For Luther’s sola fides we now have what one may term sola misericordia. The Catholic answer to the first was fides caritate formata (faith informed by love). I suggest for the latter it should be something like misericordia poenitentiam consequens (mercy following on repentance).
2) In the Luther-Eck debate, the latter, supposing himself to be engaged in a scholastic disputatio, offered arguments dependent on scholastic principles, the authority of popes and councils and patristic theology. Luther, declining detailed rebuttals, increasingly undercut his opponent by dismissing all such authoritative evidence as contrary to Scripture – as interpreted by himself. Current advocates of the neo-German theology dismiss Church history, centuries old theology and Canon Law by a parallel appeal to Scripture, but now to be interpreted developmentally, which is to say in accordance with the relativist account of truth posited by (significantly German) Hegelian philosophy.
3) The “new theologians” (or their attack dogs) appeal to emotion to overwhelm the claims of reason, resorting to dismissive, offensive and insulting attempts at the character assassination of their critics. Luther and his entourage of “humanist” satellites similarly deployed inflammatory populist invective: both cases illustrate how rhetoric may overcome reality.
4) Luther sought “absolute certainty” of salvation, hence peace of conscience, by equating his chosen beliefs and personal experiences with absolute truth (in this defying the accepted laws of induction). Our neo-German theologians aim at peaceful, guilt-free consciences by appealing to a “discernment” to be interpreted subjectively.
5) Luther’s teachings were upheld vigorously by many members of religious orders, especially his own Order of St Augustine. The new German theology is vigorously advocated by many Religious, both male and female: not least by most members – and I know of notable exceptions – of the current Pope’s own order, the Jesuits.
Eck subsequently contributed substantially to the Bull Exsurge Domine of Pope Leo X. Ironic – but how significant! – that it is neither of these upholders of Catholic orthodoxy, but rather Luther who is commemorated by an issue of Vatican stamps (Letter, November 17).
John Rist (Professor)
Cambridge
SIR – Ann Widdecombe (Comment, November 17) highlighted the deplorable treatment of practising Christians in the workplace and Brendan O’Neill (Comment, November 14) asks, “Who will lead the resistance?”, referring to the transgender complexities and the confusion this will bring to children.
Every human being should be acknowledged and respected, as each of us is flawed. What, though, has become of the notion of right and wrong? We all live by rules and for us our guide is our faith. And rights? Nowadays, it seems to me that we have a right to do wrong!
While the Church teaches us that God is a loving and compassionate Father, it needs to be vociferous in reminding us not just of our duty to love God and neighbour but also of the consequences of disregarding Christ’s teachings and the real prospect of hell.
Ann Skinner (Miss)
Syston, Leicestershire
SIR – Your correspondent Dr John Harmsen (Letter, December 1) asks why all the popes of Vatican II have been canonised or beatified while the cause of Pius XII remains on the back-burner.
The answer surely is because he was a great pope who staunchly upheld the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church on faith and morals. This makes him anathema to the post-conciliar subjectivists for whom faith means believing whatever makes you happy and morals means doing whatever makes you feel good.
Philip Goddard
London SE19
SIR – Thank you for your pitch for Latin studies among the youth (“Papa Franciscus iuvenes hortatur ut linguam Latinam studeant”, CatholicHerald.co.uk).
However, be careful! Don’t let your enthusiasm blind your vision, because every Latinist in the world knows that studeant does not receive a direct object, but an indirect object, in the old days called the dative case.
This would produce in the title of your article “Linguae Latinae studeant”. It is a famous error, so you cannot be blamed unconditionally.
You could illustrate the indirect object by rendering it in English as, “he exhorts the young people that they give attention to the Latin language” or “… be devoted to the Latin language”.
Thank you for your attention and correction.
Fr Reginaldus Thomas Foster OCD
Milwaukee, United States
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