Madam, - I believe I would be correct in saying that the (Roman) Catholic Church in England would still describe itself as a mission church. Witness its continued ability to attract converts, as from the mid-19th century onwards, from the worlds of literature, music and the arts, academia and more recently politics. This may be because its message of eternal bliss is reflected in the quality of its liturgy, music and not least homiletics, broadly speaking, from the local parish church to the great cathedrals such as Westminster, Arundel, Portsmouth and Liverpool, not to mention Farm Street, a never-to-be-forgotten experience.
This is the world in which the Catholicism of Tony Blair has been formed. I suggest that he should exchange this mission church background for a native, home-grown one, such as Ireland's. I would happily arrange his bed and board for a month, anywhere in Ireland, on condition that he attend Sunday Mass, and perhaps one weekday 10 o'clock mass in the local parish church, or even cathedral. It would be interesting to see how well he thrives on the local musical, liturgical and homiletic diet.
Oh yes, and he would be required to confine his reading material to the literary and theological output of Fr Vincent Twomey. - Yours, etc,
Fr JOHN McKAY, Drogheda, Co Louth.
Madam, - As a devoted reader of The Irish Times, I was saddened and disappointed to read Newton Emerson's article of December 28th. The general tone was offensive and it ridiculed and trivialised the Blessed Eucharist - a regrettable departure from the standards which we have come to expect from your eminent newspaper. - Yours, etc,
TOM O'CONNOR, Landscape Gardens, Dublin 14.