Nature of Church

Sir, I am not altogether surprised that Alan Bartley (Letters 23. May) is reluctant to join the Ordinaraite of Our Lady of Walsingham looking at it from his point of view, but he should get all his facts right. Since Vatican 2 the Roman Catholic Church has not denied the Chalice to the laity but rather has encouraged it. If I find myself in a congregation rather than at the Altar I would always wish to avail myself of the Precious Blood, not that I would be over concerned as the Body, Blood ,Soul and Divinity of Our Lord is contained in both species.

Historically there have been one or two popes who have not lived up to their calling but the the fact that the Church has survived this and other scandals shows not only its strength and influence but as promised: “The Gates of Hell would not prevail against it”. There may be dogmas that, say, St. Paul would not have been familiar, but the Church has always developed under the guidance and safeguarding of the Holy Spirit. What made many leave the Church of England was what became the lack of authoritative teaching. Upon his confession Our Lord said to St. Peter: “Upon this Rock I will build my Church” and He was not simply meaning St. Peter’s faith. What Jesus did not say was: “Upon this belief I will publish my Bible”.

What Alan Bartley and I would fundamentally disagree upon is the nature of the New Testament Church. Fr. Michael Galloway, Chard