Reclaiming our nice cathedrals

The Anglican archbishop of Canterbury whom you reported on October 1-7 (“Anglican row over Lourdes”) is to be congratulated for observing, at Lourdes of all places, that Our Lady is actually “the Lord’s spotless mother”.

Many Catholics see “Mariolatry” (as the Rev Jeremy Brooks of the Protestant Truth Society and his co-protestors call our Catholic acknowledgement of her) as a stumbling block and an embarrassment in their defence of their religion, and of prospects for unity among Christians.
By virtue of her human “yes” and of the divinely ordained role she played in our redemption, Mary is the facilitator of both our acceptance of her Son and our potential for unity in him.
Talking of Canterbury, I think that in spite of any confusion it might cause, it’s time English Catholics relocated their own dioceses back to pre-Reformation sees, as a prelude to reclaiming those nice Gothic cathedrals, abbeys (there’s even one at Westminster!) and parish churches.
Unity is what Our Lord prayed to his Father for, and demanded of us, so unity is what must come. But we should, I believe, be more up-front about the things that divide us, as well as about those on which we still agree, so that enforced debate will ensure that differences are dealt with.

As Catholics, we should be airing regularly and justifying frequently to our Protestant peers our approach to such controversial matters as the sacramental nature of the Mass and its significance as the same sacrifice as the one on Calvary; the real presence on the altar; our devotion to the Mother of God; apostolic succession; and the primacy of the chair of St Peter.

Chris Shelmerdine, Cape Town