no special expertise to pass judgment on practical legislative provisions, if a mistake is to be made, then it is better for the error to be on the side of life rather than against it."
This extract from Mr St JohnStevas' article of July I I perfectly illustrates the author's neo-Protestant cast of mind. How, incidentally, can it ever be an error to be on the side of life?
Mr St John-Stevas believes that a representative system on the lines of the Anglican Synod is needed to bring bishops, priests and laity together in one body. Catholics generally, on the other hand, believe that integrity in this sphere is the function of the Holy Spirit.
This clever writer is obviously quite unaware of how unrepresentative a Catholic he is. If-, as he says, he prefers Anglican company to Catholic, it would be churlish to deny him the pleasure.
But judging from the three samples he gives I cannot agree that their wit is superior to ours. I hear better jokes than that in my parochial Sodality Club every night in the week.
J. A. Riley 6 South Avenue, Leigh, Lancashire.