From Mrs Patricia McKeever
Dear Sir, The fact that Fr Ken Payne (Books, May 11)was "embarrassed" and felt that it was "fortunate that [he] was not wearing [his] Roman collar" when he was "looking through" Jack Dominion's latest book Let's Make Love: The Meaning of Sexual Intercourse on the London Underground, shows that he knows perfectly well that this is not the kind of book that any Catholic — let alone a priest —should be wading.
I attended a talk recently at which Jack Dominion peddled his usual nonsense about marriage and, of course, promoted this latest book. Does anyone (apart from Fr Payne) really believe that for centuries couples who married did not love each other — that we have had to wait for Jack Dominion to tell us that love is central to married life?
The absurdity of Dotty-Dominion-speak aside, it is extremely worrying that a Catholic priest should recommend a book written by a man who mistakenly thinks that "development of doctrine" in sexual matters means accepting promiscuity, adultery and pornography. This is aberration of doctrine, not development.
Teaching about sexuality, like every other Christian teaching, cannot contradict what has gone before. The fathers of the Church insisted that this is the test of true development of doctrine.
It is also sad, to say the least, that Fr Payne should propagate that other silly 20/21 st century heresy that we need more, not less, self-love. This flies in the face of all the writings of the great saints and mystics. When, oh when, will we open a Catholic paper and find a priest proclaiming the need for us to deepen our love of God and give ourselves totally to him, forgetful of self? Therein lies the route to happy marriage, happy celibacy, not to mention a drugsfree culture. More importantly, of course, therein lies the route to the salvation of our souls.
Perhaps Fr Payne will take to reading a copy of the Imitation of Christ to while away his London Underground journeys or the life of the Patron Saint of Priests, the Cure D'Ars. That way, like the couple at the marriage feast of Cana who invited Christ to bless their (undoubtedly loving) marriage, he will be spared the mortification of embarrassment and, certainly if he is wearing his Roman collar, he will provide a welcome relief from the contem porary image of worldly and dissolute clergymen, so prevalent in our sex-obsessed times.
Just a thought.
Yours faithfully, PATRICIA MCKEEVER, Editor, Catholic Truth, patricia.mckeever @ukonline.co.uk From: Fr Bryan Storey
Sir, Your reviewer Ken Payne says of Doctor Dominion's book Let's Make Love that the Church should appreciate the importance of sexuality as part of living and loving. Clumsy though it may have been (we're only human after all), the Church has made a valuable contribution in this field, never to be forgotten by so many of us, by its reminders of the importance of self control in the whole question of human sexuality and love.The -hang ups" were and are often of our owu making!
It is only to be regretted that Doctor Dominion and the Church generally today, seem to be much more reticent on this vital point.
Yours truly, BRYAN STOREY, Tintagel Catholic Church