Sir, - In his article on integrated education (Opinion, January 19th), Dean Victor Griffin equates statements such as "the Pope is the anti-Christ" and "the Mass as a blasphemous fable" with the Catholic Church's statement that Anglican Orders are "null and void". This is most unfair.
Sadly, as a result of 16th-century Reformation attitudes, the Catholic and Orthodox churches have been unable to reconcile their understanding of the authoriative source of their priesthood with that of the Anglican churches. As Cardinal Hume has pointed out, this in no way detracts from the value of Anglican and other Christian ministries. Dean Griffin omitted to point out that - for parallel reasons - the Anglican churches (including the Church of Ireland) do not equate their understanding of ministerial priesthood with the ministries of the Presbyterians, Methodists and other Protestant churches and consequently reordain any such ministers wishing to join the Anglican priesthood.
The signing of the Porvoo Agreement suggests that Anglicans also have reservations about the validity of the priesthood of Danish Lutherans. Pope John Paul and his recent predecessors have greeted all leaders of religious communities whom he meets, whether Christian or non-Christian, with courtesy, respect and love, emphasising the dignity due to them. - Yours, etc., Francis C.H.R. Bailey,
Killiney Hill Road, Co Dublin.