Sir, – I believe Archbishop Michael Jackson was unfortunate in his use of the word “sectarian” as, in my travels, I have met true sectarianism of the “I’m saved and all those . . . are damned” variety; obdurate and totally myopic to the “love one another” message of Jesus.
Nevertheless, I have encountered in my eight years in Ireland a natural reserve that could, taken out of context, be considered as mildly sectarian but is perhaps a manifestation of shyness that is natural in a minority group towards newcomers. As a “blow in” to the Church of Ireland I felt, at first, somewhat outside the community in which I worship. However, with a little perseverance I soon found a warm and welcoming communal spirit. This experience was not new as my wife was a curate in a church in Cheltenham where the same natural reserve was apparent. As a result of a few experiences like mine the church there formed a specific welcoming committee to break the ice for new people and this worked extremely well.
In Nenagh, we don’t have the size of congregation to form such a committee but like many churches, we decided to offer refreshments after services with the hope of fostering a communal spirit which, of course, is just as important as the worship itself.
Finally, like many of your correspondents I had never heard the soubriquet “Polyester Protestant” before and I’m still not sure what it actually means; in fact in all my 67 years as an Anglican, I have not once heard the word “polyester” used outside of a clothing shop. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK ROWLEY-
BROOKE,
Latteragh,
Nenagh, Co Tipperary.
Sir, – The Anglican Primate of Ireland seeks to tell a subtle truth about difference in his diocese/s. He gets shot down in flames by a brace of predecessors and other emeriti. Now I know why, when the Catholic Primate of Ireland wants to voice some subtle truths about his archdiocese or indeed about his colleagues, he prefers to take off to the safety of an Italian conference or a US TV channel. When his colleagues wish to tell their subtle truth, they fall back on Heaney’s “Whatever you say say nothing”. Polyfilla rather than polyester: apply subtly and paper over the cracks. – Yours, etc,
EDWARD FINNEGAN,
Wightman Road,
London,
England.
Sir, – Polyester Protestants? I thought we were just “woolly Anglicans”. – Yours, etc,
Canon NEIL McENDOO,
Purser Gardens,
Rathmines,
Dublin 6.