surprising to find the chaplain to one voluntary association of lay Catholics launching so serious a criticism of another one, with which he has no direct links as does Fr Cunningham in this week's Herald (4 June). Surely at the very least he might have consulted the Catholic Union's own ecclesiastical adviser, or the acting president (Baroness Masham) before so doing? How is such an action helpful to those of us who are also doing our best in our particular apostolate?
Whether the Union is "moribund" or not it is for its own members to say when they have the annual report and can query actions taken on their behalf by their appointed officers and Committee members. Who is Fr Cunningham to say whether as individual members they should tender their resignations? As a life member, from whose capitation the Union has benefited, I certainly have no intention of doing so.
As to current work my membership of the Parliamentary Committee allows me to know that we have been actively involved in the current Asylum and Immigration Bill, the Government's declarations in respect of "supporting families", the implications of the Stephen Lawrence case, and above all in reform of the House of Lords about which we submitted (and sent to all Catholic papers) a detailed memorandum. On continuing bio-ethical matters with the joint medical committee with the Catholic Union of Doctors we