From Mr Terence Reid SIR – Thank you for publishing

Debra Maria Flint’s letter about Catholics who disagree with the Church. I write as one who cherrypicks only what makes transparent sense, such as the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount.
The institutional Church is weighed down by the dogmatic and doctrinal accretions added over centuries – excess baggage that Vatican II was intended to offload, thereby turning the arrogantly prescriptive Church Militant into a more Christ-like Church Humble.
Catholics only familiar with the vernacular Mass are confused by Traditionalists who are undermining a key Mass reform of Vatican II. But I’m not against the Tridentine Mass per se. It’s inspired great music and celebrated with due reverence can be a moving spectacle.
Ms Flint mentioned the usual suspects: homosexuality, contraception, women priests. More examples: the likely re-introduction of indulgences; the casual dropping of limbo, claiming that it wasn’t a doctrine (tell that to the thousands of weeping mothers down the centuries); a Curia against the reforms of Vatican II is still at it; currently canonising too many saints, exhuming bodies or parts of bodies – for what? A Curia dedicated to maintaining the status of the institutional Church forgets that we, the people, though we have no say, are supposed to be the Church.
Yours faithfully, TERENCE REID London SW12