Teilhard would have disapproved

We would like to express our distaste for the heading to the interview article reported in the Catholic Herald by Peter Nolan: "Teilhard cult grows apace." Your headline writer should choose his words more circumspectly. The word "cult", according to the Collins New English Dictionary, means "..
a system of religious belief, especially the rites and ceremonies attendant on such belief; worship (excessive) and veneration or devotion (L. eultits, worship)."
Academics of the inter national scientific and theological standing of the contributors to the seven volumes mentioned in the article, together with those of our vicepresidents, do not associate their names freely or give their time and energies to a cult and neither do the many members, themselves academics, who give their time for study and critical analysis in the seminars and conferences run by the Centre! Not in all the ten years of its existence has the association had any form of worship connected with it — its approach to Teilhard's writings being predominantly scientific. We would be interested to hear front Mr Nolan how he could possibly obtain the impression of a cult from the interview accorded him at the Teilhard Centre.
M. Margaret Wolfin Margaret Moor 23 and 24 Ember Farm Way, East Molesey, Surrey.
I was horrified to read that the "Teilhard cult grows apace," to quote from heading to the article by Mr Peter Nolan.
I have never heard of any "cult," and I have been a member of the Teilhard Centre since its inception in England. If this is the direction in which things are proceeding then it is time for all those who subscribe to Teilhard's ideas to resign from the centre.
If there is one thing that Teilhard would have abhorred it would have been a cult in his name. A cult would presuppose that Teilhard's teaching was an end in itself, whereas it was only a beginning. He would have considered it a sign of failure to make a cult of his ideas, If Teilhard is used as a springboard to the future then all is well. If his works are used as a cult then the world will lose greatly. Cults have no future, but Teilhard's ideas have! Kathleen Gabb 32 Knox Street, London, WI.
1 hope that the July 19 issue of
the Catholic Herald does not become the start of another deluge of "puffs" for the works of Teilhard de Chardin. The article on the "Teilhard cult" by Peter Nolan and the comments by Gerard Noel make me fear
the worst! .
Teilhard may well be the source of inspiration to "Christian-Humanist dialogue," or "Para-Marxist" organisations, but his contribution to Catholic doctrine has been generally destructive.
Perhaps to clarify the position for your readers it may be useful to remind them of the following.
Teilhard de Chardin's ideas on Original Sin and the Fall have been condemned by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
His ideas on consciousness and evolution, in Superman. Cephalised Man, and the Omega Point are so full of ambiguities that his own superiors condemned his views from the beginning, and the Church uttered a Monitum that his works are so . . . "full of grave errors as to offend against Catholic doctrine."
P. J. Brady 31, Vessey Road, Worksop.
Nottinghamshire.