Sir, – Clara Clark writes that, in her opinion, Anglicanism has been strengthened by the ordination of women priests ; she believes that perhaps this is a message for the Catholic Church (July 8th).
In fact, in numerical terms, the ordination of women has done nothing to strengthen Anglicanism, and certainly not in developed countries. Branches of Anglicanism which ordain women (such as in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the US) have continued to see large decreases in worshipping members. In England, fewer than one million people attend services of the Established church each week. In Ireland, the Catholic Church has more worshippers each Sunday in one diocese (Down and Connor) than attend Anglican services across the whole island
The ordination of women clergy is a concession to secular thinking that has done nothing to halt the rise of secularism. – Yours, etc,
CDC ARMSTRONG,
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Belfast.