Madam, - Colm Holmes (August 15th) on behalf of BASIC (Brothers and Sisters in Christ), informs us that women were present at the Last Supper. This is not borne out by the three synoptic gospels:-
"When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve." (Matthew, 26.20)
"When it was evening, he came with the twelve." (Mark, 14.17)
"When the hour came, he took his place with the Apostles." (Luke, 22.14)
For would-be women priests in the Catholic Church whose duty would be to teach the Catholic faith the members of BASIC need to be reminded of some words of Benedict XVI in a previous role. As prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith he wrote the following regarding the doctrine that priestly ordination is reserved only to men: "The Supreme Pontiff, while not wishing to proceed to a dogmatic definition, intended to reaffirm that this doctrine is to be held definitively, since founded on the written word of God. Constantly preserved and applied in the tradition of the church, it has been set forth infallibly by the ordinary and universal magisterium."
When I read the second paragraph of Canon 750 I can only come to one conclusion regarding the standing of BASIC within the Catholic Church:-
"Furthermore, each and every thing set forth definitively by the magisterium of the Church regarding teaching on faith and morals must be firmly accepted and held: namely those things required for the holy keeping and faithful exposition of the deposit of faith.
"Therefore anyone who rejects propositions which are to be held definitively sets himself against the teaching of the Catholic Church." - Yours, etc,
GERRY GLENNON, Dun Laoghaire, Co Dublin.