Letter: Work to do

YOUR EXCELLENT editorial ("Cardinal Errors", 20 June) raised some very pertinent questions. The future of Roman Catholicism in England, like English cricket, will depend on how it harnesses the rich harvest of peoples from other races and other cultures that inhabit this land. There is a vast urban population, mainly working class and even deprived, who should be the main concern in the evangelising work of the Catholic church.

At the beginning of this century a great Englishman, Cardinal Edward Manning, faced a similar situation. He had the vision to see and the courage to grasp the moment. As a result there is now a highly educated and very successful multitude of descendants of "bog Irish immigrants" enriching this England. The next incumbent of the See of Westminster would do well to study Manning and his life's work.

Father JOHN BUCKLEY

Southampton, Hampshire