Archbishop Müller’s statement (The Church in the World, 26 October), that “mercy … misses the mark when adopted as an argument in the field of sacramental theology”, is alarming. It is a fundamental principle of sacramental theology that sacraments are for the people, not vice versa. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger realised this when he argued 40 years ago that the reception of Holy Communion cannot be made conditional on something which is either immoral (deserting partner and children of a second marriage), or impossible (living as brother and sister). This argument has never been countered, even though Ratzinger later resiled from it.Contrary to Müller’s assertions, the practice of the Eastern Church does fully respect Christ’s teaching on the i