One of the saddest comments in the most recent letter from Bishop John Crowley (12 January) is about “the at times stiflingly hierarchical nature of our Church”. As a lowly semi-retired priest, I could write a book on the doors that have been slammed shut by our hierarchy.

It seems our bishops have little or no understanding of Scripture. They plead to be open to the Holy Spirit, but only if the Holy Spirit agrees with their myopic view. If they cared to study the Acts of the Apostles, they would understand what bold decisions the infant Church took. When widows complained that they were being neglected, the Church came up with a totally new solution with no precedent: the Order of Deacons. And when faced with a community-splitting decision on what to do about non-Jewish converts, the solution was both bold and simple.

 It seems now that we have a bunch of spineless bishops who can do nothing except accept the status quo. 

It would be brilliant if the hierarchy of England and Wales could study 2 Timothy 1:7: “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity…”

(Fr) John Nuttall
Worthing, West Sussex