You report (News from Britain and Ireland, 16 March) that the Bishop of Portsmouth, Philip Egan, has paid tribute to the work done by the members of the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) in his diocese. I wonder if there are some matters which you omitted to mention. Surely Bishop Egan will also have exhorted all members of the SSPX to submit to the Holy Father, Pope Francis, and accept in full the teaching of the Church, and so return to full communion. Surely the bishop will also have paid tribute to the great witness of faith in action of the great number of loyal Catholics, lay, deacon, and priest, who have welcomed the teaching of the Church in the Second Vatican Council and have laboured to put it into practice in the diocese. Surely Bishop Egan, having tweeted his happiness at visiting St Michael’s, the SSPX school, will have publicly stated that he is even more happy to visit those in his diocese who have long maintained communion with the Holy Father.

It will be good to be reassured by Bishop Egan that he did indeed make these points which you have omitted to mention.

(Mgr) John Hadley
St Pius X Parish, Narborough, Leicestershire