Lectionary choice l I share Dr Patricia Egerton’s puzzlement at how the choice of translation for the new lectionary was made (Letters, 4 January). As a reader at Mass, I attended the recent Portsmouth diocese online presentation of the new lectionary. However, the speaker stated at the outset that he would not discuss the new translation but concentrate on general principles. So no enlightenment as to why the bishops of England and Wales and Scotland, uniquely among English-speaking hierarchies, have chosen the current Bible version. I understand that the choice proved controversial even within our hierarchy. Hence, perhaps, their reluctance to air their dirty linen in public. Frank Capocci Southampton l I am the cantor at Our Lady of Grace and St Edward in Chiswick, a position I have held for more than 35 years. I am perplexed and frustrated by the new lectionary translations for the responsorial psalms. In Chiswick we are fortunate to have a psalter which was composed in the early 1980s by our then director of music, the late Sean Keohane. We also use the red Responsorial Psalm Book and others. These are well-composed works which have stood the test of time. We have now had the Advent season to introduce ourselves to the new lectionary psalms and, as a cantor of so many years experience, I am asking myself, “Why are we having to endure this?” Trying to fit the words of some of the new translations to the music we have is challenging at best and at times it is impossible. I have had to adapt every psalm this Advent with devices such as repeating a line or half a line of music. There has not been one occasion when I have reduced the music to accommodate the words, because the new psalms are too wordy. This seems to me to be change for change’s sake and will not help the congregation use the psalms as uplifting poetic invocations of God’s message. John Barber London W4 Labour’s missteps l As a longstanding Labour supporter, it gives me no pleasure to agree with Julia Langdon (“Where is this handcart going?”, 4 January) about the government’s disappointing start. I had a letter published in this magazine at the end of July extolling Keir Starmer’s virtues and political gravitas. However, I was immediately disillusioned when the chancellor’s first punitive action was the cut to the winter fuel allowance, which I could not countenance emanating from a Labour government. Then we have had the cataclysmic budget, and endless repetitive speeches identifying pledges, promises and milestones. Of course, there was a dire economic inheritance, but they can’t keep alluding to that ad infinitum. There have been some good measures, but they seem to be outweighed by the missteps and errors. Hopefully, lessons have been learned or that handcart will indeed find its way to a political graveyard. Judith Daniels Great Yarmouth, Norfolk Catholic science l I enjoyed Guy Consolmagno’s reflections on Magisteria, my history of science and religion (“The road not taken”, 4 January), and it would be churlish of me to take umbrage at his criticism. I probably do write from an unconsciously Protestant perspective.  That said, I would like to highlight one detail of my story that Brother Guy omitted and which might slightly undermine his argument: namely the experiment that Florin Périer conducted in 1647 to measure differences in atmospheric pressure.  Given the anti-science accusations levelled against Catholicism by its enemies, it is rather delicious to learn that the world’s first formal scientific experiment was based in the gardens of a monastery, drew on the help of its monks, was conducted by the Catholic Périer, requested by his brother-in-law, the Jansenist Blaise Pascal, suggested (at least according to his own claims) by the Catholic René Descartes, and beat an attempt to conduct a similar experiment by the friar Marin Mersenne. Nicholas Spencer Senior fellow, Theos, London SW1 Peace postponed l Re your perceptive and appropriate Christmas editorial (21-28 December), at the Christmas night Mass I attended, the St Luke Gospel described the heavenly host as saying “Peace among those with whom he is pleased” – different again from each of the translations to which you refer. At least the peace is conditional and not for all men, of which there is no sign. UK society may indeed be unravelling, but how much more so in the Holy Land, where the Christmas story began. In response to the horrific events of 7 October 2023 terrible crimes against humanitarian law continued in Gaza for the second Christmas running, especially the assault on health and humanitarian facilities.  The relative silence of our political and religious leaders is deafening, facilitating these crimes. Imagine the uproar if this was the behaviour of Iran or Russia? Sadly, no peace this Christmas for any of the suffering people of Israel or Palestine. (Dr) Edward Reynolds Epsom Downs, Surrey Maltese values l As somebody with close links to Malta and having lived there for 25 years, I take issue with some points raised by William Cash. Cash gives the impression that the “perceived vice and corruption” is a normal way of life. But the Maltese never accepted this until the current Labour party took power. Labour won three consecutive elections in 2013, 2017 and 2022, despite scandals including the sale of the former St Luke’s Hospital, payments from the company 17 Black, and the conduct of the Pilatus Bank. Daphne Caruana Galizia paid with her life for her investigative journalism and revealing the PMs and others’ offshore accounts, thanks to the Panama Papers. It is true that along with the corruption came huge wealth and standards have improved enormously in every sphere. But it came at a huge cost: inequalities never seen before, homelessness, soaring rents, property prices out of reach for most of the population, and Catholic values gradually eroded. Politics is interweaved into all aspects of Maltese life. Archbishop Scicluna is derided by the government for speaking out against corruption and greed. The Church is facing decline in Mass attendance (now around only 35 per cent) and facing further attacks on such things as abortion. The opposition Nationalist party is starting to close the gap on the government, but it is still a struggle to convince enough people that Malta needs to clean up its act. Why? The feel-good factor from GDP growth averaging 8 per cent a year. Malta is a beautiful island, hospitable and safe, and still feels a Catholic country. But it needs to rediscover its values to return to a more peaceful and just society. Godwin Pullicino Ledbury, Herefordshire Gripe over grapes l It could be worryingly misleading to state, tout court, that, for consecration at Mass, “fortified wines, for instance, are not allowed”, (N. O’Phile, 14 December). There are, as the author correctly avers, regulations governing the use of spirits in altar wine, but they explicitly allow it, provided that the spirit is wine-based (effectively a brandy). This both counters degradation in travel and extends the life of the wine – think sherry, port, madeira.  On a more positive note, the use at Notre-Dame in Paris of “growers’ wine”, “without any of the inputs of modern oenology”, should encourage us to follow also the Church’s recommendation to distribute Holy Communion using parts of a large Host, itself resembling ordinary bread, which has been broken at that same Mass. Natural simplicity must prevail over any artificiality and pomp in what are, after all, sacramenta propter homines – sacraments for the people. Basil Loftus Braeval Helmsdale, Sutherland Gentle rebuke l Over Christmas, I gently asked one of our daughters (middle-aged, Catholic upbringing) why she and her family choose to attend female- and male-led Church in Wales services where she lives rather than Catholic ones. Her gentle reply was: “Well, the Catholic Church is not inclusive, Dad, is it?” Which made Francis Bown’s rationale for the non-ordination of women (Letters, 21/28 December 2024) out of time and sterile. The Church needs to become twenty-first-century Catholic and set about ordaining women. Peter Sharples Redhill, Surrey Hot cross bun fight l What is Christopher Howse, of all people, doing “contemplating hot cross buns”, albeit cut price, in Christmas  week (Notebook, 4 January)?  Harold Mozley  York

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