Sir, – Michael Kelly takes me to task (Letters, January 25th) for referring to my fellow believers as “so-called Christians” in my recent article (“I’m not so sure I like Christians very much these days. Or, specifically, Catholics”, Rite & Reason, January 23rd). A more careful reading will show that at no point did I do this. Rather, I referred to “so-called ‘Christian’ or ‘Catholic’ accounts on social media”, which is a very different thing.
Moreover, I believe that the Octave of Prayer for Christian Unity is a perfect time to lament the deep divisions between Christians, which are often at their most pronounced among those who share the same faith tradition.
The substantive point remains. – Yours, etc,
SALVADOR RYAN,
Professor of Ecclesiastical History,
Pontifical University,
St Patrick’s College,
Maynooth,
Co Kildare.
