Pope John Paul II

Re “Pope Tells Asian Bishops of Duty to Sole Savior,” Nov. 7: Recent promulgation of the Asian Synod document “Ecclesia in Asia” reveals the Catholic Church’s blind faith in the superiority of their religion over all others. The document, signed and released by Pope John Paul II in New Delhi, reaffirms the Catholic Church’s “ardent affirmation of faith in Jesus Christ as the only savior.” This proclamation calls for “conversion so the church in Asia might become ever more worthy of the graces continually being offered by God.” This is a clear suggestion to 830 million Indian followers of Eastern faiths that their salvation only lies in following an illogical alien ideology, which breeds nothing but conflicts.

The pope paid a visit to the Mahatma Gandhi mausoleum. Before leaving, he wrote in the guest register an appeal for religious tolerance, quoting Gandhi himself: “A culture cannot survive if it attempts to be exclusive.” Is not it ironic for the supreme leader of an exclusivist faith to be preaching religious tolerance?

SATINDER TREHAN

Santa Ana

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“Papal Call for Christian Unity Gets Cool Reception” (Nov. 9) says that the pope’s dream of “total communion” with the Eastern churches that “broke from Rome a millennium ago” was not especially well received by leaders of Georgia’s Orthodox Church. The Eastern Orthodox churches never broke from Rome, because the Eastern Orthodox churches were never under Rome’s authority at any time. Not that Rome did not try to exert authority now and then and sometimes appeared to succeed when Eastern prelates turned to Rome to adjudicate this or that dispute.

It is important because Rome demands recognition for the pope as “vicar of Christ” as the price of Christian unity, while most of the rest of Christendom suggests the bishop of Rome be satisfied with a preeminent but lesser status more in keeping with the historical origins of the church in both East and West.

STEVEN E. WOOLLEY

Episcopal Priest

Greenwich, Conn.