Letters | Episcopalians & Catholics

RE YOUR recent article about ex-governor of New Jersey Jim McGreevey's plan to become an Episcopal priest.

Episcopal priest David L. Moyer was quoted as saying that he was upset with the church's becoming a refuge for Catholics who can no longer abide by the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. Does he see the hypocrisy of his position?

The Episcopal Church is a branch of the Anglican Church, the Church of England.

King Henry VIII wanted to divorce his wife, Catherine of Aragon, due to the fact that she bore him no male children. In order to marry Anne Boleyn, he asked the pope for a divorce.

When the pope kept refusing to grant him one, Henry decreed that his marriage was null and void and married Anne Boleyn. The pope refused to accept either the annulment or the new marriage.

So Henry decreed that the pope no longer had any standing in England. He also confiscated many funds of the Catholic Church.

Finally, he established the Church of England and established himself as its leader.

So the Episcopal Church owes its very existence to a disaffected Roman Catholic, one whose lifestyle and desires conflicted with Catholic teachings.

The Rev. Moyer owes his current position to a dissatisfied Catholic.

William Michael Piccinni

Philadelphia

The catastrophes

Tyler Medina, age 10, is added to the list of 700 casualties killed and wounded this year in Philadelphia.

This is a true catastrophe right in our local neighborhoods.

Ted Lahm, Philadelphia

The headlines read "32 dead in shooting."

Was that about Virginia Tech or a weekend in Philadelphia?

The sorry thing about this is that it's not a trick question.

Let's stop this!

George Madden, Philadelphia