“Speech Offensive To Catholics By Queen”

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29336, 15 October 1960, Page 13

“Speech Offensive To Catholics By Queen”

LONDON, October 13. A speech made by the Queen has been described as “offensive to her 40,000,000 Catholic subjects,” the “Daily Sketch” reported.

The attack was made in a front-page leading article in the authoritative “Scottish Catholic Times.”

The Queen’s speech was made on Tuesday to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland to celebrate the 400th anniversary oi the Reformation’ in Scotland. According to the paper she said: “Holy writ was liberated to the people, and as a result, the word of God was revealed again as a force to be reckoned with in the affairs of both public and private life. “The gospel which had long been revered as a record handed down from primitive Christianity was once more seen to be a living light by which men ought to direct theix lives, and perhaps remould their institutions.” The "Scottish Catholic Times” said: "This is a completely wrong view of history and one which is calculated to perpetuate those divisions of Christendom which all men of goodwill are now working desperately to heal.” The Chancellor of the Edin-

burgh and St. Andrews Diocese, Father Monaghan, said tonight: “I was very surprised when I read th?" Queen’s speech. Though I do not like to criticise anything Her Majesty says, some of her references were not factual."

Commenting on the controversy, the “Sketch” said: “It looks as if the Queen's writer was rather tactless in preparing the speech. Let us hope this profitless backtracking can be forgotten in a spirit of charity. . . .” At a special meeting of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland yesterday, the principel of Aberdeen University, Sir Thomas Taylor, proposed that Protestants should draw closer to Roman Catholics, “as far as possible without compromise of truth.”

It should be recognised that Catholics, like ProteetanU, worshipped the same Lord and followed the same Christian way, he said, according to the “Scotsman.” "... we have far more in common with them than with all those who reject the Lordship of Christ.’’