Fr. Feeney to Meet Wallach In Discussion

Father Leanard Feeney of St. Benedict's Center yesterday agreed to discuss the question of eternal salvation in accordance with the open letter addressed to him in yesterday's CRIMSON by Richard W. Wallach '49 IL. Father Feeney stated that he would discuss the matter at any time and at any place that was convenient.

The letter was written by Wallach on behalf of the Collegiate Montaigne Society, a group of students in several eastern colleges "devoted to the quiet promulgation of the skeptical thought of the great French essayist."

Father Feeney said he was glad that Wallach had put his doctrinal question in print, rather than employing the "gossip channels that most people use."

Anxious to Debate

In a statement to the CRIMSON, Father Feeney said, "I would be delighted and would welcome the opportunity to discuss with Mr. Wallach the question of 'extra ecclesiam nulla salus. I also promise Mr. Wallach that ... my road to heaven is very much kinder than that of Pascal and Montaigne (the two sources Wallach mentioned in his letter); its very dogmatic definiteness is its supremest charity.

"Mr. Wallach calls Montaigne 'the great skeptic.' A skeptic of any kind is bad enough. A great skeptic is the last person I would go to on a question of such great importance-my eternal salvation.

"The fact that the Church would allow weaklings like Pascal to die in her bosom shows how charitable and maternal she is even to her most foolish children once they are sorry for their mistakes."

In replying to Father Feeney, Wallach said, "On behalf of the Collegiate Montaigne Society, I am very pleased to accept Father Feeney's kind response to my invitation to discuss our variances on the critical topic of eternal salvation."