DearNevile,
Your misunderstanding my take on this.
“it’s only OK when he does it,” or “it’s never OK and there has never been any real heter?”
I am so much saying the second statement, that I don’t agree with the issue here. If a (major qualified) posek would put out a teshuva permitting going into a church and would use this as precedent, that posek would be creating the precedent. Because this is not a matter of deciding halacha. This is a matter of the function of the Office of the Chief Rabbinate. And while the office is not above halachah, it is an entirely different question. Anybody who goes into a church and says “well Rav Mirvis did” is a fraud.
I understand that we disagree here. But I’m really confused why you are so vehment about my position.
I know your screenname. But I’m not familiar with your opinions.