parish directory - forward in faithvicar: fr.michael macey, 01 442 247503e-mail: ica r@ stj ohnbxm...

BATH Bathwick Parishes, St.Mary’s (bottom of Bathwick Hill),St.John's(opposite the fire station) Sunday - 9.00am Sung Mass atSt.John's, 10.30am at St.Mary's 6.00pm Evening Service - 1st,3rd &5th Sunday at St.Mary's and 2nd & 4th at St.John's. Con-tact Fr.Peter Edwards 01225 460052 or www.bathwick-parishes.org.uk

BEXHILL on SEA St Augustine’s, Cooden Drive, TN39 3AZSaturday: Mass at 6pm (first Mass of Sunday)Sunday: Mass at8am, Parish Mass with Junior Church at 10am. Further details: Fa-ther Robert Coates SSC on 01424 210 785

BIRMINGHAM St Agatha, Stratford Road, Sparkbrook (B111QT) “If it is worth believing in, it is worth travelling for” Sunday Mass11am. Contact Fr.John Luff 0121 449 2790www.saintagathas.org.uk

BISHOP AUCKLAND St Helen Auckland, Manor Road,West Auckland Medieval church. A Parish of the Society of S.Wil-frid and S.Hilda. Sunday: Sung Mass 10am, Evensong and Bene-diction 6pm. Weekday Mass: Mon 7pm, Tues, Thur, Fri, Sat9.30am, Wed 10am, Rosary Mon 6.30pm. Parish Priest: CanonRobert McTeer SSC 01388 604152 www.sthelenschurch.co.uk

BLACKPOOL St Stephen on the Cliffs, Holmfield Road,North Shore A SWSH Registered Parish. Vicar: Canon Andrew SageSSC. Sundays: Said Mass 9am, Solemn Mass (Traditional Lan-guage) 10.30am, Evening Service 6pm; easy access and loop. Tel:01253 351484 www.ststephenblackpool.co.uk

BOSTON LINCOLNSHIRE St Nicholas, Skirbeck Boston’soldest Parish Church. A Society and Forward in Faith Parish underthe Episcopal care of the Bishop of Richborough. Sunday. LowMass 8am (1st and 3rd), Sung Mass 9.30am. Daily Mass, offices,benediction and confessions as displayed on notice boards. Dur-ing vacancy contact 01 205 354687www.forwardinfaithlincs.org.uk/stnicholasboston.html

BOURNEMOUTH St Ambrose, West Cliff Road, BH4 8BE.A Parish under the patronage of Ss. Wilfrid & Hilda. Sunday: 8amLow Mass BCP, 10am Sung Mass Traditional Ceremonial (CW),4pm Choral Evensong, 2nd Sunday of the month Choral Even-song with Benediction. Daily Mass, Monday to Saturday, at8.45am and Daily Evening Prayer, Monday to Saturday, at5.30pm.Parish Priest Fr Adrian Pearce SSC 01202 911569; Parishoffice 01202 766772. Email: [email protected]

BOURNEMOUTH St Katharine, Church Road, Southbourne,BH6 4AS.Resolutions passed under the House of Bishops Declara-tion.. Sung Mass at 1030am on Sunday. Said Mass everyWednesday at 10am. Parish Priest: Fr Kevin Cable Obl.OSB,(FiF/Society Priest). [email protected] or Tel: 01202460005

BOwBURN, Durham Christ the King, DH6 5DS; Aparish of the Society, under the care of the Bishop of Beverley.Durham City's 'Forward in Faith' parish. Sunday: 11am SungMass and Sunday School; Weekday Mass: Wed 9.30am, Fri6.30pm; Parish Priest: Fr John Livesley SSC 01388 814817

BRADFORD St Chad, Toller Lane (B6144, 1 mile from citycentre). Society Parish. Sunday services: Solemn Mass 10.45am,Evensong 6.30pm. Weekday Mass Wednesday 7.30pm. EnglishMissal/BCP. For all other services and information during the In-terregnum please see our websitewww.saintchadtollerlane.org.uk

BRIGHTON wAGNER GROUP The Annunciation(11am) Fr.Anthony Murley 01273 681341. St Barthlomew’s(11am) Parish Office 01273 620491. St Martin’s (10am) FrTrevor Buxton 01273 604687. St Michael’s (10.30am) Fr.RobertNorbury 01 273 727362. St Paul’s (11am) Fr.Robert Norbury 01273 727362. (Sunday Principal Mass times in brackets.)

BRISTOL Ebbsfleet parishes All Hallows, Easton BS50HH. Holy Nativity, Knowle BS4 2AG. Sunday Mass 10:00 a.m.(both Churches), Weekday masses: Tuesday 7:15 p.m & Wednes-day 10:00 a.m.(All Hallows), Friday 10:30 a.m. (Holy Nativity).Contacts:Fr Jones Mutemwakwenda 01179551804, www.allhal-lowseaston.org Father Steven Hawkins SSC. 07834 462 [email protected] www.holynativity.org.uk

BROMLEY St George's Church, Bickley Sunday - 8.00amLow Mass, 10.30am Sung Mass. Daily Mass - Tuesday 9.30am,Wednesday 9.30am, Holy Hour, 10am Mass Friday 9.30am, Sat-

urday 9.30am Mass & Rosary. Fr.Richard Norman 0208 295 6411.Parish website: www.stgeorgebickley.co.uk

BURGH-LE-MARSH Ss Peter & Paul, (near Skegness) PE245DY A resolution parish in the care of the Bishop of Richborough.Sunday Services: 9.30am Sung Mass (& Junior Church in termtime) On 5th Sunday a Group Mass takes place in one of the 6churches in the Benefice. 6.00pm Sung Evensong (BCP) WeekdayMass Thursdays 9am. Other services as announced. All visitorsvery welcome. Church open daily from 9.00am- 5.00pm. Rector:Canon Terry Steele, The Rectory, Glebe Rise, Burgh-le-Marsh.PE245BL. Tel 01754810216 or 07981878648 email:[email protected]

CARDIFF near rail, bus, Millennium Stadium, city centre and BayDaily Mass St Mary, Bute Street Sunday: Solemn Mass 11am;Parish Priest Fr.Dean Atkins SSC 029 2048 7777www.stmaryscf10.co.uk

CHARD The Good Shepherd, Furnham. Under the Episco-pal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sunday: Sung Mass 9.45am,Solemn Evensong and Benediction (3rd Sunday only) 6pm.Weekday Masses: Tues 10am, Wed 6.30pm (with Healing andReconciliation on the 4th Wed of the month). Contact: Fr JeffWilliams 01460 419527 www.churchofthegoodshepherd-chard.weebly.com

CHESTERFIELD St Paul, Hasland, Derbyshire Sunday: SungMass 9.45am (Family Mass 1st Sunday), Evening Prayer 3.30pm.Masses: Tues 7.15pm (Benediction last Tues of month), Sat8.30am. St James, Temple Normanton, Chesterfield, Der-byshire Sunday: Parish Mass 11.30am, Thur: Mass 7.15pm.Churchwardens 01246855245. 0124685552

CHOPwELL Saint John the Evangelist NE17 7ANA SocietyParish ABC. Sunday - Sung Mass 10am. Daily Office & Mass asdisplayed. Parish Priest: Fr Paul R Murray SSC 01207 [email protected]

COLCHESTER St.Barnabas Church, Abbott's Road, OldHeath, (Society/ FiF). Sunday Mass 10am (Sung). Monday 6pm,Tuesday 10am, Thursday 7pm, Holy Days 7.30pm. Check websitefor other daily serviceswww.stbarnabasoldheath.wordpress.comVicar Father Richard Tillbrook, SSC. 01206 [email protected]

CROYDON S Michael & All Angels, Poplar Walk. Affiliatedwith SSWSH. Sunday: Low Mass 8.00am, Family Mass9.30am, Solemn Mass 11.00am, Evensong & Benediction3.30pm (1st & 3rd Sunday). Daily Mass Mon – Fri 12.30pm, alsoWed 7.30am. Sat 11.00am. Vicar Fr Tim Pike CMP 02086869343,Curate Fr Philip Kennedy 02036094184. Website, with full de-tails: stmichaelscroydon.com

DEVIZES St Peter’s, Bath Road, Devizes, Wiltshire Society ofSt.Wilfrid and St.Hilda parish under the episcopal care of theBishop of Ebbsfleet. Sunday: 8am BCP Low Mass; 10am SungMass. Wednesdays - 7pm Low Mass. On major festivals & Saints'Days - times vary. Contact Fr. Vincent Perricone 01380 501481

DONCASTER St Wilfrid’s, Cantley DN4 6QR A beautiful andhistorically significant church with much Comper restoration. ASociety Parish under the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Beverley.Modern catholic worship with a friendly atmosphere. Sunday:8am Mass and 10am Parish Mass. Wednesday: 9.30am Mass (fol-lowed by coffee morning). Friday: 8pm Mass. Saturday 9.30amMass. Visitors very welcome. Contact: Fr. Andrew Howard ssc.(01302) 285316, mob. 0774 [email protected]

DONCASTER Benefice of Edlington S John the Baptistwith Hexthorpe S Jude, Sung Mass Sundays 9.00amEdlington and 11.00am Hexthorpe, 7pm on Weekday Solem-nities, Confessions Edlington 6.45pm Wed and Hexthorpe7.30pm Fri or by appointment. Normal Weekday Masses: TuesEdlington 9.30am, Wed Hexthorpe 9.30am, Thurs Edlington7pm, Fri Hexthorpe 7pm. Divine Office recited each day(7.30am and 6.30pm Edlington) (8am and 5pm Hexthorpe).Other occasions see noticeboards. Contact: Fr Stephen Edmonds SSC - 01709858358 [email protected]

EASTBOURNE St Saviour’s A Society Parish. Sunday: LowMass 8am, Solemn Mass10.30am. Daily Mass and Office. Details

and information during Interregnum contact John Vernon,Churchwarden. www.stsaviourseastbourne.org.uk

ELLAND All Saints, Charles Street, HX5 0LA A Parish of the Soci-ety under the care of the Bishop of Wakefield. Serving Tradition-alists in Calderdale. Sunday Mass 9.30am, Rosary/Benedictionusually last Sunday, 5pm. Mass Tuesday, Friday & Saturday,9.30am. Canon David Burrows SSC, 01422 373184, [email protected] www.ellandoccasionals.blogspot.co.uk

FOLKESTONE Kent, St Peter on the East Cliff A SocietyParish under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Richborough.Sunday: 8am Low Mass, 10.30am Solemn Mass. Evensong 6pm.Weekdays - Low Mass: Tues 7pm, Thur 12 noon. http://stpetersfolk.church e-mail:[email protected]

GRIMSBY St Augustine, Legsby Avenue Lovely Grade IIChurch by Sir Charles Nicholson. A Forward in Faith Parish underBishop of Richborough. Sunday: Parish Mass 9.30am, SolemnEvensong and Benediction 6pm (First Sunday). Weekday Mass:Mon 7.00pm, Wed 9.30am, Sat 9.30am. Parish Priest: Fr.Martin07736 711360HALIFAX St Paul, King Cross: Queens Road, HX1 3NU. An inclu-sive resolution parish receiving sacramental provision from theBishop of Wakefield. Sunday: 11.00 Solemn Mass; 16.30 (Win-ter)/18.30 (BST) Evening Prayer Fourth Sunday: 18.30 Evensongwith Benediction (Occasionally Choral) Monday: 12.00 Mass Fri-day: 10.30 Mass Parish Priest: Fr Kevin Barnard 01422 360740www.stpaulskingcross.co.uk

HARTLEPOOL St Oswald’s, Brougham Terrace. A SocietyParish under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Beverly. Sunday:Sung Mass 9.30am. Daily Mass, Offices and Confessions as dis-played. Parish Priest: Fr Graeme Buttery SSC 01429 273201HEMEL HEMPSTEAD St Francis of Assisi, Hammerfield,Glenview Road, HP1 1TD. Under the episcopal care of the Bishop ofRichborough. Sunday Sung Mass at 10am. Solemn Evensong andBenediction at 6.30pm (4th Sunday). Traditional rite and cere-monial sung to Merbecke. Vicar: Fr.Michael Macey, 01 442247503 e-mail: [email protected]

HEMPTON Holy Trinity (near Fakenham, Norfolk). A SocietyParish. The Church on the Green. Visit us on the way to Walsing-ham. Mass on Sundays and Wednesdays at 10am. Linked to theShrine of OLW. Contact Fr.Paul Norwood SSC, 07886 276467KINGSTON-upon-THAMES St Luke, Gibbon Road (shortwalk from Kingston railway station) Sunday: Low Mass (EnglishMissal) 8am, Sung Mass (Western Rite) 10.30am, Evensong andBenediction 5pm. 3rd Sunday each month: Teddy Bears Servicefor pre-schoolers 9.30am. Wed, 7pm Exposition, 8pm Mass. FirstSat of the month, 11.15am Mass of Our Lady of Walsingham. Forfurther information phone Fr Martin Hislop: Parish Office 0208974 8079 www.stlukeskingston.co.uk

LIVERPOOL St Agnes and St Pancras, Toxteth Park (A Soci-ety Parish under the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Beverley)Sunday: Parish Mass 10am; Daily Mass. Sunday School. Glorious JL Pearson Church, with modern catholic worship, good musicand friendly atmosphere. Contact: Fr.Derek Lloyd CMP. 0151 7331742 www.stagnes.org.ukLONDON E1w St Peter’s, London Docks A registered parishof the Society of S. Wilfred & S. Hilda. Nearest station is Wapping(Overground). Buses: D3 or 100. Sunday 8am Mass. 10amSolemn Mass Daily Mass and Offices. Contact: Fr JonathanBeswick SSC 0207 481 2985, Fr Robert Ladds SSC 0207 4883864 www.stpeterslondondocks.org.uk

LONDON EC3 St Magnus the Martyr, Lower Thames Street(nearest Tube: Monument or Bank) A Society Parish Under the Epis-copal Care of the Bishop of Fulham. Mass: Sunday 11am, refresh-ments following, Tues, Wed, Thur and Fri 12.30. Visitors verywelcome. www.stmagnusmartyr.org.uk Fr Philip Warnerrector@ stmagnusmartyr.org.uk

LONDON N21 Holy Trinity, Winchmore Hill. A moderncatholic parish under the Bishop of Fulham. Every Sunday: SaidMass 9.00am and Sung Mass10.30am with Junior Church. Week-days: Tues to Fri 12 noon Angelus and Mass. Saturday Mass10am. For the Sacrament of Reconcilliation and other enquirescontact Fr Richard Bolton at [email protected] orphone 0208 364 1583LONDON Nw3 All Hallows Gospel Oak, Hampstead,NW3 2LD A Society Parish under the Bishop of Fulham SParishMass each Sunday at 10am. For further details: PrebendaryDavid Houlding SSC

Continued on page 37

2 ■ newdirections ■ April 2019

parish directory

10 GHOSTLY COUNSELANDY HAwESthe means of Grace

18 A COURTYARD IN JERUSALEMANN GEORGEjoins a procession

19 HOLY wEEK AT wELLINGHAM

21 THE wAY wE LIVE NOwCHRISTOPHER SMITHon the mysterious world of modernvictimhood

30 DIARYurifer considers scented candles

33 SECULAR LITURGIESTOM SUTCLIFFEconsiders reputation

36 TOUCHING PLACES Michael, Shepton Beauchamp,Somerset

Vol 22 No 279 April 2019

6 walking Together on the wayJULIAN BROwNINGexamines ARCIC III

8 ‘we have buried our saint’NIGEL PALMERon why we should remember Edward King

11 The Solemn ExsultetJOHN GAYFORDprepares for Easter

13 Renewal and ReformwILLIAM NYEconcludes his paper on the missionof the church

15 A quiet renaissanceJOHN HERVEasks us to think about omasAquinas

16 He created themIAN MCCORMACKengages with the Old Testament

17 Europe and JapanJ ALAN SMITHon keeping VJ Day

21 Views, reviews & previews

ART: Owen Higgs on Pierre Bonnard

BOOKS: John Twisleton one Coddling of the American Mind, e LifeYou Never Expected andBrief Answers to the BigQuestions Peter Mullen on Does Religion do moreHarm than Good?Edward Dowler on WokeMark Mawhinney onLove Makes No SenseSimon Walsh on Self Supporting Ministry

31 The Venerable George AustinANDREw BURTONremembers a defender of the faith

32 The Poet of the Return of GodGRAHAM DRAPERreads the poetry of Francis ompson

34 Thanksgiving and DedicationSTEVEN HAwSreconsiders Charles Gore

content

4 LEAD STORYThe Young TractariansNew Directions eaks to EndreKormos and Andrew Sabisky

Father Endre Kormos andAndrew Sabisky presentThe Young TractariansPodcast.CO

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regulars

DIRECTORY 2, 37, 38EDITORIAL 20BISHOPS OF THE SOCIETY 39

Walsingham Children’s Pilgrimage.

April 2019 ■ newdirections ■ 3

Articles are published in New Directions because they are thought likely to be of interest to read-ers. They do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or those of Forward in Faith.

Who are you?AS: My name is Andrew Sabisky, atrainee teacher and layman in the Churchof England. I grew up in London atChelsea Old Church, the church of mychildhood, and Holy Cross, CromerStreet, the church of my early adulthood,but have since moved to Oxford with mywife, Anna. Here I split my worship timebetween Pusey House and my wonderfulparish church, St John’s, New Hinksey.

EK: I currently serve the parish ofWallsend St Peter and St Luke in the Diocese of Newcastle. Iam in my third year of curacy. To my knowledge I am the firstever native Hungarian priest ‘produced’ by the Anglican Chap-laincy in Budapest, St Margaret’s. The Director of Ordinandsfor the Diocese in Europe suggested that I consider trainingfull-time and residentially in the UK, so my wife Katalin andI moved over to the UK about six years or so ago to start mytraining at Mirfield. Newcastle kindly took us on right after Iwas recommended for training, and eventually they offeredme a post to serve my title.

AS: Together, we are the hosts of The Young Tractarians!

What is The Young Tractarians?AS: It is a podcast! A podcast is a bit like a pre-recorded radioshow, but one that you stream or download from the internet.You can listen at any time, with the option to pause it at yourconvenience. They have become extremely popular over thelast few years with young people and also older professionals,especially people with lengthy commutes.

EK: Podcasts come in many forms—some are more like an au-diobook split into multiple parts, while others are more akinto your morning news programme on the radio, and then ofcourse there are the more musical ones, which are more likemixtapes. The ones I find most enjoyable are usually the onesthat have a simple, recurring structure, with a touch of lightbanter, while being informative and giving me something tothink about. Which is the recipe we chose, too.

And how do you record it?AS: Fr Kormos lives near Newcastle and I live in Oxford, butwe have bought some decent quality recorders that we bothuse to record our conversations. The conversations themselvestake place over the phone or on Skype. I then send my soundfile to Fr Kormos and he mixes them together with editingsoftware to produce the final product.

EK: It’s not always an entirely foolproof method. There have

been times when technology has providedmore challenges than answers (such aslosing an entire recording session by acci-dentally sending Andrew’s recorder intooverdrive), but as we technically do nothave any sponsors or a budget, this issomething we have to compensate for bysleeping fewer hours before a release.

Why did you start doing it?AS: Fr Kormos noticed that there was sig-nificant gap in the podcast market for atraditionalist Anglo-Catholic show. There

are numerous excellent Roman Catholic podcasts, especiallyfrom America, and also a few good Anglican podcasts fromthe US, including Word and Table, an excellent show from twopriests in the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA),albeit that they have a more Reformed perspective. But thereare very few Anglican podcasts from the UK, and virtuallynone from anywhere that have our traditionalist Anglo-Catholic perspective.

EK: I first started to think about doing some form of apolo-getics and evangelism over the internet a few years ago. I waspondering what shape the Tractarian movement would taketoday, and how they would reach people. Back then affordableprinting at home and in parishes had just became a thing, soleaflets were produced and cheap books were printed. Today,with a phone with voice-recording capabilities in everybody’spocket and the many platforms where one can freely uploadaudio and video, a podcast seemed like an easy way to achievesimilar aims.

I used to listen to a fantastic podcast produced by twopriests from the catholic wing of the ACNA, entitled QuadCities Anglican Radio. It was greatly refreshing to hear othersdiscuss spiritual topics that were close to my heart, and froma perspective that I found edifying. Sadly Quad Cities AnglicanRadio stopped producing the show, and so eventually I decidedthat we ought to pick up where they left off, in a way.

AS: We want to present a vibrant, attractive, and positive im-pression of traditionalist life in the Church of England. We donot shy away from talking about ongoing controversies, butwe endeavour to be as charitable as we reasonably can be, andthe majority of our shows are always dedicated to the greatriches of the Catholic tradition: its way of understandingscripture, its traditional spiritual disciplines, its great saints.

So what exactly do you talk about?AS: The podcast has three sections: ‘scripture,’ ‘reason’ and ‘tra-dition.’ For ‘scripture,’ we talk about the gospel of the week fromthe old one-year lectionary of the Book of Common Prayer,

Lead Story

The Young TractariansA New Directions interview with Andrew Sabisky and Endre Kormos


with a strong focus on patristic exegesis: the starting point forour discussions is almost always one or other of the Fathers.For ‘reason,’ we discuss some facet of modern church life: wehave discussed controversies, such as the Bishop of Liverpool’sadvocacy of Communion without Baptism, but also more pos-itive news items, such as the canonization of John Henry New-man and the heroic virtues acknowledged for JózsefMindszenty. In ‘tradition,’ we talk about some aspect of thetraditions of the apostolic churches: we have discussed every-thing from the spiritual canonicity of icons, to Marian spiri-tuality in the liturgy, to Charles King and Martyr and hisimportance today.

What has the reception been like so far?EK: At the time of writing we have uploaded nine regularepisodes and a special meditation for Ash Wednesday, kindlywritten for us by Bishop Robert Ladds. We presently aim toupload a new episode each week. At the time of writing we areat six thousand overall listens. Our first episode has now gonewell above the one thousand listener threshold, which to meseems to be a good indicator of how many unique listeners wehave had thus far. I think we have really made it onto everycontinent as well: our statistics tell us we have had listenersfrom New Zealand, Russia, Japan, Kenya, Hong Kong, theEmirates, various European countries, and almost every partof the American continent.

The most surprising thing to me remains how great ahunger there actually is for teaching that is orthodox, honest,and intelligent, while also trying to remain positive, even if abit spiky at times. It gives me hope about the future.

AS: The response has been beyond my wildest dreams. Wewere honoured to have the Bishop of Beverley make a briefguest appearance on Episode Two to bless the audience andour endeavours, and our endeavours certainly have beenblessed thus far. We’ve had people write to us from all over theworld to say how much the show has encouraged andstrengthened them in their faith. I particularly treasured amessage we received from one student in the United States,saying that the show had greatly helped him make sense of‘catholic convictions in less than ideal Anglican contexts.’Everyone at Pusey has been extremely supportive, and thePrincipal, Fr George Westhaver, appeared as a special guest onEpisode 8.

I have been particularly intrigued by how well our discus-sions of the various traditions of the churches has been re-ceived. Both Fr Kormos and I are great devotees of both theBook of Common Prayer and the traditional Roman Rite: weboth pray the Divine Office using the Anglican Breviary, abook that combines the Roman Breviary as it was in the timeof Pius X with elements of the BCP (such as Cranmer’s col-lects, the BCP Sunday lectionary, and the Coverdale Psalter).In many respects the ‘Prayer Book catholic’ tradition has beenmarginalized in today’s Church of England, and Anglo-Catholics have rather uncritically adopted too many elementsof (the less attractive parts of) modern Roman liturgical prac-tice, neglecting both the Prayer Book tradition and the richesof Tridentine Anglo-Catholicism. We think both are due for

a revival, and judging from the response to the show thus far,we might just be right.

EK: It seems to me that young people’s strong desire for rev-erent, traditional liturgy is also paralleled by a desire for thecatholic doctrine and practice that has formed saints through-out centuries. In the Roman Catholic Church’s more tradi-tional circles it is often observed that the Latin Mass, forexample, often brings about a desire for getting to know thechurch’s treasures in different fields as well. So, alongside theusus antiquior, Aquinas is becoming hugely popular again, andit seems that we are also in for a revival of patristics. Thesespiritual tendencies are also present in the Church of England.Great proportions of young, traditional Anglo-Catholics aredusting off copies of the English Missal, and the Prayer Book(Evensong in particular) is making a huge comeback across thechurch. But these spiritual frameworks only really start tomake sense if they are embedded in a doctrinal framework,too. I suppose we are trying to be good stewards of the Lord’streasures, and hand on what we have grown to understand ofthese spiritual and doctrinal frameworks, while also shame-lessly campaigning for the reclaiming of our heritage ascatholic Anglicans.

Unfortunately we also seem to live in a time when the veryfoundations of the Christian faith (and indeed the basic so-cially agreed frameworks, too) are under constant pressure. Itis no longer obvious whether many in the Church of Englandbelieve in the Trinity as defined by the Councils, and in thispost-truth age some positively boast that they do not actuallybelieve in what the Nicene Creed or the scriptures teach.Everything is free to be ‘reinterpreted,’ and thus eventually thelife-saving truth of doctrine erodes into meaninglessness. We,like so many in our generation have grown tired of this. WithThe Young Tractarians podcast we wish to offer a counterpoint.Sometimes this means simply reiterating the very basic thingsthat have always constituted the core of Christian teaching(‘what has been believed, everywhere, and by all’), other timeswe might have to examine specific contemporary problemsfrom up close. But in all these we wish to remain anchored inwhat the Church Fathers have taught, and what the catholicmovement in the Church of England has practiced and com-mended.

What is your plan for the show going forward?AS: We plan to do a ‘series one’ of about 12 episodes, thoughthis may be slowed up by the imminent birth of my firstborn.We’re likely to then take a break for a while, give our listenerstime to catch up on all the episodes we’ve released to date, thencome back for season two later this year. We are planning a se-ries on the cardinal virtues, and perhaps also the seven deadlysins.

EK: Please do pray for us—and tune in!

All episodes can be found at https://soundcloud.com/theyoung-tractarians, and we put most of the sources for the things we discusson our blog: http://theyoungtractarians.wordpress.com. Find us onTwitter @tractarians.


ND


You’re never alone with an ARCIC. However choppythe Tiber, however depressed your clerical team, how-ever isolated your parish, there’s always an ARCIC

(Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission) com-ing along to take you out for a bracing walk in the oxygen of‘receptive ecumenism.’ The optimism of these commissions isrelentless. Full visible unity is still the goal. Saved from collapseby the Common Declaration of Pope Benedict XVI and Arch-bishop Rowan Williams in 2006, these talks now enter theirthird phase with the 2017 Agreed Statement of the Anglican–Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC III),called ‘Walking Together on the Way: Learning to Be the Church—Local, Regional, Universal.’ Note the strange position of thosecapital letters: they warn of linguistic trouble ahead. This isPart One of ARCIC III and is concerned solely with churchgovernance. It is designed to prepare the way for a second partconcerning discernment of right ethical teaching. Your enthu-siasm will wane further when I tell you that this is very mucha committee effort and lacks the spontaneity, the exclamationmarks and sheer life of the statements by Pope Francis: ‘Howmany important things unite us! If we really believe in theabundantly free working of the Holy Spirit, we can learn somuch from one another! It is not just about being better in-formed about others, but rather about reaping what the Spirithas sown in them, which is also meant to be a gift for us.’ [Evan-gelii Gaudium] The ARCIC statement reminds me of many amodern Anglican sermon: impeccable theology, historical ac-curacy, pertinent biblical references, all bases covered, entirelycareful, tidy and polite from opening text to predictable con-clusion... but is anybody listening?

The Preface by ‘the Co-Chairs of ARCIC III,’ ArchbishopBernard Longley and Archbishop David Moxon, sets the sceneby stating the two themes which ARCIC has explored sincethe top was set spinning in 1970: ‘The question of authorityand the ecclesiology of communion. This current documenttakes up these themes again, and seeks to develop them in anew way.’ The new way is largely a matter of presentation, toillustrate the two ‘pilgrim companions’ setting out on this com-pulsory walk together. ‘At times the Commission has chosento represent this by presenting our respective Anglican andRoman Catholic analyses of our structures and their chal-lenges in parallel columns. This allows us to recognize the sim-ilar but differentiated ways in which our respective structuresseek to serve our communions. At other times, in order to

avoid appearing to equatequite different processes,we use a sequential format,but with those paragraphson the left-hand side of thepage in an Anglican voice,and those on the right-hand side in a RomanCatholic voice. This sideby side analysis of ourstructures allows us toidentify what is challenged, what is graced and what we mayhave to learn from our dialogue partner or pilgrim companion.’Sixty-eight pages of walking together, dear reader—can youunderstand why I struggled to keep up with the others?

In spite of the eyelid-drooping committee style, this is ahighly important statement of where we are now. A hugeamount of hard work is contained within it. It is particularlystrong in ecclesial history, with biblical and Patristic referencesto support the idea of a common heritage to which bothChurches can refer, such as the presence, guidance and powerof the Holy Spirit in early Christian communities. However,as Ormond Rush suggests in the published Catholic commen-tary on ‘Walking Together,’ the commission’s footing is less surein tracing what the Holy Spirit might be doing today at everylevel of communion, an activity which Pope Francis recognizesas indispensable to any conversation among the churches. AllI can hope to do in a short review is to provide readers with abold summary of the contents of the statement, with a shortglossary so that you can understand it.

The document introduces the reader to ARCIC’s work todate. One report feeds off another. This creates an entry dif-ficulty for the reader who has not been following the entire se-ries. ARCIC is its own world, with its own terms of reference.The sections which follow are not for the fainthearted. Weplunge into ‘The Church Local and Universal in the Apostolicand Post-Apostolic Periods,’ the use of the word apostolicity,creeds, bishops, the Bishop of Rome, the ecumenical councils,and discussion of the ways in which the early Church re-sponded to new demands. In the third section, we encountera blizzard of capital letters in ‘Ecclesial Communion in Christ:The Need for Effective Instruments of Communion.’ ‘Instru-ments of Communion’ is pure ARCIC. The focus is on ‘the ec-clesial implications of baptism and eucharist.’ Here is ARCICat its best, explaining to us how the eucharist constitutes andbuilds up the communion of the Church. The whole Christ ispresent throughout the action of the eucharist. In the eu-charist the Church both meets Christ and is there disclosed toitself. The eucharist both celebrates communion and deepensthe desire for communion. The eucharist celebrated in com-munion with the bishop actualises the fullness of ecclesial re-ality. The section concludes by stating the need ‘both torecognise the limits and difficulties associated with respective

The ARCIC statement reminds me of many amodern Anglican sermon: impeccable theology, historical accuracy, pertinent biblical references, all bases covered...

but is anybody listening?

walking Together on the wayJulian Browning stumbles along with ARCIC III

instruments of communion and to examine the possibility oftheir transformation through receptive ecumenical learning.’This introduces us to the new buzz phrase of ARCIC speak,‘receptive ecumenism’ (of which more later), in which the au-thors of the statement seize the moment to announce that ‘thetime is ripe to pursue the task of ecumenical engagement asone that includes explicit ecclesial self-critique.’ This meansdeveloping the genius of ‘asking not what we might give theother, but what we lack that God might give us through theother,’ according to Archbishop Justin Welby in 2016 whilstcelebrating fifty years of the Anglican Centre at Rome. Reelingfrom that brainstorm, we enter Sections IV, V, and VI, a surveyof local churches and the worldwide structures of the AnglicanCommunion and the Roman Catholic Church; a sort of OF-STED inspection.

Humour is suppressed. The ARCIC corporate methodol-ogy holds us close. ‘We do this, first, by identifying the struc-tures and processes which are appropriate at the relevant level;second, by identifying any perceived difficulties; and third, byexploring what possibilities there are for fruitful receptivelearning across the traditions in these regards.’ It’s all so earnest,so ‘appropriate,’ so Anglo-Saxon, with this call to humble self-critique and ‘ecclesial repentance.’ There is precious little joyin this ARCIC world. No priority is given to the gift of eternallife in Christ Jesus which transforms our lives, whatever theChurch gets up to. Instead we stumble along ‘through the dif-ficult terrain of a rapidly changing world,’ staring at theground, footsore and out of breath. ‘Walking together meansthat, as travelling companions, we tend each other’s wounds,and that we love one another in our woundedness. This jour-ney that we undertake, which is a walking together into in-creasing degrees of communion despite difference, bearspowerful and urgent witness to the world as to what it meansto live difference for mutual flourishing.’ Discuss, with refer-ence to your own parish.

Glossary:1. Bonds of Affection. A very ARCIC phrase meaning gettingon well with each other. Or not, as in the statement about theAnglican Communion: ‘When the needs of mission in oneprovince lead to changes that are neither understood nor ap-proved by other provinces, there is strain on the bonds of af-fection and the capacity of the instruments of communion torespond.’ That’s a no to the Anglican Covenant. Bonds of af-fection can be strengthened by forms of ‘focused listening’ suchas the Lambeth Indaba of 2008, when nobody is left out of thediscussion, and all formal resolutions are abandoned.2. Receptive Ecumenism. This is at the heart of ARCIC, a fruit-ful means of learning and growing towards full communion.It is also known as ‘mutual receptive learning.’ Instead of look-ing at our strengths and rejoicing in them, as we used to do,we are now encouraged ‘to look humbly at what is not workingeffectively within one’s own tradition and to ask whether thismight be helped by receptive learning from the understanding,structures, practices, and judgements of the other. The oppor-tunity is to teach by showing what it means to learn and tobear witness by showing what it means to receive in ourneed—recognizing that at times the members of one tradition

may judge that the practices and structures of the other willnot, in a given instance, be helpful.’ I know, I don’t understandit either, and I have stared at this document for days. At timesit was like being confined in the Circumlocution Office in Lit-tle Dorrit.3. Tensions. These used to be bad things, but can be good whencaused by ‘cultural differences’ which reflect the ‘diversity’ (alsogood) of the Anglican Communion, not so good when causedby the centralised nature of the Roman Catholic Churchwhich ‘challenges appropriate attention to regional, incultur-ated experience.’ I noticed a small cloud of tension creepingalong the ceiling of my study when I read of the AnglicanChurch: ‘In an effort to offer a mutually acceptable practiceof oversight that is compatible with the theological and juridi-cal authority of a diocesan bishop, models of delegated epis-copal oversight have been established in some provinces. It isunclear whether these are to be viewed as enduring featuresof Anglican polity or as temporary anomalies while the churchin question continues its discernment of particular issues. Adegree of impaired communion is seen as the cost of a settle-ment which respects the integrity of conscience.’

4. Trans-Local. An ARCIC word for regional, I think, as in ‘thelocal, trans-local, and universal church.’ It’s not a diocese, yetit is some sort of ecclesial body. We must find out. It couldmean the sort of gathering to which you and I are never in-vited. Listen for grand churchmen saying to one other ‘See youat the Trans-Local, Father!’Dr James Hawkey, in a published Anglican commentary onARCIC III’s ‘Walking Together on the Way,’ begins his surveywith a reminder of the sharing of symbolic gifts which has runparallel to the theological dialogue of the ARCIC conferences.In fact, the sharing of gifts began well before ARCIC in Romein March 1966 when Pope Paul VI gave his episcopal ring toArchbishop Michael Ramsey. Fifty years and many gifts andsymbolic visits later, in October 2016 in the church of SanGregorio al Celio, the church from which Pope St Gregory theGreat sent St Augustine to England, Pope Francis presentedArchbishop Welby with a replica of a pastoral staff which hadbelonged to St Gregory. Despite my stumbling comprehension,I do see that the ARCIC trail is worth following in the light ofthese hugely symbolic exchanges, which celebrate, in their si-lences, our unity in Christ. I have concentrated on the Angli-can side, but shall let Pope Francis have the last word: ‘Timeis greater than space... This principle enables us to work slowlybut surely, without being obsessed with immediate results... Itinvites us to accept the tension between fullness and limita-tion, and to give priority to time.’ [Evangelii Gaudium]

Fr Julian Browning is Honorary Assistant Priest at All Saints Mar-garet Street.


In spite of the eyelid-drooping committeestyle, this is a highly important statement ofwhere we are now. A huge amount of hard

work is contained within it.

ND


On Tuesday, 21 May 1935 two great ceremonies wereheld in Lincoln Cathedral, one in the morning andone in the afternoon, to commemorate the 50th an-

niversary of the consecration of Edward King as Bishop of Lin-coln. The ceremonies were held in the presence and with theparticipation of the then Archbishop of Canterbury, CosmoGordon Lang; the booklet which served as service sheet andsouvenir is still preserved in the Lambeth Palace Library. Themorning service, a Solemn Eucharist, was held at the high altarof the cathedral; the afternoon service was a service in thenave, at which the archbishop preached the sermon, with asolemn Te Deum sung by the cathedral choir at its conclusion.

The services were remarkable for a number of reasons.Bishop King died in 1910 and one might have thought thattwenty-five years after his death—with the Great War and theGreat Depression having intervened and the world, Britainand the Church of England very different places and spacesfrom those which he had inhabited—his memory as an emi-nent Victorian of the type caricatured so memorably by Lyt-ton Strachey would have long since passed into history. But itseems not to have been the case: the ceremonies were insti-gated by the then Bishop of Lincoln, Dr Nugent Hicks, whoprovided for a collect, epistle and gospel proper to the vener-ation of Edward King on 8 March for future use in the dioceseof Lincoln. This was, then, almost a unique circumstance inthe history of the post-Reformation Church of England. Theexception were the services established at the GloriousRestoration of Charles II for the statutory veneration ofCharles, King and Martyr, although in 1935 those services hadlong been abolished in any event at the wish of Queen Victo-ria. It seems she wanted to avoid any occasion for her Scottishsubjects to feel disgruntled or unsettled (a vain wish you maythink, now as then.)

The Lincoln ceremonies did not avoid the notice of thecommission established by Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher toconsider the commemoration of saints in the Anglican Com-munion in 1957. I quote from their report: ‘This Solemn Eu-charist in Lincoln Cathedral is a direct “raising to the altar”, asovert a case of “canonisation” technically as may be: whetherthe archbishop understood his own act is uncertain but prob-able; the Bishop of Lincoln... realised it clearly.’

I myself am absolutely certain that as shrewd an operatoras Cosmo Gordon Lang knew exactly what he was doing whenhe presided over these ceremonies. And one wonders in anyevent whether, as the archbishop moved slowly down the nave

of Lincoln Cathedral, preceded and followed by a great plen-itude of diocesan dignitaries, and catching a glimpse no doubtof the great statue of Edward King by William Blake Rich-mond in the south transept under the medieval glass of theRose Window, he thought back to that summer night in 1895when he had been sent to be confirmed by Bishop King priorto his ordination:

‘I went to Lincoln in a mood of unwonted shyness andnervousness... There was an ordinands’ retreat going on and Iwas ushered straight into the room where the bishop was sup-ping with his ordinands, and someone was reading to them intheir silence. I had never seen men in cassocks before and I feltdesperately like a fish out of water. But when I took my placebeside him, the dear old bishop seemed to discern my discom-fort of mind, and, putting his hand on my thigh, whispered tome: “They’re not half as good as they look, and I’m the naugh-tiest of them all.” Next morning, very early, he confirmed mein his chapel and I made my communion immediately after ...at last a full member of the Church of England.’

‘we have buried our saint’Nigel Palmer venerates Edward King, Bishop of Lincoln (1829–1910)

I am absolutely certain that as shrewd anoperator as Cosmo Gordon Lang knew

exactly what he was doing when he presided over these ceremonies.

Bishop Edward King


This passage is from a collection ofnotes made by Cosmo Gordon Lang for aprojected memoir or autobiography, whichhe never really began and certainly nevercompleted. King’s words to the futurearchbishop are a marvellous example ofthe legendary charm and considerationthat he had for putting people at their ease.They are, however, much more than that.In the few (not really very good) memoirsand biographies of King, much emphasis isplaced on his radiant features, and the ef-fortless aura of love which surrounded himwhen he entered a room. ‘We have buriedour saint’ wrote the Bishop of London afterhis funeral, and much has been made ofKing’s effortless manner with all sectionsof society, from the grooms who looked after his hunters inthe episcopal stables, to the farmers whose children he con-firmed the length and breadth of his diocese, and the localmaster of foxhounds upon whose desk sat only two photo-graphs in highly polished silver frames: one of his favouritehound, named Bellwether, and one of his bishop, Edward King.In these accounts, charming as they are, nothing is said abouthow Edward King achieved this effect. It is as if, in deciding tohonour King as one of its saints, the Church of England in-dulged itself in looking, as so many did in other ways, to thegolden period before 1914 in which its home-grown saintswere benevolent and charming men, whose Christianity didn’tthreaten but only consoled. This is to ignore the personalstruggle in which each of us has to be engaged in order toachieve sanctity and heaven, the personal goals which each oneof us is commanded to aim for if our profession of the Chris-tian faith is to mean anything. King would not have wantedthis, and the truth about him is inevitably more complicated.

It is when we turn to the pictures and photographs thathave come down to us of King that we see a rather differentstory. The cover of your service sheet tonight, and the repro-duction of Richmond’s portrait of King as Principal of Cud-desdon, which hangs upstairs in this building by the door ofthe King corridor, show us a face which is certainly mild. It isa face, though, which is not wholly at ease with the world itconfronts with such a direct gaze. It is a face which has knownpain and challenge and, one may think without indulging inover sentimentality, some degree of suffering.

In his discourses and sermons, King was at pains to em-phasize that each human soul always has to make time toprogress on its way to heaven. In a sermon preached in theUniversity Church shortly after he became Bishop of Lincoln,he showed that he was only too well aware of the temptations

of being at a great university and, he mightwell have added, at a great theological col-lege at a great university:

‘Let me say that in most of our livesin the present day there is a want of quiet-ness and this is more or less necessarily soin your Oxford life. It is but a short timeyou are here. A year’s work is crowded intosix months. You are constantly coming andgoing. New subjects are continually beingbrought before you... All this tends to daz-zle and excite you, and to rob you of thatseparate individual quietness which is im-plied in the words, “Get time to think.”...Quietness and consideration should lead aperson to self-reflection, to the seriousconviction of himself and of his own exis-

tence, the realization of self.’ And, in the same sermon, he linksthis growing sense of realization with a growing sense of sin,‘in a word, quiet, serious retrospective reflection on our beingwill bring us to the word “repentance.”’

We should be reminded that when he was an undergrad-uate at Oriel, King was well known for walking out of gather-ings of his fellow undergraduates if they threatened to becometoo boisterous or rowdy, or if the conversation became too li-centious. In later life, he was renowned for the excellence ofthe cellar which he kept in the episcopal palace at Lincoln, andthe liberality with which he dispensed it, but also for the care-ful temperance which he observed in drinking it. I do notthink that these stories indicate a prissy or over-virtuous manwho wished to parade his Puritan virtue at the expense of oth-ers; I think rather these are the actions and attitudes of a manwho realized the strength of the temptations within him tojoin in the boisterousness and rowdiness and the licentioustalk, and to over indulge in good claret. But in the words ofPsalm 37, he obeyed the imprecation: ‘Flee from evil, and dothe thing that is good.’ He knew that the only way to overcomethose temptations was to place himself out of temptation’s wayand wrestle with his personal demons—he knew and acknowl-edged that he was ‘the naughtiest of all.’ And one may thinkthat the cost of that heroic struggle and the suffering it in-volved is reflected in his countenance. As he wrote in one ofhis spiritual letters: ‘Anyone who has a high ideal and love ofperfection must be prepared to suffer.’ In the same sermon atthe University Church, from which I have already quoted, hewrote that the sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit in ourlives, which is one of the fruits of the self-realization which heurged, was to begin by causing pain:

‘It is strange and contrary to our natural expectations thatthe Comforter... should begin by causing pain, the pain of con-

In his discourses and sermons, King was at pains to emphasize that each human soulalways has to make time to progress on its

way to heaven.

King reminds us that holiness is the result of work and prayer and attention to the devices and snares which evil sets before

us constantly.


The memory is a great aid in our spiritual life. when wecommit prayers and scripture to memory we say ‘I know itby heart’; memory is a door to the heart. we know that inso many ways, not least when we examine our conscience.Memory can feed the heart, the centre of our being, withfood that strengthens and enriches. when we say ‘I knowit by heart’ we also mean we have learnt it. To be moreexact, we mean we have learnt the text and it teaches usas we bring it forward to our reason and our imagination.Memory can be a library of such richness, but first we haveto stock it.

Former generations (and those of a certain age) learntso much by heart: times tables and Latin declensions atschool, but also psalms and collects from the Prayer Bookas well as other sources. Now with so much artificial mem-ory and intelligence governing so many daily tasks thehuman memory is often overlooked! The trend in manychurches to chop and change the liturgy, and the fact thatscripture texts are very seldom repeated, does not aid usin ‘learning by heart.’ My first decades of worship were ac-cording to the Book of Common Prayer. I, for one, am verygrateful that at primary school I was set the task of learningthe General Thanksgiving. I still use it often as a frameworkfor prayer and reflection:

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthyservants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks forall thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men.We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all theblessings of this life; but above all for thine inestimablelove in the redemption of the world by our Lord JesusChrist, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory.And we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all thy mer-cies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, andthat we shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, butin our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and bywalking before thee in holiness and righteousness all ourdays; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with theeand the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world withoutend. Amen

As Holy week and Easter draws near, the thanksgivingfor ‘thine inestimable love in the redemption of the worldby our Lord Jesus Christ, the means of grace and the hopeof glory’ is given a new light. The worship and prayer ofthe Triduum evokes such varied and deep emotional re-sponses. It can be overwhelming. where do we start inrooting ourselves in these seismic events, in these pro-found truths?

Thanksgiving, as a general rule, is one of the surest waysto draw us into the presence of God. It might help to pauseat this special time and reflect on the truth that what wehear, what we pray, and what we sing celebrates andteaches us about all the Lord did for us to provide themeans of grace and the hope of glory.

Ghostly CounselMeans of Grace

Andy Hawes

SMFe Society for the Maintenance

of the Faithwww.smrust.org.uk

ANNUAL FESTIVALAll Saints’ Noing Hill, London W11 1JE

(nearest station Westbourne Park)

Saturday 11 May Mass at 12 noon followed by AGM and buffet luncheon

Celebrant and preacher: e Bishop of Fulham

All welcomeRSVP: [email protected]

science, the pain of the conviction of sin... Let me ask you todwell on this; it may help you if you find it hard to draw nearto God, if you suffer in your efforts to escape from sin.’

And so the example of sanctity which Edward Kingdemonstrates for us, to those who revere him, is perhaps amore complicated example than that which some of his con-temporaries perhaps rather sentimentally perceived: adoredby his ordinands and undergraduates at Cuddesdon andChrist Church, revered throughout his diocese for his devo-tion to his flock, a simple and all-encompassing love of hu-manity, somehow transmuted by the divine wisdom into ashining reflection of the divine love. King reminds us that ho-liness is the result of work and prayer and attention to the de-vices and snares which evil sets before us constantly. We,especially at this time of Lent, should ‘pray earnestly for thegift of the Holy Spirit’ as the bishop exhorts us at our deacon-ing and priesting to help us combat that evil within ourselves.Sanctity is not created (although it may be acknowledged) bythe actions of archbishops, or even bishops, celebratingsolemn eucharists in cathedrals, or popes or papal curias cal-ibrating the quality of miracles, and it does not come natu-rally to anyone, not even to an Edward King. It is not theresult of the ritualism for which King was pilloried in his day,nor can it be worked at by a devotion to the externals of reli-gion. Holiness is always to be worked at, and worked for, dili-gently and by each one of us in our own way. We will notalways succeed in that endeavour, but this should not stop us;as Robert Browning writes: ‘A man’s reach should exceed hisgrasp, or what’s a heaven for?’ And so King joins the examplesof countless saints who have gone before us, who give us hopethat if they can achieve sanctity so can we, however difficultthe path they demonstrate may be. Edward King, Bishop ofLincoln, pray for us.

This homily was preached at St Stephen’s House, Oxford on Ed-ward King Day, 3 March 2019. Father Nigel Palmer is the assis-tant priest at St Benet’s, Kentish Town.

ND


The Solemn ExultetJohn Gayford prepares for Easter

The Solemn Exultet is a triumphant hymn and a won-derful prelude to the Easter solemnities. It proclaimsthe resurrection of Christ. There is a dramatic invi-

tation for heaven and earth to join the Church in jubilation.The rite is a sanctification of light, of this holy night and ofthis place and time. A jewel of Easter sacramental liturgy, it isbrilliant in content and composition, filled with profound the-ology and symbolism for the celebration of our Lord’s resur-rection. The Gregorian chant flows with solemn rhythmsresounding in jubilant cadences.

The Exultet goes under a number of names: PraeconiumPaschale (Paschal Proclamation), Benedictio Ceres (Blessing ofthe Candle) and Laus Ceres (Praise of the Candle). As a jewelof Easter liturgy, it has its own glorious liturgical and musicalhistory. It has been described as having the dignity of thegospel (with all standing) and of an anaphora (Eucharisticprayer or offering).

The Exultet was usually sung by the deacon standing bythe paschal candle on Holy Saturday. In ancient times thespotlight was very much on the deacon, who wore white orgold (possibly representing the angel at the tomb) while theother sacred ministers wore purple in this first part of theEaster liturgy. The bishop himself rarely sang; usually a deacon(with a young, flexible voice) allowed for a more melismaticand lengthy sustained chant.

Journel explains: ‘The second expansion of the WesternEaster Vigil was of a lucernarium or lighting of the Easter can-dle, introduced as an opening rite. The lighting of lamps atnightfall, then a daily family ritual, brought joy and security.The Jews used the ritual at the start of the Friday evening mealmarking the beginning of the Sabbath. Christians thought ofthis evening light as an image of Christ the Light of the world.Beginning in the fourth century, the lighting of the lamp be-came usual at the beginning of Christian community meals.The holiest night of the year could not be allowed to beginwithout a solemn celebration of light. In the time of Jeromeand Augustine, this ritual had become part of the Vigil inAfrica and Northern Italy, and probably in Spain and Gaul.The offering of the light to illumine the nocturnal vigil was ac-companied by a proclamation of paschal joy sung by a deaconin the form of a lengthy thanksgiving. That is how the Exultetwas born.’

Kelly describes the development of the Exultet in twophases. In the first phase in the fourth century in some regions

(but not by that time in Rome) the deacon composed his ownwords and music. There are claims that St Augustine com-posed his own and quotes it in De civitate Dei (413–426) writ-ten in hexameters.

Seemingly some deacons sought well-polished texts andPraesidius of Piacenza made an unsuccessful appeal to StJerome in 384. According to Kelly: ‘He was evidently expectedto produce a prayer every Easter; the text was not fixed, andhe was no doubt seeking the highest quality in appealing toJerome. He probably did not expect such a caustic reply.Jerome did not like this kind of composition at all: it did nothave authority of scripture when praising creation or the workof the bees (for wax) the latter being borrowed from Virgil.Indeed, he did not use candles: a Paschal candle was notblessed with a freely invented prayer at Rome; moreover, therewas not even a candle to bless. Jerome says that the praeco-nium paschale is a difficult matter and that no one had doneit well; he has evidently heard several unsuccessful versions.He refused Praesidius’ request for a written praeconium butagreed to help him orally.’

It was not until the seventh or eighth centuries that a sec-ond phase of a fixed text was used, but this varied greatly fromregion to region. Kelly states that the texts of the Roman andBeneventan Exultet were written in prose that used melodiouscadences at the end of textural passages. Medieval traditionascribed the fixed text to many different sources, includingSaints Augustine and Ambrose, and even suggest that Jeromerelented and added to the composition, though he objected toa deacon blessing the candle while bishop and priests stoodidly by.

Chupungeo proposes that Ennodius, Bishop of Pavis, com-posed two, but the most popular was from the eighth centuryGallican Sacramentary introduced in Rome and is the basis of

A jewel of Easter sacramental liturgy, the Exultet is brilliant in content and

composition, filled with profound theologyand symbolism for the celebration of our

Lord’s resurrection.


ND

what is now used. Thus the Exultet did not originate in Rome,though Pope Zosimus (a Greek) did give permission for dea-cons to bless the paschal candle.

The various texts of the Exultet can be divided into fiveparts, each musically distinct. The prologue opens with an in-vitation for heaven and earth to trumpet the salvation of theresurrection: ‘tanti Regis Victoria insonet salutaris.’ There is ahint of a Gallacian apologia prayer with the words ‘Ut, qui menon meis meritis.’ This is followed by a preface as at Mass. Thelong peroration which follows shows great geographical vari-ation. It may speak of Adam’s sin, work of the bees, celebrationof the natural world, the work of salvation or the mystery ofthis night. Five times the phrase ‘Haec nox est’ is used and later‘O vere beata nox.’ Seven effects of the light of the risen Christ,symbolized by the light of the candle, are briefly enumeratedand underline the holiness of this night ‘when heaven is wed-ded to earth,’ summarized as the banishment of evil, sin, hatredand sorrow, the restoration of innocence and peace; and thehumbling of the haughty. In ancient times the text may evenhave contained a blessing of the donors of candle and scroll(both very expensive) followed by a prayer for the HolyRoman Emperor. Finally there is a doxology, which again var-ied regionally. It is perhaps worth noting again that it is thedeacon who is blessing the candle, despite Jerome’s objections.

Kelly gives a lovely description of the music: ‘The southItalian Exultet has one of the simplest melodies ever written:it uses only three adjacent pitches. A complete performanceof the Exultet might last twenty minutes; the effect of theseemingly endless musical repetitions is potentially mesmer-izing. And yet this melody is so intimately bound up with thetext that even the unfamiliar listener is soon made aware thatthe melody serves to heighten and underscore the larger andsmaller phraseology of the text, and is eventually drawn intoan understanding of the performance as a sort of heightened

speech or formal recitation, where the importance is on theshape of the poetical text being presented.’

The oldest known musical notation for the Exultet is, notsurprisingly, after the tenth century, but text alone from theseventh and eighth centuries and from preserved manuscriptsagain show considerable variation. Kelly discusses the differ-ences between Beneventan and Roman versions.

The study of Exultet scrolls is fascinating. This rotulus maybe of papyrus, leather or parchment and is usually woundround a central baton called an umbilicus. The scrolls could bevertical or horizontal and were not the sole preserve of the Ex-ultet. They could be used for other liturgical functions inByzantine liturgy but also in charters, diplomas, council re-ports, obituary rolls, maps and for many other important doc-uments. By about 300AD the codex (book form) hadpractically replaced the scroll. Nevertheless a scroll gives thedocument special importance. Where they are unique is in theuse of pictures that are inserted upside down in scrolls usedby a deacon singing the Exultet from the raised ambo. He al-lowed the vertical scroll to flow over the forward edge, allow-ing the congregation to see the pictures the right way up.

These documents are of almost unparalleled luxury andcould measure the full length of an animal’s skin, and whenskins were joined could stretch up to 27 feet. The structure ofthe ambo at the new basilica of Montecassino dedicated in1071 is described by Kelly: ‘The new pulpit, for reading andsinging, was reached by six steps; it was decorated with colourand with gold leaf. In front of it was the Paschal candlestick, apartially gilded silver column on a porphyry base, six cubitshigh, on which was mounted the great candle to be blessed onHoly Saturday.’ My account takes us through the first millen-nium of the Exultet in the western church but gives no con-sideration of its history and use in the eastern churches. Inmore modern times it may come as a surprise that there areLutheran and some Methodist versions of the Exultet.

Few of us have been blessed to hear or witness the SolemnExultet sung in full, in Latin, in a large cathedral or basilicafrom a raised ambo lit by a large candle swirling with cloudsof incense, sung by a solo flexible male voice without amplifi-cation. If you want comments on how it should be sung inmodern terms you will find the comments brief. Elliot addsthe following helpful footnote: ‘Singing the Exsultet requiresnot only skill but a sense of the rhythm of the music and words.It is not meant to be slow or heavy, but rather sustained by asubtle light and joyous style.’ He also adds another useful prac-tical tip not often found in liturgical manuals: ‘A server with aflashlight (LED) may assist him (the deacon) if the light is in-adequate.’

The Revd Dr John Gayford is a retired priest and writes on mattersliturgical.

In more modern times it may come as a surprise that there are Lutheran and some

Methodist versions of the Exultet.

Jerome relented and added to the composi-tion, though he objected to a deacon bless-

ing the candle while bishop and priestsstood idly by.

Renewal and ReformWilliam Nye continues his discussion of how we might play our part in mission


What resources do Society parishes have for thistask? I would just make two practical points.First, the great gift that most Society parishes

have (not all, but most) is people. If attendance at the averageSociety parish is higher in absolute terms than in the averageChurch of England parish, then you have the gift of people. Itmay not always feel like that. They may need encouragementand energizing and galvanizing and confidence building. So dopeople in all parishes, of all traditions. But you have people.Think of them positively, and what you can do with them as agift. And secondly, we are here to support you. Renewal andReform is intended to support every parish and every tradi-tion, including all your Society parishes.

We are increasingly looking at how we can help supportand resource those ‘average-sized’ parishes, the parishes in themiddle third of the country with congregations of between 20and 60 or 70. We are not just helping, as sometimes peoplethink, large and very large parishes, but we are seeking to sup-port evangelization and discipleship in every type of church.

And how are your parishes responding? You will haveheard already about the Society’s document on a vision forevangelization, ‘Forming Missionary Disciples.’ I was very en-couraged to see the Society developing this vision, and I wasfascinated to read Fr Damian Feeney’s account of it in his lec-ture earlier this year at Wakefield, which was published inNew Directions. Your vision has, of course, distinctivelycatholic elements, and rightly so: ‘excellence in worship’, as weexperienced this morning, and ‘celebrating sacramental priest-hood.’ But it also meshes completely with the national church’soverall vision, as expressed in the ‘quinquennial goals’ whichunderlie Renewal and Reform. It’s all there. Numericalgrowth—yes. Spiritual growth—yes. Reimagining ministry—well, that means both priesthood and formation, so—yes.Serving the common good—absolutely, yes. Your vision forevangelization is a vision that chimes with the mission of thechurch nationally, and which the church nationally should en-courage. That still means, of course, working with and along-side other non-Society parishes, as part of diocesan strategiesfor growth, in the spirit of mutual flourishing. But it alsomeans making the most of your own Society network, and en-couraging growth all across it.

I promised a little while ago a few words of hope. Whathas been the impact of Renewal and Reform so far? First, thereare some areas where we are definitely seeing fruits, and theprospect of a plentiful harvest. In highlighting some of theseareas I would encourage you to think in each case: how doesthis bear on Society parishes? How can it help my parish? Howcan I make use of this development in my parish? How can Ijoin in? How can I reach out for support to help participate inthis contribution to growth?

I mentioned already that this year no fewer than 585 peo-ple are starting training for the priesthood, up 22% in only twoyears. I am so thankful that the church had the courage to setan aspiration of increasing vocations to ordained ministries of

50%, with the result that we have achieved 22%. Had we set atarget of, let us say, 20%, we might have achieved 10% and beenpleased about it. Vocations is, I imagine, an area where yourparishes should be quite strong, given your commitment topriesthood. And the national church wants your parishes tobe strong in this area, to be encouraging more people to heara possible call to priesthood or the diaconate. Keep doing allyou can.

The second area I want to highlight is digital. We have hada number of digital campaigns, both for discipleship and forraising awareness and helping encourage people to church.Last year’s Advent and Christmas campaign, #GodWithUs,reached 6 million people digitally. This year’s campaign, #Fol-lowTheStar, will, we hope, do even better. Every church, ofwhatever tradition, can join in and make use of these resourcesand campaigns.

Messy Churches is not per se a part of Renewal and Re-form, but is very important. There are 2,000 across Britain and1,400 across the Church of England. They can be adapted forevery tradition. As it happens, I sometimes take my daughterto a Messy Church, when I am occasionally able to get awayfrom work on a weekday afternoon to do so. It happens to bein a parish that is partly Society-affiliated, and it works verywell indeed there. I recently visited two tiny village churchesin Herefordshire, each with an electoral roll of under 20. Yeteach of those two churches had also reached out to the familiesin their village by starting Messy Churches.

Perhaps the most obvious headline for Renewal and Re-form is the Strategic Development Fund, which has awarded£44 million of grants for 23 projects. The vast bulk of this isrightly for diocesan projects. But dioceses, in the spirit of mu-tual flourishing, should engage all traditions in their strategiesfor growth, and Society parishes—if they have the will and theintention—have as much chance as any of participating in ini-tiatives funded through SDF.

One promising area for growth has been the spread of ‘re-source churches’: churches that aim to grow in order to helpother churches, to plant further churches, and to give them-selves away rather than just growing in one site. Many of theseso far have been in city centres, often in areas of student pop-ulation, and rightly so: we need to reach out much more effec-tively to students and young people. But in many dioceses weare also seeing candidates for resource churches for rather lessglamorous towns, not just the obvious main cities. I mean nooffence to the inhabitants of any of these places when I say itis tremendous that the church is now reinforcing its efforts in

while there are many Society parishes inpoor areas, those Society parishes are doing no better, but also not markedly

worse, than parishes in those areas acrossthe spread of traditions.

places like Swindon, Crawley, Grimsby, Dudley, Mansfield,and so on. But are there thriving Society churches which couldtake on this role, as part of a diocese’s contribution to growth?Are there Society parishes in areas close to universities andcolleges—and there are almost 200 university campuses acrossEngland now, many of them almost completely unreached bythe Church—who can reinvent themselves, or create new par-allel congregations designed to appeal to students and youngpeople, while still being true to your catholic traditions?

There are other areas of work at an earlier stage, wherethe prospects are looking good. ‘Setting God’s People Free’ is areal effort to improve discipleship or faithfulness, or confi-dence in the Faith amongst the laity. And surely that is as rel-evant in catholic parishes as in any other? And what aboutplanting churches? The House of Bishops has issued a policystatement saying that it favours planting in general, and mak-ing clear that this is something for all traditions to do. If plant-ing churches is working well as a way of bringing more peopleto faith in the evangelical tradition, why not in the catholictradition as well? And then there are the digital efforts.

We are developing networks across the country, to try andbring together parishes in similar contexts so that they canlearn from each other and share ideas. The strongest of theseso far is Bishop Philip’s Estates network, which is inspiringhope for our mission in previously neglected outer estates. Butwe are also looking at developing networks for rural areas, forcoastal towns, and for other groupings that might benefit fromworking together.

These are, I hope, all ways in which the initiatives of Re-newal and Reform can support and complement the vision of‘Forming Missionary Disciples’ and vice versa. Please make useof these initiatives, draw on these resources, and demand sup-port from diocesan and national sources for your vision andcommitment to growth.

Can I end with one further thought? The vision forgrowth needs to be a vision for everyone to participate in, foreveryone to contribute to. ‘Forming Missionary Disciples’rightly talks about being intentional in evangelism: being in-tentional, being deliberate, making the effort to reach out. Itis about having the confidence in our faith to reach out—andto overcome our English, Anglican, often middle-class scruplesand reservations about talking about Christianity—and invitepeople to come to church and experience our faith.

I mentioned 1 in 50 (the proportion of the population inour churches) as a number that burns in my mind. Here’s an-other way that it should burn in your minds. Imagine that webecame more intentional. Imagine that we became more invi-tational. Imagine, just for a moment, that many more peoplein our congregations had the confidence to invite people theyknow to come to church. Imagine that most of our congrega-tions had the confidence to do that. Well, we would like as

many as possible to do that, but here’s the thing: from all thepeople who might invite their friends to come to church, itonly takes 1 in 50 of the people in our congregations success-fully to do so once a year, and for that person to stay, for thedecline in our churches to stop. If, in each year, you can havethe confidence to ask enough people to church such that just1 in 50 of the congregation successfully asks an extra personwho stays, then our churches will stop shrinking. Surely that’sdoable? And if we could have more than 1 in 50 people suc-cessfully ask people to come, then our churches would startgrowing. Trust me, I know how hard, how counter-culturalthis can be. Speaking for myself, I have only very recently gotover my inhibitions about inviting some of our non-church-going friends to our carol services and family masses, and theyhaven’t all started coming, so I do understand the challenge.But it is so worth doing. Remember, it will make a differenceeven if only 1 in 50 invitations leads to someone coming tofaith.

I want to end with a prayer. And I trust you won’t mindthat it’s Lutheran, rather than catholic: Lord God, you havecalled your servants to ventures of which we cannot see theending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown.Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing wherewe go, but only that your hand is leading us and your love sup-porting us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

William Nye is Secretary General of the General Synod and theArchbishops’ Council. This paper was delivered to the 2018 For-ward in Faith National Assembly.

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If 1 in 50 of the congregation successfullyasks an extra person to church who stays,

then our churches will stop shrinking. Surely that’s doable?

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Deadline for applications:ursday 9 May 2019


Well would you believe it? Having been neglectedby serious thinkers outside Catholicism for cen-turies, philosophers are now paying more and

more attention to Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274). This has ig-nited an ongoing debate: is he primarily a philosophical the-ologian, or a theological philosopher? This debate wastriggered for the simple but profound reason that he was heav-ily influenced by the then recently unearthed writings of Ar-istotle. Thus, much of academic thinking at the time was aferment of rational investigation into the most fundamentalaspects of reality in general, and human behaviour and naturein particular. When he died, relatively young, Aquinas left avast legacy of almost 8 million words, but to know somethingabout Aquinas you need to know something about Aristotle.Born in 384BC and a disciple of Plato, he also tutored Alexan-der the Great (356–323BC) until the latter was aged 16. Ar-istotle is recognized as the most methodical and systematic ofthe Greek philosophers, an approach Aquinas emulated. Ar-istotle founded philosophy as a distinct discipline (and thusintellectual enquiry falls into separate disciplines) and distin-guished between reflecting upon the actual nature of philoso-phy and the practice of philosophy. The main areas with whichhe is identified include:

Logic: His Prior Analytica formulates a system of deductivereasoning that includes the study of language as an essentialelement.

The Nature of Being: A quarter of his corpus is devoted tothis. Modifying Plato, he concludes that things are not just the‘matter’ of which they materially consist, but by virtue of theirbeing constructed into a particular shape adopt a particular‘form’ or ‘substance.’ He goes on to analyse what the ‘substances’are that constitute reality.

Metaphysics: This follows on from the previous area.Here, a universal science of the nature of being is posited. Thisincludes an attempt to describe the distinctive and irreduciblecharacter of living organisms and also the existence of an ulti-mate cosmic order.

Mind: ‘Form’ and ‘matter’ explain the relation betweensoul and body, the soul being a ‘form’ of the living body. Thisleads on to a discourse on the philosophy of the mind.

Ethics/politics: He held that to understand the principlesof moral and political practice, you have to understand the es-sential and natural aims of the human agents involved. He elu-cidates this ethical theory by placing it against actual societiesand states.

Literary criticism/rhetorical theory: These are closelyconnected to the preceding area and to his system of logic.

Aquinas built on this heritage, and on the work of his con-temporary and fellow Dominican Albert the Great (1200–1280). As a result, Aquinas’ work holds the preeminentposition in Western philosophy, for it synthesised the work ofAristotle with the (then) current scientific and Christianthought.

Aquinas aimed to sift out the areas in which he perceivedAristotle as sound and to distinguish these from some of theAristotelian conclusions. For example, Aquinas posits that anyconclusions Aristotle draws are known by revelation alone.Reflecting on Aristotle’s work, Aquinas constructs the plat-form for the fundamental pivot of his teaching—that is, theacute distinction between reason and faith. He states thatChristian doctrine is beyond the remit of, and cannot be dis-covered by, human reason. But whilst it cannot be establishedby human reason it is not contrary to human reason! Further,human reason can often indicate the probability of doctrinaltruth: the acknowledgement of Christian doctrine being amatter of faith (not will) and thus a moral decision. In contrastto his novel philosophical stance, it can be argued that his the-ology is not as original as is often supposed, and tends to reflecthis Dominican tradition. However, his philosophical synthesiswith, and reflective insight upon, Aristotelian thought, plushis employment of a detailed systematic approach in explain-ing and elaborating it, is unsurpassed and remains the foun-dation and ‘yardstick’ of catholic theology up to the presentday. For example, the doctrine of substantiation was definedat the First Lateran Council (1215) just before he was born,but he built an edifice of sacramental theology upon it usingthe concepts of ‘substance’ and ‘accident’ gained from Aris-totelian philosophy. The extent and scope of his writings isvast. The culmination of his work came in the two ‘Summae.’The first (Summa Contra Gentiles) was a textbook for mission-aries, being a defence of natural theology against the influenceof current Arabian thought. The second, Summa Theologica,is, as the title implies, a profound systematic and comprehen-sive theological treatise on catholic doctrine. Despite being un-finished at his death, it remains not only the high point ofmedieval theology but the basis of modern catholic theology.We must rejoice that this champion of the catholic faith isbeing taken more seriously again by the philosophical com-munity and the wider academic world. This type of interfaceis essential in our postmodern world. Philosopher or theolo-gian? Tres intéressant!

Canon John Herve SSC is a canon emeritus of Birmingham.

A Quiet Renaissance John Herve comments on the renewed scholarly interest in Thomas Aquinas

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Reflecting on Aristotle’s work, Aquinas constructs the platform for the fundamental

pivot of his teaching—that is, the acute distinction between reason and faith.

we must rejoice that this champion of thecatholic faith is being taken more seriouslyagain by the philosophical community and

the wider academic world.


It’s probably not a controversial statement to say that thechurch—nationally and to an extent internationally—isgoing through a crisis of confidence at the moment.

There are all sorts of reasons for this, the discussion of whichbelongs more in the lecture hall than the parish church. Butone part of this which I do want to consider is that we westernChristians are currently suffering from a lack of confidence inwhat is meant to be one of the great foundations of our faith:the Bible.

This is particularly true of the Old Testament. We areembarrassed by details such as the fact that Noah died at theage of 950. We squirm at some of the difficult social, moraland ethical teachings. And so we run the risk of losing sight ofthe fact that the Old Testament, the foundation of the Judeo-Christian tradition, is full of vital teaching and insights aboutGod, humanity, and the relationship between the two; vitalteaching and insights which if forgotten leave not just us reli-gious folk but the whole of our society impoverished.

The creation narrative, which we heard tonight, is a primeexample. You know the old line about if a tree falls in a forestand nobody hears it, does it make a sound? Well who was Godspeaking to when the earth was without form and void? Howdid that which had not yet been created know what God wassaying? Who wrote all this stuff down? I could go on, with anynumber of entirely valid philosophical questions, each andevery one of which would entirely miss the point.

Let me therefore offer, very briefly, three key things aboutthe creation narrative which speak to our human conditiontoday. This is worth doing in and of itself, since it has been oneof our readings tonight, but I hope also that it will inspirewithin us a renewed confidence in the value of the biblicalword.

First, God saw that his creation was good. Seven times (Ithink) the writer of Genesis tells us that God saw that whathe had made was good. It follows from this that the creationis inherently good, and any religious system which tells youotherwise is not true Christianity. Yes, there is evil, and nasti-ness, and selfishness, and envy, and hatred, and all sorts ofother things in the world that are less than good, but they arethe result of human sin. They are perversions of the real natureof creation, which is good. Furthermore, God went on think-ing that his creation was good, even to the extent of sendinghis son to put things right, even to the extent of allowing Jesusto die upon the cross for our salvation. God would not havedone this if there was nothing worth saving in the first place.So creation is good, and love is stronger than death, good is

stronger than evil. The whole Judeo-Christian tradition con-firms this, but its root is in the very first chapter of the Bible.

Secondly, God created male and female in his image. Thismeans that any creed or system which treats any human beingas less than wonderfully made cannot be of God. It means thateach and every Christian has a duty of care towards the mostvulnerable in society: the poor, the addicted, the bereaved, thehousebound and hospitalized, the unborn child, the terminallyill, the lonely, the frightened. Each and every one is made inthe image of God, and to treat them in any other way is tocommit blasphemy. It is also why Jesus instructs us to love ourenemies, because even they are made in the image of God.

Finally, the Spirit of God moved over the face of the wa-ters. The Hebrew word for ‘spirit’ literally means breath, orwind. On the first day of creation, the breath of God stirs thewaters. Millennia later, on the first day of the week, the breathof God comes upon the Apostles as they pray together. Theyfeel it like the rush of a mighty wind, and they receive the HolySpirit on the day of Pentecost. They are transformed from afrightened collection of misfits into the most powerful groupof evangelists the world has ever known. For this was the firstday of a new creation—the Church, the Body of Christ onearth.

In other words, the Spirit which acted upon creation onits very first day has acted upon it ever since. The Spiritbreathes life into the Church, and life into every baptizedChristian, stirring the waters of our being, and shaping us intothe people God would have us be. God is at work in the world,even if we cannot always understand why, or how, or when.

Three things then, which teach us so much about our ex-istence as humans and as Christians, all plucked from the firstfew verses of the Bible: the essential goodness of creation; theinherent value of every human being, made in God’s image;and the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit. The next time some-body tells you the Old Testament cannot speak to us today,don’t believe them. The next time you find yourself embar-rassed by it, look again. And in the words of Jesus himself:‘Don’t be anxious. Have faith. Always seek the kingdom.’

Fr Ian McCormack is the Clerical Vice Chairman of Forward inFaith. This sermon was preached at St Mary’s Nottingham forEvensong on 24 February 2019. The texts were Gen. 1.1–2.3 andMatt. 6.25-34.

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we are currently suffering from a lack ofconfidence in what is meant to be one of

the great foundations of our faith: theBible.

He Created Them Ian McCormack exhorts us to be proud of the Old Testament

God went on thinking that his creation wasgood, even to the extent of sending his son

to put things right, even to the extent of allowing Jesus to die upon the cross for our

salvation.


The British government is proposingto have a bank holiday on the 75thanniversary of VE Day in 2020. On

21 February, The Daily Telegraph reported:‘Ministers appear set to move next year’sMay Day bank holiday so that it falls on the75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day.Greg Clark the Business Secretary has writ-ten to Chancellor Philip Hammond askingfor permission to move this holiday—whichnormally takes place on a Monday—to Fri-day 8 May, the anniversary of the final sur-render of Nazi Germany. Downing Streetconfirmed ministers were preparing tomark ‘the overthrow of fascism in Europeand the establishment of peace on our con-tinent ever since.’

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle might possiblyhave commented as follows:

‘Is there any other point to which you wish to draw myattention?’‘To the curious incident of the proposal to have a bank

holiday to mark the 75th anniversary of VJ Day in 2020.’‘There was no proposal for a bank holiday to mark the

75th anniversary of VJ Day in 2020.’‘That was the curious incident,’ remarked Sherlock

Holmes.

Readers may recall that I have a family interest in the FarEast theatre of the Second World War as my father died in aPoW camp in Japan (see New Directions, September 2015).This makes me more sensitive to government actions that ap-pear to regard those who fought against Japan as less impor-tant than those who fought against Germany.

Let us start by stating the temporal framework of the Sec-ond World War:

- 1 September 1939: Germany invades Poland.- 3 September 1939: The United Kingdom and France de-

clare war on Germany as a result of Germany’s invasionof Poland.

- 7 December 1941: Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, HongKong, and Malaya.

- 8 May 1945: VE Day marks the end of the war againstGermany.

- 15 August 1945: VJ Day marks the end of the war againstJapan.

There was one war only, not two: Once the war in the FarEast had started, Germany declared war on the USA, as a con-sequence of the Axis agreement, and the USA and the UKagreed a joint strategy to deal with Germany and Japan. In ad-

dition, units were moved from the NorthAfrican desert to meet the threat fromJapan. Furthermore, the war started in Sep-tember 1939 and ended in August 1945. (Inpassing, I would suggest that we shouldcount the war as starting on 1 Septemberrather than 3 September, as a tribute to ourPolish allies.) Why, then, is the governmentproposing a special commemoration of the75th anniversary of VE Day but not that ofVJ Day which, after all, marks the end of theSecond World War? I think it stems fromthe establishment’s embarrassment over itsresponsibility for the fall of Singapore, pre-ferring to leave the responsibility to fall onthose who had to do the fighting with inad-equate forward planning and resources. Inthe queue for military equipment in 1941,

British forces in the Far East came after UK home defence,our forces fighting the Germans in North Africa, and our newallies in the Soviet Union; Malaya and Singapore had not beenput on a war footing until the Japanese had attacked; and thehope of the British government was that forces in Malaya andSingapore could hold out until help came from the US Navybased in Pearl Harbor. Spotting the error in this forlorn hopeis left as an easy exercise for the reader.

Putting aside this psychological hang-up from the past, arethere any rational reasons for the government appearing tocelebrate VE Day but not VJ Day? None of the ones I canthink of, listed below, gives me a nice warm feeling:

We were going to celebrate VJ Day all along. It would have beenmore efficient to plan the two bank holidays together. Anysubsequent announcement of such a celebration will be a rapidreaction to hostile comment rather than a cunning plan.Some government ministers think that the Second World War

ended in May 1945. I should like to be able to rule this out but,somehow, I can’t.Our opinion pollsters tell us that the public aren’t interested in

the war in the Far East and, anyway, August is a holiday month.This one is too close for comfort.

The only way for the government to salvage their positionis to announce: ‘Sorry. We have made a mistake. In 2020, andannually thereafter, the August Bank Holiday will take placeon the Monday nearest 15 August to mark the end of the Sec-ond World War.’

Europe and Japan J. Alan Smith questions the decision not to mark the anniversary of VJ Day

ND

why is the government proposing a specialcommemoration of the 75th anniversary of

VE Day but not that of VJ Day?


On my first Palm Sunday inJerusalem I attended the 8a.m. mass in the Anglican

Cathedral as usual. As I walked out ofthe entrance into the warm sunshine ofa Jerusalem Spring morning I noticed asmall group of smartly-dressed Pales-tinians, a boy aged about 14, a girl of 10or so, and presumably, Mum and Dad,all waiting to go into the 9:30Arabic/English service. Grouped to-gether, they looked slightly bizarre, evenphotograph-worthy, as each carriedwhat looked on first sight to be a greenfurled umbrella, decorated with a floralpattern. Why are they expecting rain? Iwondered, looking up at the blue, cloud-less sky. On drawing closer, however, I saw that these “umbrel-las” were in fact made of spirally woven palm leaves, and thedecorations were real spring flowers. Welcome to the HolyLand Holy Week, when Jesus enters Jerusalem with the wav-ing of green palm fronds, sprigs of grey-green olive, and evencomplex decorations made from the intricate weaving of greenpalm leaves – not a dried palm cross in sight.

Many Christians live in the West Bank, and quite oftenthey are not allowed to cross the barriers into Jerusalem.When I was living in the Old City the wall between East andWest Jerusalem had been taken down, but it could still be dif-ficult for local Palestinians, even those with jobs in Jerusalemor some of our students at our school, for example, to crossover from the West Bank, including those from the nearbymajor towns, such as Bethlehem or Ramallah. Often the deci-sion to close the barriers seemed arbitrary or even perverse,and for some years Catholic Christians had been unable to jointhe Palm Sunday Procession into Jerusalem, but on my 3rd

Jerusalem Palm Sunday the West Bank Christians had beengiven the go-ahead to attend.

Chris, my fellow deputy at the school, was a keen photog-rapher, and asked me to go with him to view the procession.We roped in another teacher at the school to drive us up to aplace on the route quite near the starting point, which wasoutside the church at Bethphage at 2:30. The plan was for usto watch the head of the procession passing us, take photo-graphs, then join the Anglican Cathedral contingent, which,led by its banners, would be following the Greek Catholic con-gregations, and that way go down to the Sheep Gate and enterthe city: good plan, but in the event, impossible to carry out.

We were duly delivered to a lofty outcrop of rock at about2:15, climbed it and waited impatiently and for a very longtime for the head of the procession to appear. We could heara muted roar but nothing happened for nearly an hour. Sud-denly there was a cacophonous trumpet sound and the headof the procession appeared from around the curve of the road.

Chris sprang into action: there were outriders, one of them awoman, wearing the long floating white cloaks of the Knightsof the Holy Sepulchre, the bold red Jerusalem crosses embla-zoned over their arms, keeping their mounts to a stately walk,there were attendants dressed in black and gold, carryingstaves, and then, pacing together, the Custos of the Holy Land,a brown-habited Franciscan, the Latin Patriarch, in purple,and the Greek Catholic Patriarch, in black. There were scouts,huge numbers of scouts, of all ages, shapes and sizes, poppingup everywhere, long columns of chanting priests in surplices,and masses of banners. At this point, Chris became unable tostop taking photos, and I became distracted, not only by thehuge numbers of people, all waving palms or olive branches,and the multiplicity of banners, but also by the sight of someenclosed nuns watching the procession from their roof. Wewere high enough to see them, a fact of which I am sure theywere unaware, and I was diverted as much by their simple, en-thusiastic pleasure at watching this rare event through thecrenellations around their rooftop eyrie, rushing to and frofrom one vantage point to the next, as I was by the extraordi-narily large and diverse mass of people passing by, singing theirown songs in a variety of languages, the bands all playing theirown thing and the banners dipping and swaying.

In the end, of course, we missed the Anglican Cathedralgroup. I was told afterwards that it was very large and quiteclose to the front. Chris and I ended up at the tail of the pro-cession along with a large group of Koreans and various inde-pendent travellers from all the continents of the world, happilyjoining in. We were some of the last to pass through the SheepGate and missed by at least an hour the ceremonies at the endof the procession at St Anne’s Church. We were hot, tired andexalted. The courtyard, cooler now and shadowed, beckoned.‘Come to my place,’ I said to Chris. ‘Meet Auntie and Uncleand we’ll have some olives and a glass or two of the whiteGolan wine I’ve been saving up in the fridge for just this sortof moment.’

A Courtyard in JerusalemAnn George joins the tail of a procession

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Driving up the A1065 from Swaffham to Fakenham, en route to Walsingham, you notice a signpost to Wellingham,just ½ mile away, John Timpson’s home for many years. On the eve of the Reformation, the hamlet of Wellinghamenriched their church with a new roodscreen bearing the date 1532; it has some vivid paintings, like S. George and

the Dragon and the Archangel Michael (ND Sept 2011). However, the most remarkable painting is the panel next to S. Michael,which only has painting on its upper half – there was almost certainly a nave altar in front of the screen – but this painting hasa rich imagery encapsulating early 16th century Catholic devotion, centred upon the figure of the Christ of Pity, the Man ofSorrows standing in the tomb. The scourged figure displaying His wounds is surrounded by Passion symbols – reed and spongewith lance; ladder, sword and halberd; lantern from Gethsemane; scourge, hammer and nails; three dice; scourging pillarsurmounted by cock; Pilate’s hands being washed. Above them are the crowned head of Herod and the head of Caiaphas,wearing an early 16th c. clerical cap. Apriest saying Mass at this altar was facedby a superabundance of visual imageryto accompany his devotions. We mayreasonably speculate that the popularvotive Mass of the Five Wounds ofChrist (Humiliavit) would have fre-quently been said there for the couple ofdecades until the Missal was outlawed.

He endured the nails, the spitting,Vinegar and spear and reed;From that holy body brokenBlood and water forth proceed:Earth and stars and sky and oceanBy that flood from stain are freed.

HOLY wEEK AT wELLINGHAM

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The next issue of newdirectionsis published on 10 May

During the February sessions of theGeneral Synod this year two im-portant motions were brought be-

fore the meeting for debate. Both of thesewere proposed by members of the CatholicGroup and we commend them to our readersfor further study, prayer, and ultimately, wehope, action. The first was a private mem-ber’s motion put forward by Andrew Grayfrom the Diocese of Norwich. His motionsought to “establish a task force to scale upand co-ordinate the Church’s own efforts intandem with those of major homeless agen-cies to provide better support for the home-less on both a short and long-term basis”.Introducing the motion, Andrew Gray high-lighted the fact that homelessness had risenby 163 per cent since 2010, and that therewere 236,000 homeless people across the UK,living on the streets or in temporary accom-modation. He said: “It is easy to becomeangry with the failures of politics. But wemust avoid any temptation to apportionblame. That is how secular politics works —it is a recipe for a repetitive, poisonous nar-rative. We are not an echo chamber for West-minster. We are representatives of Christ’sKingdom, and we must lead by example.” An-drew Gray also reminded the Synod that theChurch had a long and proud history of help-ing the homeless but that there was so muchmore we could, and must, do as a church.The task force he proposed would work veryclosely with the major homelessness charitiesto make sure that their work could he scaledup and supported in particular ways.Through this support of other agencies it isto be hoped there will be no unnecessary rep-etition of work. Andrew Gray also spokemovingly about encountering the death oftwo homeless people in Norwich and Lon-don, telling the Synod that it was because ofthem that his motion was brought to theSynod. He concluded his powerful and mov-ing speech by saying: “In this age of politicaldisenchantment, we must hold high the lightof hope. In this age of bad news and fakenews, we must be the Good News.” Weshould be looking at ways in which ourparishes can be part of this important workand network and how we can best help theChurch in achieving this goal of bringing the

Good News to people who are in most need. The second motion was proposed by

Bishop Philip North as part of the work ofthe Estates Churches Task Force chargedwith finding ways to bring the Good News ofthe Gospel into areas of deprivation acrossthe country, our urban estates. At the centreof his proposal Bishop Philip explained:“Here’s the vision. It’s a very simple one. Tohave a loving, serving, worshipping Christiancommunity on every significant social hous-ing estate in the nation. To plant back in theestates we have abandoned, to better supportour presence in the places where we’re strug-gling. If we can do that, the impact on churchand nation will be transformative. As Chris-tians we will be seen to be doing what we arecalled to do which is to share good news withthe poor. We will release unlikely leaders andevangelists who will speak the Gospel in alanguage that people can understand. We willdevelop evangelistic resources and ap-proaches that will work anywhere. We willfor once be working with the grain of culturaltransference, because history shows that ifyou start with the poor, eventually the richcatch on.” Bishop Philip reminded the Synodthat such an aim would have an impact on allareas of the church, from the use of resourcesto the training of those to work on estatesboth lay and ordained. Key to this work, heemphasised, is that such workers should bedrawn from the very estates – somethingwhich thus far had not happened to a greatextent.

It is clear that as Catholics in the Churchof England we would want to support bothof these motions and to work to see the workdone not only in our parishes but across thecountry. In conclusion, Bishop Philip de-clared that he believed this work would becompleted by God’s grace: “That is where theHoly Spirit will one day move, and movewith power. The only question left is this.Will the Church of England be there to joinin?” Perhaps we might ask a question specificto our circumstances: will the Catholicmovement be there to join in? It is the hopeand prayer of this magazine that we will be,as that is where we have always traditionallybeen. ND

Editorial


Ihave generally been hiding fromnews broadcasts recently, but I didpick up on a story that seems to

have had little exposure outside theUnited States, but which New Direc-tions readers might be intrigued to hearabout. It concerns a young Americanactor called Jussie Smollett. Jussie, itseems, is a diminutive of Justin, and isknown to my spellcheck. I mention thatbecause it suggests that he is consider-ably better known across the Pond(where the spellcheck comes from) thanhe is here, and the redoubtableWikipedia tells us that ‘In 2014, Smol-lett was cast as Jamal Lyon—a gay musi-cian who struggles to gain the approvalof his father—in the Foxdrama series Empire. Hisrole was hailed as“groundbreaking” for itspositive depiction of ablack gay man on televi-sion.’

You might supposelife would be great for him, having a reg-ular and well-paid acting job in an ongo-ing TV show, with spin-off pop recordsselling well enough to get him to numbertwo in the Portuguese hit parade. Butno. At the end of January this year,Jussie Smollett appears to have donesomething rather extraordinary, al-though we will only know whether he isguilty as charged at the end of the judi-cial process in which he now finds him-self.

It is common ground that, on 29th

January, Smollett claimed that he hadbeen attacked in the small hours of thatmorning by two masked men who bat-tered him about the face as he left asandwich shop in his home town ofChicago. We will pass over the matterof why a well-paid actor came to be in abranch of Subway at two in the morningon a bitterly cold Chicago night, but, ac-cording to the police log, he claimed thatthe men ‘gained his attention by yellingracial and homophobic slurs and beganto beat him about the face with theirhands. They used their hands, feet, andteeth as weapons in the assault’. He went

on to allege that the men had put a noosearound his neck and poured some liquidover him which he feared at the timemight have been bleach. Finally, as a sortof cherry on top of the cake, he told thepolice that one of the men was wearingone of those red Donald Trump baseballcaps, and had shouted ‘This is MAGAcountry’, M.A.G.A. being an acronym ofthe Trump campaign slogan, ‘MakeAmerica Great Again’.

Smollett later claimed that he origi-nally hadn’t wanted to report the inci-dent but was ‘convinced by his creativedirector to notify authorities’ (accordingto an ABC news report) at half past twothat morning, and when the police ar-

rived, they found a rope around his neck,which was indeed tied into a noose. Hewas checked over in a local hospital, andreleased ‘in good condition’.

Any road up, it seems that his storystarted to unravel with some speed, and,less than three weeks later, the police hadconcluded that Smollett himself hadconcocted the whole business as a pub-licity stunt, using a deck of ‘hot button’issues that are consuming public life inAmerica at the moment, which he imag-ined (rightly) would garner the highestpossible degree of attention. Indeed, hehad earlier, according to the prosecution,faked a letter to himself containing adeath-threat, which he had been carefulto leak to the press, but which hadn’t hadquite the impact he’d hoped.

If it weren’t so pathetic, it would befunny. Smollett has been charged with araft of offences (to which he has pleadednot-guilty) which could cost him threeyears in chokey. But if he did stage theattack because he was unhappy with hissalary and wanted publicity to furtherhis career, he did it with breath-takingincompetence, employing two blokes

he’d worked with to rough him up (butnot too much), and paying them bycheque! Unsurprisingly, he has beenwritten out of the TV series, and a con-viction would presumably end his careeraltogether.

What intrigues me, though, is theprocess by which he apparently came tobelieve that this stunt, which has wastedpolice time, risked wrongful convictions,and further stirred the already bubblingcauldron of American public life, couldbe worthwhile. The way we live now,there is something going on about vic-timhood which is deeply unhealthy.This is not to suggest that victims ofcrime shouldn’t report what has been

done to them, but nowa-days, being a victim isworn almost as a badge ofhonour, a handbrake turnfrom the old, and perhapsequally problematic, wayin which we were all ex-pected to soak it up and

be brave and not tell anybody. And thiscase, if Smollett turns out to be guilty,shows how dramatic that reversal hasbeen: if you can’t lay claim to any gen-uine victimhood, you might need tomake something up! His narrative wasimmediately believed by scores of politi-cians and celebrities who could signaltheir own virtue by ladling out sympa-thy for this ‘victim’. And their presump-tion that the story was true ratherexposed their own assumptions aboutthe society in which they live.

It is a strange world in which themurder - the martyrdom - of 150 Chris-tians in Nigeria in six weeks can go un-reported by Western media, but analleged attack on a TV star resulting innothing more than a scratch on his facesends the American establishment intoa frenzy. Jussie Smollett had it all goingfor him in a culture in which people havenever been less victimised for theircolour or their sexuality, and he hasprobably thrown it all away. But then, asSir Walter Scott once said: ‘Oh, what atangled web we weave when first wepractise to deceive’.

Christopher Smith explores the mysterious world of modern victimhood

the way we live now

ND

what intrigues me, though, is the process by whichhe came to believe that this stunt, which has

wasted police time, risked wrongful convictions,and further stirred the already bubbling cauldron

of American public life, could be worthwhile.


views, reviews and previewsartPIERRE BONNARD: THECOLOUR OF MEMORYTate Modern until 6 May 2019

This is a large show of a hundred paint-ings plus drawings and photographs. Thephotographs are very small. It is also thefirst major show in London for twentyyears of the work of Pierre Bonnard(1867–1947). And it’s been well put to-gether, though the labels for the paint-ings can be hard to find in the crowdsand the quality of the catalogue repro-ductions is disappointing. Bonnard issuch a colourist—and one who paintedfrom memory, hence the show’s title—that it is painful to leave the show and beconfronted by poor quality prints whenthe memory of the real thing is fresh inthe mind.

In his Paris show of 1933 it was hiscolours which led to Bonnard beingcalled the painter of happiness, thoughhe himself commented that just becauseyou’re singing doesn’t mean you’re cheer-ful. And it would be easy to think ofBonnard as the painter of La France pro-fonde: comfortable, well-fed, slightlynaughty and upholstered with frightfulwallpaper. Some of the paintings do fitthat mould and are dull. Bonnard was al-ways best painting an indoors scene oran outdoors scene from indoors; at theTate the early Parisian street scenes justdon’t work very well. The weakness ofthe street scenes is exacerbated by hisfeeble portrayal of human beings and an-imals, a weakness shared with othergreat landscape painters—the greatClaude said he threw in his figures forfree. This is a problem for Bonnard be-cause human beings, especially his even-tual wife Marthe de Méligny, play animportant role in his best works. Bon-nard painted Marthe obsessively, espe-cially in the bath. You might describe herappearance as hieratic, but you would behard pressed to recognize her if you sawher in the street. This is surely down toa weakness in Bonnard’s technique as

much as a chosen element of his style.One picture of Marthe against a fire-place makes it clear how much betterWhistler did that sort of thing. Anothercanvas shows her naked figure in typicalpose in a doorway. The composition is amess, the towel carried by Marthe is notin the mirror image of her even thoughthe arm it covers is in the mirror. Thereis no sense of her skin tone. And yet itworks.And then there are occasions when Bon-nard does get the human figure, espe-cially in the late self-portraits. Thesehalf-length or shorter pictures show theartist in old age and in an attitude of fa-tigued defiance or fear. They have all theBonnard colour—especially yellows—and the framing devices of windows andtables and shutters, but they have astrong emotional charge which makesthem unusually intense and primitive.

An earlier, equally intimate paintingof ‘The man and the woman’ (himself andMarthe, presumably post-coital) payssimilar attention to framing but showsthe confidence of middle age, as well asa sense of chosen separation, in the twofigures. It has something of the seedinessof Sickert about it, as if throwing overbourgeois convention carries a price.

Maybe that sense of melancholy andintimacy is what prevents at least the in-door works from becoming merely anextraordinary interplay of colour andlight. Picasso reckoned that Bonnardwas a leftover from the Impressionists.

It is easy to see something of that in thebuild up of paint on the canvas or theway the same scene was painted in dif-ferent light. As Bonnard himself said, hewanted to capture the first impressionsof someone entering a room.

But Matisse was, rightly, more sym-pathetic than Picasso when he recog-nized the way horizontals and verticals,never quite plain lines, held togetherthose wonderful, saturated colours. Inold age Bonnard reckoned he was onlyjust beginning to understand the colourwhite, and the way he took many yearsover his paintings and was so hesitantwith his markings does suggest a contin-ual struggle to understand. Picasso, nota painter for hesitation, reckoned thatthis showed feebleness.

Some of the late interiors, especiallythe bath scenes, show Bonnard was rightto take his time. The colours are bothvery beautiful in themselves and give animpression of light rippling and reflect-ing off both water and hard, shiny sur-faces. And there is a mystery to Martheas she lies in the bath. What is she think-ing? What illness does she have? (Noone actually knows.) How changeless sheis, how ageless, how boneless. And for allthat the eye is still drawn into and heldby the canvas.

It may take as long to understandBonnard as he took to understand thecolour white, but the wait is worth it,probably.

Owen Higgs


booksTHE CODDLING OF THE AMERICAN MINDGreg Lukianoff & Jonathan Haidt Penguin 2018 £9.99 (Kindle) ASIN B07B3LLRSH 352pp

Are good intentions and bad ideas set-ting up a generation for failure? This isthe proposition in the subtitle of thisprovocative critique of western society.The authors see an increasing polariza-tion in US society and a number of con-nected trends: increased adolescentdepression, overprotective regimes inuniversities, pursuit of justice that makesthe best an enemy of the good, obsessiveuse of phones and tablets, widespreadplay deprivation and more fearful par-enting.

‘Paranoid parenting… convinceschildren that the world is full of danger;evil lurks in the shadows, on the streets,and in public parks and restrooms. Kidsraised in this way are emotionally pre-pared to embrace the Untruth of UsVersus Them: Life is a battle betweengood people and evil people - a world-view that makes them fear and suspectstrangers. We teach children to monitorthemselves for the degree to which they“feel unsafe” and then talk about howunsafe they feel. They may come to be-lieve that feeling “unsafe” (the feeling ofbeing uncomfortable or anxious) is a re-liable sign that they are unsafe (the Un-truth of Emotional Reasoning: Alwaystrust your feelings). Finally, feeling theseemotions is unpleasant; therefore, chil-dren may conclude, the feelings are dan-gerous in and of themselves - stress willharm them if it doesn’t kill them (theUntruth of Fragility: What doesn’t killyou makes you weaker).’

In The Coddling of the AmericanMind free speech campaigner GregLukianoff and social psychologistJonathan Haidt challenge these three“untruths of fragility, emotional reason-ing and ‘us versus them’”. They showthem as contradictory to both ancientwisdom and modern psychology, besidesbeing harmful. A presenting problem isthe use of social media by the passionateto rubbish people - no more giving peo-

ple the benefit of the doubt. A deceptionthat the world is made up of ‘Us versusThem’ is promoted by the same media,and people live in ‘self-confirmatorybubbles, where their worst fears aboutthe evils of the other side can be con-firmed and amplified by extremists andcyber trolls intent on sowing discord anddivision’. Coupled to this deception ispromotion of a safety culture in whichpeople’s need to feel comfortable is puton the same level as their need to be pro-tected from physical danger. The conse-quences for the rising generation is acertain naivety as they grow up pro-tected from the life experience they needto develop resilient living.

The authors cite critically a quota-tion from an essay on EverydayFemi-nism.com: ‘In the end, what does theintent of our action really matter if ouractions have the impact of furthering themarginalization or oppression of thosearound us?’ Such an understandingmakes bigots of all of us who upset oth-ers with our views however pure our in-tentions. Paradoxically distinguishinghurtful talk from harmful talk, a distinc-tion widely accepted in ancient wisdomtraditions, serves to help address theroots of conflict. This is why universitieshave been up to now loth to protect theirstudents from ideas some of them findoffensive: to make them learn to thinkand engage with them.

Rabbi Jonathan Sacks is com-mended for rebuking a ‘pathological du-alism that sees humanity itself asradically ... divided into the unimpeach-ably good and the irredeemably bad. Youare either one or the other.’ Western so-

ciety is being crippled by disrespectshown in debates lacking humility inwhich people rubbish one another, blindto the truth that, whatever opinions theyhold, all human beings possess bothfragility and beauty. The authors men-tion unfavourably the oratory of DonaldTrump and some of the things being saidin the Brexit debate.

What strategies can bring the worldout of such error? The authors look par-ticularly to religion as a source of trans-formative vision quoting MartinLuther-King: ‘Love is the only force ca-pable of transforming an enemy into afriend… Darkness cannot drive outdarkness; only light can do that. Hatecannot drive out hate; only love can dothat’. It’s ironic that the vision that im-pelled King is getting increasingly ob-scured by those offended by religion’simmemorial place in the public square.This is a challenging, inspiring andtimely book.

John Twisleton

DOES RELIGION DO MORE HARMTHAN GOOD? Rupert ShorSPCK 88pp £9.99

This book comes recommended bymany distinguished intellectuals includ-ing – perhaps surprisingly? – MelvynBragg, whose name appears in bold redlettering on the front cover. I recognisedall but one of their names and they areall members of the left-liberal establish-ment of interfaith studies. They takethemselves very seriously, so don’t pickthis book up if you’re of the sort thatlikes theological discussion to be leav-ened by a little light-heartedness. Theircommendations come down to us asfrom a very great altitude. The authorhas pretentions, if not pretentiousness,and a certain po-facedness: a man forwhom jokes are no laughing matter.

The title itself begs the question.Does religion do more harm than good?It all depends which religion we’re talk-ing about, doesn’t it? A few approachesto the study of religion are mentioned, ifnot discussed with any great rigour, andthese approaches – philosophical, ethicalor aesthetic – are dismissed as more orless inadequate. One analytical method


alone provides what Dr Casaubon called“the key to all mythologies.” Shortt de-clares firmly: “Sociological spadework isneeded to place the insights expressed bydefenders of religion on a surer founda-tion.” It is hard to resist the conclusionthat the author’s religion is sociology,with Max Weber and David Martinamong its prophets. The book is evendedicated to two contemporary sociolo-gists.

Shortt is a rationalist fan of the 18thcentury Enlightenment which, “formeda protest against unaccountable author-ity.” Yes, but only by setting itself up as anew, equally unaccountable, authoritybased on rationalistic abstractions of thesort first criticised by Kant and, more re-cently and with sublime eloquence byR.G. Collingwood in his Essay on Meta-physics.

The style and examples chosen arefrequently whimsical and fey. For in-stance, discussing creativity, he says,“Carpenters can pass on the articles theymake, never seeing them again. But asong is, by definition, an emanation of asinger.” This is plain snobbery. A finechair has Mr Chippendale written allover it quite as much as Erna Berger’srendering of Die Holle Rache is entirelyher own.

Shortt claims: “Three-quarters of hu-manity possess a faith.” That is a prettyshallow judgement – or are we to sup-pose that Marxists and other atheistshave certainty? In reality, every world-view starts from its own particular ab-solute presuppositions; and thesepresuppositions cannot be demonstratedbut must simply be assumed.

He cites the famous description of re-ligion in the Roman Empire, that it was“…regarded as true by the ignorantmasses, as false by the philosophers andby the magistrates as a convenientmethod of social control.” Is there anyperspective which allows us to escapethis class-based subjectivity?

Shortt leaves us in no doubt that theuniversal salve is the practice of sociol-ogy – and pursued with all the rigorousintensity of Ignatius Loyola’s Exercises.

Peter Mullen

WOKE:A Guide to Social JusticeTitania McGrathConstable, 20189781472130846

Activist, healer, ecosexual otherkin, andauthor of intersectional slam poetry Ti-tania McGrath has now published herlong-awaited first book, Woke: A Guideto Social Justice. The content is indicatedby chapter headings such as F**k the Pa-triarchy, The Tyranny of Facts, Brexit andthe Rise of the Fourth Reich, Wedlocked, Is-lamofeminism and The Androcaust. Tita-nia burst on to Twitter early in 2018 andfollowers have flocked to her ever since.With a ruthless politically correct logicall of her own, she triumphantly calls outsocial conservatives of all kinds as bigots,transphobes, Nazis, etc. Woke is not, however, so much of a

parody as it may at first appear: Titaniararely strays far beyond what real-livecommentators have actually said and shequotes throughout a range of politicians,academics, celebrities as well as thedoughty ‘keyboard warriors’ of socialmedia. We hear, for example, the obser-vations of presidential hopeful Alexan-dria Ocasio-Cortez, that many peopleare more ‘concerned about being pre-cisely, factually and semantically correctthan about being morally right’; of ac-tivist Rudy Martinez that ‘white deathwill mean liberation for all’; and ofDavid Lammy MP that ‘the govern-ment’s “will of the people” mantra isb***ocks’.

How extraordinary it is that in an agewhen science and reason as representedby Richard Dawkins and co have sup-posedly triumphed that public discourseis increasingly being taken over by the

mass of fantasy and self-contradictionthat Woke deftly exposes. In the clunkyview of some commentators, this is be-cause ‘Woke’ views have themselves be-come a new ‘religion’ which appeals tothose who continue to be perversely at-tracted by irrational, absurd and fancifulideas. In fact, the opposite is true. AsSaint John Paul II put it at the start ofhis eponymous encyclical, ‘Faith andReason are like two wings on which thehuman spirit rises to the contemplationof truth’. Once you fatally weaken Chris-tianity, with its commitment to an ulti-mately rational and intelligible universethat God has created through his order-ing logos, the result turns out not to be auniversal commitment to enlightenedrationality but rather the unreason, con-fusion and self-contradiction that Tita-nia so splendidly parodies.

Christians of many sorts, accustomedto a relatively easy ride in western soci-ety and schooled by our Lord in habitsof forbearance and peacefulness, may betempted to try and make an accommo-dation with Woke thinking: to be toler-ant, see the good points and come toterms. However, Titania and her alliesadvocate an explicitly utopian pro-gramme that will brook no compromiseor half-measures. ‘I will not rest’, shewrites, ‘until we have achieved our di-verse intersectional socialist decolonisedpolyamorous genderqueer pro-transbody-positive anti-ableist privilege-checking speech policing hate-free ma-triarchal utopia’. In all such thinking,individual men and women are liable tobe sacrificed to the grand plan to re-


shape society. In the words of thephilosopher Josef Pieper, ‘the claim toerect an imperturbable permanent orderin the world must necessarily lead tosomething inhuman’. Traditional Chris-tians are likely, then, to find accommo-dation with ‘Woke’ ideas increasinglyless possible, and the Church will needto develop a more robust and more fear-less critique than has been managed sofar.

Founded in the Christian tradition’sample reflection on the virtues of justiceand charity, such a critique will, how-ever, avoid unhelpful polarisation, be-cause Titania and her supporters need tobe met with the grace and truth ofChrist, rather than equal and oppositeincoherent polemic.

I had one or two slightly Woke mo-ments of my own when, shortly after thebook’s publication, it was revealed thatTitania is in fact the academic, journalistand commentator, Dr Andrew Doyle.Without wanting to succumb to ex-treme identitarian politics, his author-ship of poems with a variety ofgynaecological titles made me feel some-what uncomfortable. If he occasionallygoes a little bit far, Doyle achievesthrough extraordinarily powerful witwhat he never could in an angry rant.And humour is an important weapon,because it’s one that Titania herself sim-ply doesn’t understand. ‘I should sayfrom the outset,’ she tells us, ‘that I’venever been interested in comedy. Ihaven’t smiled since nursery school, andI regret that moment even now’.

Edward Dowler

LOVE MAKES NO SENSEAn invitation to Christian TheologyJennifer Strawbridge, Jaed Mercerand Peter GrovesISBN 9780334057284, £12.99

This book sets itself the ambitious aimto provide a series of distinct but closely-connected essays, which explore themain Christian doctrines with an em-phasis on how they are experienced byChristian people in the course of theireveryday lives. In total there are six dif-ferent authors of ten essays which ex-plore aspects of doctrine, ranging from

the person of Jesus and the love of God,through the problem of sin and suffer-ing, to the sacraments, scripture and thechurch.

Using the linking theme of ‘Lovemakes no sense’, the essay titles includeLove Overflowing, Love Personified andLove Inexhaustible. The writers are allconnected with the St Mary MagdalenSchool of Theology in Oxford, whichwas founded to provide people – lay andordained – with the theological re-sources for an active Christian life. It hasgrown out of a parish church in thecatholic tradition of Anglicanism and is‘a network of women and men who read,pray, and teach the Christian faith’.

The opening essay by Peter Grovesstudies afresh the story of the prodigalson. He eschews an exercise in biblicalscholarship and instead focuses on asimple reading of the text. He concludesthat the actions of the father towards hisyounger son seem ludicrous, and thusthe actions of God towards us are simi-larly ludicrous, ‘The love of God…makesno sense...unconditional love, lovepoured out unthinkingly upon someonewho does not even begin to deserve it’.This chapter emphasises that the love ofGod as seen through the person of Jesusis often rejected and is met with right-eous indignation by those who considerit unfair. It turns all our preconceivedideas about how things should be upsidedown. This radical new world view is ex-plored in the context of the Christologyof John’s Gospel, and the trajectory is setfor the following chapter on the Trinityby Jennifer Strawbridge, ‘Love in Excess’.

Later, Jarred Mercer writes on the In-carnation, acknowledging that for somethe concept of God becoming ‘enfleshed’is ‘impossible, or at least ridiculous’. Mer-cer maintains that this view derives fromregarding God as a creature who is manytimes greater than we are. But once thatpremise is rejected, it becomes ‘unrea-sonable for God not to be free’ to unitedivinity with humanity in the person ofJesus Christ. The idea of the Incarnationas ‘just a cute Christmas story’ is also re-jected by insisting that it is ‘about the en-tire human existence of Christ’.

Jonathan Jong contributes an essay inthis collection on the doctrine of Cre-ation, while Judith Brown exploresteaching on the Holy Spirit. MelanieMarshall’s contribution to the book iscentred on the sacraments where she de-fends the traditional seven sacramentsas pledges of love which link the earthlylife of Jesus with ‘the special actionswhere we can be sure of meeting himtoday’. She emphasises the transforma-tive nature of the sacramental economy,where an ordinary thing in creation istransformed into something differentand life-giving, while an already existinginstitution, for example marriage, is alsochanged into a Christian sacrament.

All ten essays in this collection arewritten in an accessible and engagingway and cover much Christian teaching,against a background of lived-out Chris-tian experience. They would provide anexcellent basis for a parish study groupor adult confirmation class, and as anadded bonus each chapter ends withvery helpful suggestions for furtherreading.

Mark Mawhinney

THE LIFE YOU NEVER EXPECTEDThriving while parenting specialneeds childrenAndrew & Rachel WilsonIVP 2015 £8.99 ISBN 978-1-78359-352-1 160pp

People take other people’s advice moreseriously when it comes from experi-ence. We can all appreciate the impor-tance of a testimony that comes from astruggle in real life instead of a theoryworked out in a quiet study. It’s the samewith Christianity which is often caught


more than taught. I have read philosoph-ical defences of God in the face of suffer-ing and much ecclesiology but ‘The LifeYou Never Expected’ surprised me withits deep insight on God and the Churchflowing from parenting autistic children.

Part of the leadership team of King’sChurch in Eastbourne, Andrew andRachel Wilson share experience of griefand worship, struggle and hope whilstraising two children with special needs.Their short, readable book will be help-ful for any couple so blessed and chal-lenged. It is also a fantastic commen-dation of Christian discipleship as fit forlife at the sharp end. Andrew and Rachelstruggle as they pray and seek healing forZeke and Anna. ‘God gives you every-thing you would ask for, if you kneweverything he knows’ (Tim Keller). Theycompare their experience to emperorpenguins huddling over their eggsthrough months of frozen darkness (re-flected in the cover image): ‘This is al-most unbearable, and it’s almost worthquitting, but the sun is on its way. Hangin there’.

A section on the ‘individualitis’ thatplagues contemporary culture, and partsof church life, witnesses to how vital thesense of the church is to this couple andshould be within Christianity. ‘In God’sglobal mission, the role of extraordinarypeople doing exceptional things is prob-ably far smaller than we imagine - andthe role of ordinary people doing every-day things is probably far greater thanwe imagine. If you think you’re excep-tional, that will come as a nasty shock.But when you get mugged by life, andfind out just how ordinary you are, it’s

thoroughly liberating. Carl Truemanwas right: ‘My special destiny as a be-liever is to be part of the church; and itis the church that is the big player inGod’s wider plan, and not me’’.

The book was written to remedy anomission the authors discovered whentheir children were born: they looked fora book about spiritual survival as a fam-ily with special needs, but in vain. Andas they have written to address this gapas members of a church with a specialemphasis on healing ministry, their re-flections on unanswered prayer havepowerful resonance. What I particularlylike about this book is its humanity andhumility in the face of one of life’s verygreat challenges. This is coupled to boldengagement with serious questions, andall set within the eternal perspective.

John Twisleton

BRIEF ANSWERS TO THE BIGQUESTIONSStephen Hawking John Murray 2018 Kindle edition £7.99ASIN: B07D2ZKPL2 256pp

‘Newton gave us answers. Hawking gaveus questions. And Hawking’s questionsthemselves keep on giving, generatingbreakthroughs decades later. When ul-timately we master the quantum gravitylaws, and comprehend fully the birth ofour universe, it may largely be by stand-ing on the shoulders of Hawking.’ So saidProfessor Kip Thorne in 2018 at the in-terment of Stephen Hawking’s ashes be-tween Newton and Darwin inWestminster Abbey under a stone en-graved with Hawking’s equation for cal-culating the temperature of a black hole.

The final work of cosmologist anddisability campaigner Stephen Hawkingtries to address these questions: Is therea God? How did it all begin? Can wepredict the future? What is inside ablack hole? Is time travel possible? Howdo we shape the future? Will we surviveon Earth? Is there other intelligent lifein the universe? Should we colonisespace? Will artificial intelligence out-smart us? The first six answers brimwith astronomical terms, the last fourdraw on wider wisdom and are easierreading. All the questions are captivatingeven if the answers given vary in sub-stance on account of using a rigorous sci-

entific approach to issues at times be-yond human research or imagination.

Hawking speaks with academic au-thority heightened by the moral author-ity he’s carried living with motorneurone disease. ‘We could have a baseon the Moon within thirty years, reachMars in fifty years and explore themoons of the outer planets in 200 years’he writes. ‘The only way to get from oneside of the galaxy to the other in a rea-sonable time would seem to be if wecould warp space-time so much that wecreated a little tube or wormhole. Thiscould connect the two sides of the galaxyand act as a shortcut to get from one tothe other and back while your friendswere still alive’.

Undoubtedly Hawking’s greatestachievement was weaving together thetwo great scientific theories of the twen-tieth century, quantum theory and thetheory of relativity. He demonstratedthat the compacted masses known asblack holes aren’t completely black (i.e.non emitters of radiation), but emitwhat is now called Hawking radiation.‘The human mind is an incredible thing.It can conceive of the magnificence ofthe heavens and the intricacies of thebasic components of matter. Yet for eachmind to achieve its full potential, itneeds a spark. The spark of enquiry andwonder. Often that spark comes from ateacher’. He pays tribute to his own in-spirational teacher as readers of this lasttestament are sparked by Hawking him-self into thinking ahead for ourselvesand the cosmos.

So few words on such immense topicsare bound to have inconsistencies. He is

optimistic about Artificial Intelligenceserving to eradicate disease and povertyand developing nuclear fusion whilst ad-mitting our best hope is finding otherplanets on which to live. On theology, heclaims that since matter and time beganwith the Big Bang, No One can exist be-fore it – an argument which rather mis-understands the way in which God isunderstood to be. Unlike Einstein,whose comment ‘God doesn’t play dice’hints at purposive wisdom underlyingcreation, Hawking says if there is a God,which he doubts, he’s got to be a gambler.‘The universe is like a giant casino withdice being rolled, or wheels being spun,on every occasion’.

‘Brief Answers to the Big Questions’is a bold thesis from a great mind who,though an inspiration to thousands, ad-mits his main sustenance is in loving andbeing loved. ‘I have experienced highsand lows, turbulence and peace, successand suffering. I have been rich and poor,I have been able-bodied and disabled. Ihave been praised and criticised, butnever ignored. I have been enormouslyprivileged, through my work, in beingable to contribute to our understandingof the universe. But it would be an emptyuniverse indeed if it were not for thepeople I love, and who love me.’ He wason to something there - and now doubt-less knows why, and from Whom, thatultimate meaning comes

John Twisleton

SELF-SUPPORTING MINISTRYA Practical GuideJohn LeesSPCK, 2018

The obituary of Lord Habgood pub-lished in The Times on 8 March recalledhim, not long after becoming Arch-bishop of York in 1973, ‘having lunchwith Edward Heath, the prime minister,and announcing his intention to visit amine. “He looked at me and said, ‘Whaton earth do you want to go down a coalmine for?’ I said I thought it was quiteimportant to know something about theminds of the people you’re ministeringamong. Heath replied, ‘Oh, I shouldn’tbother about the miners.’” The next yearHeath was put out of office by a miners’strike.’

This story chimes with a stimulatingand incisive new book on non-stipendi-ary and self-supporting clergy by JohnLees, an SSM himself in the Diocese ofExeter. Self-Supporting Ministry: A Prac-tical Guide is a welcome review of thosewhose main work is beyond the fourwalls of any church and often theparishes to which they are licensed, howmuch unpaid clergy do in the Church ofEngland, and how they are often per-ceived. It is also a diplomatic call to asleepwalking institution in denial overits resourcing crisis. I was aware myselfwhen made deacon in London in 2016

that for some years roughly a third of thediocese’s ordinands were SSM, but Leesgives the overall picture, which is morestark.

Lees is good on numbers. He quotesextensively from Teresa Morgan’s 2011survey and research on the SSM cadre,and from national ministry statistics —most recently in 2016. Stipendiaryclergy are down to 7,788 (from 9,509 in2002), 2015-16 SSMs represented 29%of parochial clergy — the highest ever,and over the same two years 51% ofSSMs were women; the balance of ordi-nations between stipendiary and non-varies, but is at least a third SSM. Backin 2011, Teresa Morgan was more em-phatic: ‘In 60% of dioceses…SSMs formwhat we might regard as a typical 25-40% of clergy.’ If she runs her surveyagain to give a ten-year benchmark weprobably don’t need a crystal ball as tothe direction of travel.

It cannot be long before some dioce-ses go beyond the tipping point whennon-stipendiary clergy outnumber thestipendiaries. Without wishing to labourit, this raises very grave questions abouthow the Church of England continues toorganize itself and deploy resources. Onthis basis, ‘many English dioceses areplanning increased dependency on


Priest-in-Charge e Benefice of Ramsgate Holy TrinityBellevue Road, Ramsgate, Kent CT11 8ET

hps://holytrinitychurchramsgate.comDiocese of Canterbury

Holy Trinity is proud to be a member of the Society under the patronage of St Wilfred and StHilda receiving Episcopal, pastoral and sacramental ministry under the jurisdiction of theBishop of Richborough.

Holy Trinity has undergone a complete regeneration in the last twelve years and is nowready to appoint a priest who will maintain the long-established Catholic tradition and is pas-sionate about mission and outreach.

Holy Trinity C of E Primary School has excellent links with the church, making Holy TrinityChurch an ideal place for our new priest to develop our ministry among young people. echurch plays an integral part in the local community and the life of the anet Deanery.

Our preferred candidate needs to have excellent interpersonal and communication skillsand a strong pastoral instinct. It is essential that he is collaborative and comfortable with usingappropriate technology in furthering our missionary objectives. e congregation at Holy Trin-ity is wonderfully diverse and commied and is genuinely looking for creative guidance andinspirational leadership.

A Parish Profile and Application Form are available from Jo Manser, P. A. to the Archdeaconof Canterbury. Email: [email protected] Telephone: 01227 865238

e Parish Profile can also be viewed on the websites of e Canterbury Diocese, e Bishopof Richborough, e Society and e Additional Curates’ Society.

An enhanced DBS check is required for this post.

Closing Date: 30th April Interview Date: 22nd May

SSMs largely for two reasons… a pro-jected decline in church attendance andincome… [and] fewer stipendiary clergyavailable.’ Each page is peppered with lit-tle revelations: we have a considerableproportion of clergy over 50 and manywill retire by 2025; SSMs are now work-ing as paid incumbents; evidence sug-gests they are reasonably resistant toburnout; annual costs saved throughSSM hours run to tens of millions ofpounds.

Specific chapters break very helpfulground. Some welcome theology on thistype of ministry and its vocation consid-ers the pain and peculiarity along withits character connects to ‘something in-dubitably apostolic and primitive… [the]inner meaning of priesthood’ (MichaelRamsey). It’s nice to see it said that apriest is not one who does but who is. Iknow from experience how hard it canbe to balance the various demands andobligations. One SSM speaks of his deskas an altar, and mine is often where I saythe Office. Likewise, my office (space) isregularly a confessional where peoplecome for a pastoral chat or to unburdenthemselves. Lees frequently makes thepoint that SSMs are there where peopleare most, in the workplace, relating andwitnessing to them as a quiet ordainedpresence in their midst.

The management and deploymentof SSMs is another matter. By and largethey receive the same training and as-sessment as stipendiaries (although themajority understandably undergo non-residential training). Sadly, it can go a bitawry after that. Some incumbents don’tquite know how to work with SSMs orappreciate their para-parochial ministry.Shallow descriptions of ‘hobby priest’and ‘cherry picking’ abound, along with‘second-class treatment’, all of whichlacks courtesy and theology. Is a stipendor the lack of it really a theologicallygrounded way to delineate clergy?

Communication is key. EnsuringSSMs have a clear contractual agree-ment with their incumbent and parishis vital. And whilst most SSMs arestrongly self-motivated and entrepre-neurial, having parishes understand a lit-tle more of their holistic ministry andskillset aids better understanding. Leesmakes much of SSMs’ interpersonalskills which are germane to ‘second-chair



leadership’, maintaining integrity, and avoiding others feelingthreatened. There is good direction: SSMs can help providestability during a parish vacancy, or bring a workplace per-spective into what any parish is trying to do. For this we seedescriptions like ‘integrated, bilingual, bi-vocational, bridge’.And far from being helicopter clergy, committed and priestlySSMs absolutely ‘smell of the sheep,’ as Pope Francis wouldhave it.

But it’s still a patchy situation. The system remains stackedwholly in favour of the stipendiary context: Chapter meetingsand training sessions habitually happen during working hourswith small concessions here and there to SSM availability. Wehave an arguable surfeit of deans for women or BAME min-istry but no consistent appointment for the SSM con-stituency. Is this wanting to have it both ways? Not really.When you’re running things at least a third of your peoplecannot attend then you risk their goodwill and engagement,and possibly set them up to fail. It’s said that we could haveSSM bishops and archdeacons (a questionable strategy in myeyes), but a representation on bishop’s council, in the GeneralSynod, in cathedral honorary stalls? Until then, this largelyinvisible ministry will remain so to the decision makers.

It would be petty to quibble about omissions or elisions. Imight have liked a little colour by way of Leslie Hunter andhis Sheffield Industrial Mission, or more on Ted Wickham’sown contribution (for they surely would have influencedHabgood). St Benedict and his theology of ‘work as worship’gets one mention. The Continental ‘worker-priest’ movementis name-checked a few times but without unpacking its keythinkers, impact or status. Topography is hardly touchedupon, be that where SSM boots currently are on the groundor where they might be needed the most, and for what. As aresult, we have a tightly-focussed tour d’horizon of the presentscene recounted with clarity and calm. It’s not afraid to posedifficult questions, which essentially the data does itself, andis not confrontational. There’s a pragmatism: we’re in it to-gether but need to face up to the realities.

This book needs to be read by all bishops, archdeacons,DDOs, college principals, and anyone involved with trainingand deployment. Each chapter concludes with an SSM casestudy in their own words, and the final quarter gives practicalcoaching tips for any SSM setting with a particularly helpfulsection on questions for key players and how to frame a work-ing agreement. It’s all good management, and from someonetruly at the coalface. John Lees was recently installed as anhonorary prebend of Exeter Cathedral – worthy recognitionof a ministry to which we can now add this book.

Simon Walsh

Apology and CorrectionWe apologise to Father David Chisle for misaribut-ing a piece by Austin Farrer to him in the last edition(Praying for those at rest). We are grateful for the kindway he pointed this out to us and encourage our read-ers to explore the wonders of the Anglican traditionat:hp://www.fministry.com

e Editorial Board wish you a Happy and Holy Easter.

Mission Priest(Priest-in-Charge)

S. Peter’s, Folkestone(under the episcopal care ofthe Bishop of Richborough)

e Bishop of Dover and the Patron wish to appoint a mission-mindedpriest in the Catholic tradition to be Mission Priest (Priest-in-Charge)for S. Peter’s. is is an innovative role, jointly funded by the Diocese andthe Forward in Folkestone Foundation, for a full-time priest to lead theparish as it continues to grow in numbers and confidence aer a time ofrebuilding, both physically and spiritually.

Our new priest will be a man who

• wants to care for all in our parish and those who visit;• will engage with the entire community to witness to the faith;• has the Christian courage, confidence and charisma to lead, renew

and inspire;• understands liturgy and Catholic tradition and how it can eak to

all people today;• is a priest of the Society, or in sympathy with its aims.

What we can offer:

• a church filled with real presence, where the Holy Spirit is at work,ripe for teaching and growth;

• a strong team of laity and retired clergy who await your leadershipbut will care for you, too;

• a challenge! Our parish is one with much potential but also hasmuch hidden deprivation and complex needs;

• A famous Anglo-Catholic mission church, newly restored, whichserves as a beacon of faith across Folkestone and southeast Kent.

e parish has passed the Resolutionunder the House of Bishops’

Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests.

Closing date: 05/05/2019Interviews: 23/05/2019

Any queries to the Archdeacon ofAshford’s PA, Louise Mills:

[email protected]

Full details and profile: pathways.churchofengland.org, canterburydio-cese.org/vacancies, via the Richborough website or stpetersfolk.church


April DiaryThurifer considers a scented candle

‘Where do you stand onscented candles?’ The ques-tion did not come out of the

blue. We were in the relevant section of aleading department store. It was not, how-ever, a subject that had ever engaged my at-tention. After due, careful consideration,weighing pros and cons, navigating themoral maze, I decided that I had nothingagainst them, but would prefer pot pourri.An acquaintance of mine, now departedthis life, spent an inordinate amount ofmoney on scented candles for himself atChristmas. They may have been effective enough, but neverquite managed to disguise the lingering aroma of rampantsnobbery, casual racism and venal self-indulgence. I miss him.

*23 April is not only the feast day of England’s patron saint,George, but is also taken to be the birthday of William Shake-speare in 1564. He was baptized on 26 April, and it was alsothe day of his death in 1616. The film All is True, directed andstarring Kenneth Branagh, was in cinemas earlier in the year.It deals with Shakespeare’s return to Stratford following theimmolation of the Globe Theatre, after which he did not writeany more plays. Re-establishing relations with his wife ( JudiDench) and daughters while still mourning the death of hisson leads to the unravelling of events of the past. Modern sen-sibility and its feminist bias centres on his daughter Judith andthe true cause of his son’s death. The performances are out-standing, as you might expect from such actors as Judi Dench,Ian McKellen (triumphantly pushing the boundaries of histhespian skills by playing an ageing homosexual, the Earl ofSouthampton) and Branagh himself. Perhaps the highlight isthe touching, extended encounter between the male protago-nists with both Branagh and McKellen speaking the sonnet‘Fortune and men’s eyes’ to each other differently and elo-quently. There are self-consciously beautiful country settings:vivid reds, orange, amber, brown falling leaves mirror the au-tumnal, melancholic meditative quality of the film, as Shake-speare’s life moves into the sere and yellow of life. Branagh’s isa portrait of the outward ordinariness of the upwardly mobile,socially insecure, emotionally confined Shakespeare who wasalso a man of business, property and a literary genius. Unfor-tunately Branagh sports a sharp and disconcertingly promi-nent prosthetic nose, so that the final verdict is ‘the nose hasit, the nose has it.’

*‘Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids you killed today?’ ‘Ho, Ho, HoChi Minh.’ These were the simplistic, agit-prop chants of theSixties voiced by that hippy, dippy generation and whichformed part of the soundtrack to my adolescence. Max Hast-ings, in his monumental, definitive book Vietnam: An EpicTragedy 1945–1975 chronicles the extended and tragic events

that gave rise to those slogans. With ad-mirable clarity and forensic detail he en-compasses the geopolitical, internationalcontext of the conflict, national politics, andthe aerial and hard-fought land battles, al-most blow by blow. The cynical realpolitikof President Nixon and Kissinger, thesqualid corruption and staggering inepti-tude of the Saigon governments, the ruth-less totalitarian inhumanity of thecommunist politburo in the north find theircounterpoint in the individual stories of sol-diers and civilians caught up in the mael-

strom that are moving, often heroic and courageous. Theoutcome is inevitably bleak. Not only the deaths, the woundsand injuries, physical and psychological, that changed lives, butthe loss of the moral authority of a nation and as ‘a grey total-itarian pall’ descended on Vietnam came the bitter aftermathof re-education camps, confiscation of property, and constantsurveillance that are the inevitable outcome of a communistideology: a modern version of slavery. How many millionshave died and how many more might do so before commu-nism as an alternative way of organizing human society, on theclear evidence of history, is regarded a ghastly failure?

*Someone (was it Karl Marx, or perhaps Groucho?) said thathistory repeats itself, the first time as tragedy, the second asfarce. In The Pendulum Years, the late Bernard Levin wrote ofthe then Home Secretary Henry Brooke that ‘one of Parlia-ment’s most familiar sights was that of his pasty face over thedispatch-box, explaining away his department’s latest blunder,latest turpitude, altogether unable to understand why oneLabour MP described him as “the most hated man in Parlia-ment.”’ Every government seems to have one hapless, accident-prone minister. The sort of minister who awards a contract toa ferry company with no ferries.

*‘April is the cruelest month’ wrote T.S. Eliot in The Waste Land.A melancholy prospect for those to whom spring brings lightand new possibilities. He apprehends spring reflected throughthe prism of winter with a sense of yearning and loss, from theperspective of the past and its follies, evoking the pain of mem-ory. Perhaps spring offers uncertainty and unpredictability aswell as possibilities, but there may be a worm in the bud, ‘Thatflies in the night... and... does thy life destroy.’ (Blake) Chaucerin his Prologue to The Canterbury Tales takes a more conven-tional view: ‘Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote / Thedroghte of Marche hath perced to the roote, / And bathedevery veyne in swich licour, / Of which vertu engendered isthe flour.’ He sees it as the beginning of the pilgrimage seasonand as Mary’s month of May beckons our eyes turn to Wals-ingham, Lourdes and Fatima, singing our Aves. ND


ND

The Venerable George Austin (1931–2019)Andrew Burton remembers Fr George Austin

George Austin was one of the most remarkable priestsproduced by the Church of England in the latter halfof the twentieth century, and certainly one of the

best known. He was a man who came to be held in high regardby those who took the trouble to know him.

Fr George was thoughtful and kind, offering wise counseland guidance to those with whom he had to do, especially inhis parochial and archidiaconal ministries. This included theencouragement of the young (and especially young vocations),the guidance of those to be married, and the care of the sickand dying. Such things could be considered the ‘bread and but-ter’ of any priestly ministry, and they are, but George also knewbetter than many how to stand by the afflicted in times of ad-versity.

He once recounted a story to me about the time he satwith a couple in their home as their son was hanged in Bedfordprison. Mercifully most clergy today, at least in this country,would have no experience of such a harrowing pastoral en-counter, but Fr George would never have shirked such a re-sponsibility knowing that he was then, and in every situation,the representative of Christ—the ‘walking sacrament’ of whichAustin Farrer wrote. It would have been pointless to Georgeto proclaim Christ as ‘the way, the truth and the life’ withoutshowing how such a thing was possible, even in the darkesthour. This approach to priesthood sustained him through thevagaries of ministry, from his earliest days as a curate andchaplain through the Notting Hill riots, and on to the life andwork of an archdeacon during which he characteristically fo-cussed on the pastoral needs of the clergy and parishes, evenif the less agreeable duties of the office could not be abandonedaltogether.

Fr George was also a man of insight which stemmed bothfrom the firm faith which had grown in him as a young manand from the deep understanding which he had developedfrom his studies in philosophy and theology and in particularthe nature of the Church. It was because of his faith and learn-ing that he foresaw many of the troubles which afflict theChurch of England in our day, and he was not afraid to speakout either as a member of the General Synod or in his writingand broadcasting. As such he became a thorn in the flesh tomany, some of whom had little need of one. It was said by

someone who knew George well that no one was ‘as vital andvocal as George’ and that he ‘ruffled a few feathers.’ What a de-lightful understatement!

In the 1970s we were encouraged to ‘go to work on an egg.’On many occasions during those years I did just that, but moreimportantly I also went to work on the thoughts of GeorgeAustin as relayed by the BBC. He was a frequent contributorto ‘Thought for the Day’ and many of us will not only remem-ber him best that way, but will also be grateful for his gentleand courteous, but also challenging, words of wisdom and en-couragement in the faith. There was always a charming open-ness to George which came across in many of his broadcasts

and writings, and not least in the biographical books which hewrote. He wrote with an agreeable candour whatever the sub-ject, not because he enjoyed talking about himself (althoughhe sometimes did) but because of his integrity; faith, learningand character were all one. In whatever media you discoveredGeorge you got the complete man, not just the part of him hewanted to present at that time.

Canon George Austin, as he is still remembered here, wasabove all a faithful parish priest. He served as incumbent atEaton Bray in the 1960s and then here at St Peter’s during the1970s and most of the 1980s. As one of Fr George’s successors,I am aware that his ministry was sincerely appreciated by theresidents of the parish and by those who worshipped here reg-ularly.

The orthodox, catholic wing of the Church of Englandalso owes Fr George Austin a great debt of gratitude for hiscourage and tenacity in maintaining the faith once deliveredto the saints. May we offer our thanks to Almighty God forhis life and work and commend him to God’s safekeeping inthe hope and confidence which faith supplies. May our brotherGeorge the priest rest in peace.

Father Andrew Burton SSC is the vicar of St Peter’s, Bushey Heath,where this homily was preached on 19 February 2019.

There was always a charming openness toGeorge which came across in many of hisbroadcasts and writings. He wrote with anagreeable candour whatever the subject.


The Poet of the Return of GodGraham Draper considers the work of Francis Thompson

Thompson was addicted to opiumfor much of his life, which was nodoubt responsible for him being

homeless on the streets of London forthree years. He left medical school afterrepeatedly failing his exams and was es-tranged from much of his family until thetime of his father’s death. He attempted tocommit suicide, but was saved by a pros-titute who housed him over the winter.The addiction to opium resulted in hisfailing to enter the University of Oxfordand in the loss of many friendships. Hedied of tuberculosis at the age of 47 withlittle notoriety, no family of his own, al-most no possessions, and very few friends.

And yet Francis Thompson wroteone of the most beautiful and influentialpoems in the history of Christianity. Hismasterpiece, The Hound of Heaven, depictsthe flight of a soul from its creator; wretched, confused, anddesperate to evade encounter with the living God, the soul ispursued relentlessly until finally turning to face its maker inthe sudden realization of his limitless love. It has admirersfrom all wings of the Christian fold and beyond; from theevangelical apologist and philosopher William Lane Craig tothe Roman Catholic prelate Robert Barron and the Victorianpoet Robert Browning. While The Hound of Heaven is un-doubtedly Thompson’s most well-known work, his genius asa poet more generally has been recognized by a number of lit-erary giants. G.K. Chesterton wrote that, ‘In Francis Thomp-son’s poetry, as in the poetry of the universe, you can workinfinitely out and out, but yet infinitely in and in. These twoinfinites are the mark of greatness, and he was a great poet.’Oscar Wilde, after hearing Sister Songs read aloud, purportedlyexclaimed: ‘Why can’t I write poetry like that? That is whatI’ve wanted to do all my life.’ The religious sense in Thompson’swork is not superficial. Thompson saw poetry as his vocationand the means by which he was to render a special service toGod; an excerpt from a notebook declares that his ardent de-sire was to be ‘the poet of the return of God,’ just asWordsworth was ‘the poet of the return of nature.’

Despite many differences, Thompson’s prose shares someimportant similarities with that of his contemporary GerardManley Hopkins. Highly vivid imagery is prominent in theirpoems, and the visual element is essential to how they conveytheir central themes. Similarly, both men took great pleasurein using very original, and often obscure, words and phrases.But most importantly, both poets were keen to show that theentirety of creation is permeated with the divine presence;God is intimately close to all things, holding them lovingly inhis hands, and can be encountered in all places, at all times,and in every moment. This is especially evident in Thompson’s

Orient Ode and in Hopkins’s God’sGrandeur. In the former, Thompson likensthe rising of the morning sun to a conse-crated host raised up in benediction:

Lo, in the sanctuaried East,Day, a dedicated priestIn all his robes pontifical exprest,Lifteth slowly, lifteth sweetly,From out its Orient tabernacle drawn,Yon orbèd sacrament confestWhich sprinkles benediction through thedawn.

Both Thompson and Manley Hopkins at-tended a Roman Catholic seminary for anumber of years and, this being the nine-teenth century and a period of greatgrowth for Neo-Scholasticism, would havereceived very clear ideas on the doctrine

of creation, especially from the writings of St ThomasAquinas. For Aquinas, God unceasingly acts to sustain all cre-ation in existence, continuously adding being to their natures;as such, God is intimately close to all of his creatures andkeenly aware of every moment of suffering or joy which theyencounter.

The many trials and tribulations in his life gave Thomp-son a profound insight into the nature and depth of humansuffering and the beauty of reconciliation between a soul and

its maker. Sometimes poetry is the best way to help someoneto seek the loving arms of their divine Father; if you wish forevidence of this merely read some of the Psalms of David, andthis is something which Thompson not only realized but alsolived and breathed. In our age of tired scepticism and drab ni-hilism which can see no purpose or meaning in suffering, thepoetry of Francis Thompson is a beacon. Perhaps this is howhe is to become the poet of the return of God. People need tohear the message of Francis Thompson—they need to knowthat the living God is holding them lovingly and can be en-countered in every sunrise, in every cup of tea, in every breath.

Graham Draper is currently undertaking research on evolutionarybiochemistry at the University of Bristol.

The many trials and tribulations in his lifegave Thompson a profound insight into thenature and depth of human suffering and

the beauty of reconciliation between a souland its maker.

ND


SecularLiturgies Tom Sutcliffe considers reputations

When I sold advertisementspace on Music & Musi-cians magazine from 1968

and edited it from the December 1970issue (devoted to the Beethoven sesqui-centenary), press officers, concert agentsand orchestral managers were a big partof my landscape. Such was MichaelVyner of Schott & Co (Michael Tip-pett’s publishers on Great MarlboroughStreet) who took me to a kosher lunchat a place near Wardour Street. I got tobe friendly with all sorts of bigwigs in themusic business and felt they werefriends: Peter Heyworth music critic ofThe Observer, William (always calledBill) Mann of the Times, Andrew Porterthen of the FT - soon of the New Yorker.Among press ladies I was especially closeto Katherine Wilkinson of PhilipsRecords who later ran the press office atCovent Garden. I got her to buy the nextfloor flat to mine near WimbledonCommon from an Australian mathe-matician returning with wife and childto a university post in Canberra.

Some PRs accepted what I wrote,others like Helen Salomon of Sadler’sWells Opera were sensitive to slightsabout their institution. When HelenO’Neill took over from Gillian Widdi-combe as Glyndebourne press officer,she was incredibly helpful and kindly de-spite a certain grandeur. Shelagh Nelsonat Brian McMaster’s Welsh NationalOpera often let me stay with her andEdwin overnight in Penarth when I wasreviewing for the Guardian. I always feltreally close to Maggie Sedwards at theRSC and National and then at EnglishNational Opera during the Jonas Power-house regime. But was it more than justprofessional friendship? Yes sometimes.However, Maggie’s frankness, good senseand sweetness ended when she retired.

Peter Thompson, the leading theatrePR in London working for CameronMackintosh and Andrew Lloyd Webberfrom their earliest success on, was atschool with me though younger. In 1976he got me to New York to write about AChorus Line for The Guardian, meetingthe brilliant Michael Bennett whose

choreography had made the originalSondheim Follies. I owed Peter my in-troduction to the film director LindsayAnderson, and after liking my Guardianinterview piece (from a lunch at English’soyster bar in Brighton) Lindsay becamea close friend till he died. With AlecGuinness it was a lunch in Bath when hewas playing Dean Swift. My work manytimes was as enjoyable as play

But meeting Nicholas Hytner in aflat opposite the Young Vic - after hisfirst success directing The Turn of theScrew exceedingly well for Kent Opera(which I reviewed with enthusiasm) -has stuck in my mind because of a ques-tion he put to me. He asked, did I enjoythe power I wielded reviewing perform-ances? I thought it really weird. A critic

sometimes no doubt makes a difference,builds or damages a reputation. But isthat “power” compared with being aprize pupil at Manchester Grammarwith a famous mum on boards of thegreat and good and a successful lawyerdad? And Alys, Always by LucindaCoxon, from the eponymous novel byHarriet Lane, which is the latest play atHytner’s uncomfortable Bridge Theatre,is all about exploiting the sorts of oppor-tunity that journalism affords in theservice of PR and promotion. Alysworms her way out of the role of officebrat in her first journalism job and endsup as the darling and new wife to be of asuccessful writer. Since the play involvesa certain amount of confessional solilo-quy we in the audience are in on the actsplanned and accomplished by the ap-palling creepy Frances, who exploits afatal accident in the country which sheinnocently comes across driving home toovertturn her tedious circumstancesbeing exploited and improve herself outof almost all recognition. The play is fullof clichés and deeply sick-making - butit has been welcomed for its awfulness

and its predictable comedy which to mymind is almost never funny because it isnot based on truth and the charactersbeing manipulated are sheer cardboard.What interested me enough to go andsee it was that it was chosen by Hytner.His judgment about Martin McDon-agh’s disappointing Dickens play wassurprisingly flawed but he is generallyheld to have been highly successful at theNational Theatre where he was boss for13 years.

ENO draws its curtailed current sea-son to an end soon at the Coliseum. TheMerry Widow was (I perfectly remem-ber) such a delight in Colin Graham’s1980s production (when there was acontracted company of very distin-guished singers, and Emile Belcourt’sDanilo was enticingly characterised op-posite the delectable Anne Howells orEilene Hannan or Catherine Wilson asHanna, with John Fryatt unforgettableas the Yes, Minister-style Njegus, EricShilling as Baron Zeta, Graham Clark asCamille, and Della Jones as Valenci-enne). But ENO artistic directorKramer’s choice of Max Webster to di-rect this latest foray was deeply disap-pointing - with pratfalls by Njegussubstituting for real character and prop-erly observed and truthful comedy. Thebook had been rewritten badly by AprilDe Angelis (a good playwright but herein completely foreign territory, and thelyrics has been done over to little pur-pose by Richard Thomas who came tofame with Jerry Springer: The Opera.Sarah Tynan was this time ENO’sHanna, opposite Nathan Gunn asDanilo, a perfectly decent but Americanbass-baritone. Alas this national com-pany is simply not doing its job. Its boardresponsible for Kramer and other recentdecisions should be sacked and thewhole institution should be recon-structed to be what it was from the1930s to the 1990s when it famously ful-filled its purpose in making Englishopera and opera-in-English crediblewith most notable the world premiere ofPeter Grimes. How the mighty arefallen!

A critic sometimes no doubtmakes a difference, builds or

damages a reputation.

ND

One of the great Anglican thinkers and teachers of thetwentieth century, according to Michael Ramsey,former Archbishop of York and Canterbury, was

Charles Gore (1853–1932). He was Principal of Pusey House,Oxford, founder of the Community of the Resurrection,Canon of Westminster Abbey, and subsequently Bishop ofWorcester, Birmingham and Oxford.

One hundred years ago, Charles Gore, while Bishop ofOxford, preached on the first anniversary of the extension ofthe parliamentary franchise to women. That Gore would beinvited to preach on this occasion signalled long overduerecognition to women who before the First World War had novoting rights in parliamentary elections. But it was more thanjust being able to vote. As far back as 1896 Gore becameinterested in the women’s movement and supported women’ssuffrage in both church and state. On several occasions hewould speak out against the ill-treatment of women in societyand in one joint meeting he spoke along with lay preacher andsuffragist Maude Royden celebrating the freedom of womenfor self-realization. While his penchant for ‘liberal catholicism’might resonate in the minds of latter-day liberals, Gore’s ownview of a liberal catholic stems from what he believed to benothing more than the broad spectrum of Anglicanism andmaintaining the ancient patterns of the creeds, the scriptures,the sacraments and the ministry to which all are engaged andliberal in its scattered idea of authority and refusal to multiplydogma beyond what scripture requires.

It is interesting to note that Gore supported the ministryof women, but as one reads the extract from his sermon heclearly reveals his own belief and viewpoint concerningordination. Michael Ramsey, while Archbishop of York, wasauthor of From Gore to Temple—The Development of AnglicanTheology between Lux Mundi and the Second World War 1889-1939:

‘By the time of Gore’s death in 1932, a new version ofLiberal Catholicism appeared which included more radicalismin Biblical Studies, more consideration of the place ofexperience in theology, and sometimes (though not invariably)more tendencies towards Latin ways of worship. With thesetendencies the meaning of the term ‘Liberal Catholicism’somewhat shifted. It meant less the Anglican appeal as suchthan an appeal to a particular synthesis of religion andcontemporary scholarship and less an appeal to Catholicismas the institution of the undivided Church than an appeal toCatholicism as the phenomenon of sacramental religion downthe ages.’

‘Liberal Catholicism was, Gore believed, embodied in theAnglican appeal to Scripture, tradition and reason. Thefavourite term did not mean for Gore a party, or a type ofreligion, or a particular set of tenets. It was for him virtuallysynonymous with Anglicanism as rightly understood, for theChurch of England in its inherent character appeals toScripture and tradition and reason, and thus bears witness tothe Holy Catholic Church of Christ in a way in which Rome(though its errors) cannot, and the East (through itsintellectual conservatism) does not. It was a witness all toooften obscured by compromises, and tremendous in its moraldemands, yet embodied in the Anglican vocation from thefirst.’

This certainly was Gore’s belief during his lifetime. Hissermon was appropriately titled ‘Thanksgiving andDedication.’ Here are extracts from that sermon preached inSt Martin-in-the-Fields, London, on Thursday 6 February1919, on the first anniversary of the extension of theParliamentary franchise to women:

‘From the Letter of St Paul to the Philippians 4.4–5:“Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say rejoice. Let yourmoderation be known unto all men.” I am very glad that nowords of mine have intervened to interpret the first expressionof your heartfelt thankfulness in commemoration of whathappened exactly a year ago. Then the nation did a tardy butnecessary act of justice and opened to women the greatopportunity and responsibility of the political suffrage. Ithappened wonderfully enough.’

‘You remember the situation before the War, howimpossible it seemed. It was true that most people said, “Oh, Isuppose it will happen someday.” But the antagonism and theacrimonies of the conflict had produced a situation fromwhich the wisest did not seem to see the way of issue. Andthen the war came, and for a moment diverted people’sattention, and the spectacle of the service of women in all sortsof departments of human life, and the independence and thecapacity which they exhibited gave even to the mostunbelieving an excuse for withdrawing their opposition, andso a year ago the Act was passed.’

‘I spoke of it just now as a great act of justice. So it is. StPaul tells us that the powers that be are ordained of God. InSt Paul’s day the powers that were the powers of a nominalrepublic that was in fact becoming more and moreunmistakably and overtly a despotism. Nowadays, the powersthat be, whether under the forms of a Republic or under theforms of a Constitutional monarchy, are democratic. If you


Thanksgiving and DedicationSteven Haws CR considers the legacy of Charles Gore

Bishop Gore became interested in thewomen’s movement and supported women’s

suffrage: he would speak out against the ill-treatment of women in society.

Gore supported the ministry of women, but as one reads from his sermon he clearly

reveals his own belief and viewpoint concerning ordination.

believe in a movement of God in history then the movementof God today is towards democracy, and you know whatdemocracy means. It means the government of the people, forthe people and by the people. That is the splendid phrasewhich Lincoln borrowed from an earlier writer and made forever to ring in the ears of men upon the plains of Gettysburg.Government of the people that belongs to all; government bythe people that means all must take their part. Thegovernment of the people, for the people, by the people, thatis democracy. It neither is a great ideal, which in America norin England is yet real.’

‘It means many things if it is to be successful. It means awidespread extension of interests, education, and service. Butamongst other things that democracy means it undoubtedlymeans the admission of women in political privileges, partlybecause they are like men, persons; and democracy means thespiritual equality of opportunity for all persons, partly becausethey are unlike men—because there are many things withwhich the government of a State and legislation must concernitself with regard to which women have a far wider and deeperexperience, and a far just view and a far deeper insight thanmen. Therefore, because they are like and because they areunlike men, any State which in any real sense claims to bedemocratic must add its women to its subjects, to its politicalopportunities because it needs the mind of all. That is thepoint of a democracy.’

‘It needs the point of view of all; of all classes, of all kinds,of both sexes, of all individuals, brought to bear on theconstitution of that common whole which is to be the unitedeffort and expression of the life of the nation and the State. Itis justice to women.’

Bishop Gore then continues:‘A Father of the Christian Church, St Gregory of

Nazianzus, nearly 1600 years ago, looking at the legislation ofthe then Roman Empire with regard to the relations of thesexes and to marriage said: “The laws have been made by men,therefore they have been unjust to women.” You feel that, Idare say, but it inheres almost in the nature of things that thepoint of view which is not represented is overlooked. It belongsto democracy that because no one should be overlooked,therefore everyone and every point of view should berepresented. That is justice, and with this great enlargementof women’s opportunity there has come by a more gradualprocess an almost unlimited extension of the opportunities ofservice for women. There are very few pieces of literature thatfascinate me more than Miss Austen’s novels. To read them isdelightful for many reasons, one being that they give you analmost infinite sense of what can be accomplished in the wayof progress in particular directions. You cannot conceive asocial state as regards men, and ten times more so as regardswomen, more totally different from anything that we shouldconceive to be tolerable than the society depicted by MissAusten.’

Here Bishop Gore offers his insights on the ministry ofwomen:

‘The extension of opportunity to women for which youhave come to give thanks to-day, quite apart from the granting

of the suffrage, is marvellous. Doubtless there is more to come.The Church is a very conservative body. In some things it isright to be conservative. I do not believe that it would ever beright for the Church to add women to the priesthood. I believethat rests on a principle which will never alter. But I feel nodoubt also that there is a very wide opening for the ministryof women of which as yet little advantage has been taken. Inthe beginning there was a diaconate for women as for men,and I would see it not only incidentally but formally restoredas an order of the ministry, and as a symbol of all the manifoldforms of social service; preaching, prophesying, teaching arenot confined to men.’

‘“Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,” that wasthe forecast, and it is a forecast which admits of far moreabundant realisation than it has had.’

‘Who can doubt that there is a gift as manifest amongwomen as among men, as teachers, as exhorters, as superiors,as guides? I do not see that there is any principle which canprohibit to women any function which can be assigned tolaymen. That may admit of a great extension, and I am notwithout hopes that order may be taken not in one diocese, norin another diocese, but in all dioceses corporately which shallgive recognition to such a principle. And so I desire to joinheartily in your thanksgiving both for that which wasaccomplished a year ago and for all that it represents andinvolves and is accompanied by.’

Gore ended his sermon as he began it by quoting St Paul’sletter to the Philippians chapter four, verses six and seven. Hislisteners were in no doubt of his sincerity in giving thanks forwhat had been achieved and the dedication of countlesswomen who persevered against the tide of injustice.

Gore’s liberal catholicism is apparent in writings that beartestimony to his understanding of the doctrine of theincarnation, the cross of Christ, authority, the Bible and theChurch, with which most Anglo-Catholics from thetraditionalist wing of the Church of England could findcommon ground. Towards the end of the twentieth century,however, there was a shift in how liberal catholicism hadchanged from the way Gore had envisaged it. What we nowhave is a new style of liberal catholicism—some of whichdivides rather than unites our common witness to the widerChurch of which we are a small part, while there is an attemptto build on what we do share in common yet withoutcompromise.

What would Bishop Gore make of this new version ofliberal Catholicism, ‘inclusive’ or ‘exclusive’ of interpretingdoctrine and scripture within the spectrum of the age in whichwe live? Would he embrace it or reject it?

Brother Steven Haws is a member of the Community of theResurrection, Mirfield.

what we now have is a new style of liberalcatholicism—some of which divides rather

than unites our common witness to thewider Church of which we are a small part.


ND


touching placeSAINT MICHAEL, SHEPTON BEAUCHAMP, SOMERSET

I GIVE to FORWARD IN FAITH of 2A The Cloisters, GordonSquare, London WC1H 0AG the sum of ___________________pounds (£ ) and I DIRECT that the receipt of the Treas-urer or other proper officer of Forward in Faith shall be goodand sufficient discharge to my Executor.

or I GIVE the residue of my estate to FORWARD IN FAITH of2A The Cloisters, Gordon Square, London WC1H 0AG and I DI-RECT that the receipt of the Treasurer or other proper officer ofForward in Faith shall be good and sufficient discharge to my Ex-ecutor.

Forms of words for making a bequest to FiF in your Will

Shepton Beauchamp’s apretty village in a re-mote setting near

Ilminster, and like many Som-erset churches it has a ratherfine tower with a splendidwest window, built around1480. If you look closely at it,the tower has an unusual de-sign, with long, narrow, bell-openings that extend over twostages. Its architect left this sig-nature over similar towers atCurry Rivel, Hinton S Georgeand Norton-sub-Hamdon.Cross the threshold, and youare in the kind of building withthe ‘Catholic’ feel that youmeet all over the country, butthere is much more than that.The Oxford Movement cameearly to Shepton, under theReverend James Stratton

Coles, rector in 1836 – 1872; he introduced daily services,hymns, coloured frontals, and the other things that we takefor granted. Things were developed under his son and suc-cessor, Vernon Stuckey Stratton Coles, as Rector 1872-1884,who then moved to Pusey House, Oxford. Born here in 1845,V. S. S. Coles returned here in a poverty stricken old age (hav-ing given away a fortune to charitable causes) to be lookedafter by his sister, dying in 1929.

Shepton Beauchamp church has one feature that is quitelikely unique. Just to the right of the South door as you leaveis a stained glass window with the theme of the Visit of theMagi to the Infant Jesus at the Epiphany. It was executed in1897 by J. F. Bentley, the architect of Westminster Cathedraland friend of V. S. S. Coles. At its bottom, it depicts what isthought to represent the martyrdom in 1896 of BernardMizeki, catechist and martyr.

Map reference: ST402171Simon Cotton

LONDON Nw9 Kingsbury St Andrew A Society Parishunder the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Fulham Sunday: SungMass 10.30am, Thursday Mass 10am – both followed by refresh-ments. Tube to Wembley Park then 83 Bus (direction Golders Green) toTudor Gardens Contact: Fr.Jason Rendell on 020 8205 7447 or [email protected] -www.standrewskingsbury.org.uk

LONDON SE11 4BB St Agnes Kennington Park, St AgnesPlace. Under the Episcopal care of the Bishop of Fulham. 8 minuteswalk from both Kennington and the Oval tube stations (Northern line)Sunday: 10am Solemn Mass. Daily Mass: Mon to Fri 10am - BibleStudy after Mass on Wed. stagneskenningtonpark.co.uk 0207820 8050 [email protected]

LONDON SE13 St Stephen, Lewisham (opposite LewishamStation) A Forward in Faith Parish under the episcopal care of theBishop of Fulham. Sunday: Mass 8am, Parish Mass 10am. Week-days: Mon 10am, Tues 9am, Wed 12.15pm, Thurs 10.15am, Fri12.15pm, Sat 10am Parish Priest: Fr Philip Corbett - 07929750054LONDON SE18 St Nicholas - the Ancient Parish Church- St Nicholas Road, Plumstead. A Society Parish under the episcopalcare of the Bishop of Fulham. Masses: Solemn Sung 11am; Mon12 noon; Tu es 12 noon; Wed 9.30am; Fri 12 noon; Sat 10am. Ex-position of the Blessed Sacrament half an hour before every Massapart from Sunday. Modern rite, traditional ceremonial. ParishPriest: Fr Andrew Stevens 020 8854 0461LONDON SE 26 All Saints, Sydenham A Society Parishunder the care of the Bishop of Fulham. Grade II listed Churchwith stunning Fellowes-Pryne interior. Sunday - 10.30am SolemnMass with Sunday School. Weekday Services as advertised. ParishPriest Fr.Philip Smith 0208 7783065. LONDON Sw1 St Gabriel, Pimlico Sunday: Mass 8am; SungParish Mass 10:30am. 6pm (& 5pm Wed) Choral Evensong(termtime). 7.30pm Mass. Midweek Mass: Tues 9.30am, Wed7pm, Thurs 7:30am, Fri 10am, Sat 9:30am. www.st-gabriels.comLONDON Sw7 St Stephen, Gloucester Road (entrance in South-well Gardens) A Fulham Jurisdiction Parish. Modern rite, traditionalceremonial, gospel preaching and good music. Sunday: Masses9am and 11am (Solemn). Daily Mass: Tues 12.30pm, Wed 7pm,Thur 8am, Fri 12.30pm, Sat 10am. Holy Hour: first and third Fri-days 9.30am. Rosary - 2nd and 4th Saturday at 10.30am. Fr.PhilipBarnes SSC Contact: 020 7370 3418 www.saint-stephen.org.ukLONDON Sw11 The Ascension, Lavender Hill. Famous andflourishing ABC Parish, in the Fulham Jurisdiction. Inspiringliturgy with modern rites, traditional ceremonial, fervent preach-ing and good music. Sunday: High Mass 11am. Weekday Mass:Wednesday 7.30pm. Rosary: Saturday 11.30am. SOLW Cell organ-ises pilgrimage, social and fundraising activities. Parish Priest: FrIain Young 020 7228 5340LONDON Sw19 All Saints, South Wimbledon. Society ParishUnder the Episcopal Care of the Bishop of Fulham. Sunday SolemnMass 11am. For other masses and services contact Fr ChristopherNoke 020 8948 7986, the church office 020 8542 5514 or seewww.allsaintswimbledon.org.uk/LONDON wC1 Christ the King, Gordon Square The Forwardin Faith Church. Mon to Fri: Mass at 12.30pm, plus: Thur at 12noon: Angelus followed by Exposition of the Blessed Sacramentuntil 12.25pm. Other services: as announced. Contact the FiF Of-fice on 020 7388 3588 or email:[email protected] St John the Baptist, Lound. Society Parishunder the Episcopal oversight of the Bishop of Richborough.. Awarm welcome awaits you at our listed medieval building with asuperb interior by Sir Ninian Comper. Sung Mass on the first, sec-ond, and third Sundays of the month.wwwloundworship.co.ukMANCHESTER Failsworth The Church of the Holy Family.A Society Parish. Sunday Mass : 9.15am. For other Sunday andWeekday Services or further information please contact Fr.PaulHutchins on 0161 681 3644MANCHESTER The Parish of Swinton and Pendlebury:All Saints, Wardley; Saint Augustine, Pendlebury; SaintPeter, Swinton. A Society Parish. Sunday Masses: 8am and

5.30pm (SP), Sung at 9.30am (AS), 10.30am (SP) and 11am (SA).Daily Mass in Parish. Priest Jeremy Sheehy 0161 794 1578, ParishOffice: 0161 727 8175 email: [email protected] The Church of St Columba Sunday:Mass 9.30am. Daily Mass. St John the Evangelist SundayMass 11am. For further information contact Fr Stephen Cooper01642 824779NORTH YORK MOORS S. Leonard, Loftus and S. Helen,Carlin How. Situated on the Cleveland Coast. Sunday - Mass at CarlinHow 9am and at Loftus 10.30am. Further details on our websitewww.loftusparish.co.uk Parish Priest Fr. Adam Gaunt 01287644047OXFORD St John the Evangelist, New Hinksey (1 mile fromthe city centre; Vicarage Road, OX1 4RE) A Society Parish under thecare of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sunday: Parish Mass 10.30am.Contact - 01 865 241099 or www. acny.org.uk/467 Come anddiscover Oxford’s hidden Comper Church!PLYMOUTH SACRED HEART, ST JOHN THE EVANGEL-IST, wITH ST SIMON, AND ST MARY THE VIRGIN. ASociety Parish under the Episcopal Care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet.St John, Sunday 11am (sung), Thursday 10am (said); St Mary,Sunday 9.30am (said), Wednesday 11am (said); St Simon, Tues-day 10am (said). Feast days as appropriate. Pastoral care -Fr.S.Philpott. email: [email protected]: [email protected]. sacredheartplymouth.co.ukPORTSMOUTH The Ascension and St Saviour, SocietyParishes under the Bishop of Richborough. The Ascension PO20JG, Parish Mass 11am. Low Mass: Thursday 7pm. St Saviour PO28PB, Parish Mass 9.30am. Low Mass: Monday 10am, Wednes-day 11.30am, Friday 7pm. Solemn Evensong and Benediction(last Sunday) 5pm. Modern rite, traditional ceremonial. Fr Ben-jamin Weitzmann SSC 02392439711www.ascensionportsmouth.org.ukREADING St Giles-in-Reading, Southampton Street (next tothe Oracle). Medieval church. Forward in Faith, affiliated with TheSociety. Sunday: Mattins - 10am; Parish Mass with Sunday School- 10.30am; Evensong - 5.30pm; Low Mass 6pm. Daily Offices andDaily Mass. Friday Bible Study at 11.30am. Regular study groups,see our website.. Parish Priest: Fr David Harris 0118 957 2831www.sgilesreading.org.ukST.LEONARD'S-on-SEA Christ Church with St MaryMagdalen and St.Peter and St.Paul. Daily Mass 10:30am and6pm. Sunday Mass 8am Parish Mass 10:15am. Solemnities SolemnMass 7pm. Fr Luke Irvine-Capel SSC. Rector and Parish Priestwww.christchurchstleonards.co.ukSALISBURY St Martin – the oldest Church in Salisbury. Wecan be found in St. Martin’s Church Street just over the inner cityring road. Walk up St. Ann Street from the Close and through thetunnel. A Society Parish under the episcopal care of the Bishop ofEbbsfleet.Sunday: Mass at 8:00am, Parish Mass at 10:30am. Forfurther information about the Daily Office, weekday mass andconfession see www.sarumstmartin.org.uk. or call01722503123. Parish Priest: Fr. David Fisher. 01722 500896SCARBOROUGH St Saviour with All Saints, Parish affili-ated to the Society of Ss Wilfrid and Hilda and under the EpisopalCare of the Bishop of Beverley. Sunday Mass 9.15am with refresh-ments to follow. Evening Prayer and Benediction 4.00pm on thefirst Sunday of the month. Sunday of the month. Weekdaymasses: Monday 2pm Thursday 10.15am. Major Festivals timesvary. Fr David Dixon 01723 [email protected] stsaviour-scarborough.org.ukSEAHAM: COUNTY DURHAM S John, Seaham HarbourSR7 7SA (with All Saints Deneside & S Mary’s Seaham)Sunday 11.00am Solemn Mass & Sunday School (9.30am SolemnMass All Saints & 1st Sun 11.00am Sung Mass S Mary’s) 5.00pmSolemn Evensong & Benediction (2nd Sun). Mass Mon, Wed, Fri,Sat, 9.30am & Tues 6.00pm S Johns Thurs, 9.30am All Saints, Sat10.30am S Mary’s. Exposition of Blessed Sacrament Wed 8.45am– 9.15am S John’s: Confessions by arrangements with Priests.Parish of The Society in the Episcopal Care of the Bishop of Bever-ley. Clergy: Fr Paul Kennedy SSC 0191 3665496 Fr Mark Mawhin-ney 0191 5816774 Fr Chris Collins 0191 5817186. www.stjohns-seaham.org.uk

SHREwSBURY All Saints with St Michael, North Street(near Shrewsbury railway station). A Society Parish under the episco-pal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Resolutions ABC. Sunday: Mass10.30am. For daily Mass times or further information, contactFr.Paul Lockett SSC 01 743 357862SPENNYMOOR, CO. DURHAM St Andrew, TudhoeGrange, DL16 6NE A parish of the Society, under the care of theBishop of Beverley; Sundays: 9am Sung Mass, Last Sunday of themonth - 10.30- 12 noon "Messy Church" in the hall for childrenand families, 6pm Evensong (with Benediction on 1st Sunday ofmonth); Weekday Masses: Tues 7pm, Thurs 9.30am.Parish Priest:Fr John Livesley SSC - 01388 814817STOKE-ON-TRENT, LONGTON SS Mary and Chad. ASociety Parish. Sunday: Parish Mass 10am. Weekdays: Mon 10am,Tues 6.30pm, Wed 10am, Thur 11.30am, Fri 6.30pm. Confessionsafter any Mass or by appointment. Fr Kevin Palmer - Parish Office- 01782 313142 - www.ssmaryandchad.comSTOKE-ON-TRENT, SMALLTHORNE St Saviour. Soci-ety. Convenient for Alton Towers & the Potteries. Parish Mass Sun-day 11.00am. For details of Children's Church see website.Weekdays: Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday 09.30, Wednesdaynoon. Contact Fr.Andrew Swift 01 782 827889 - [email protected] www.smallthorne.org twitter@SSavioursSUNDERLAND St Mary Magdalene, Wilson Street, Millfield.A Society Parish under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Bever-ley. Sunday: Parish Mass 10.30am, Benediction 6.30pm, Mass7pm. Weekdays Mass: Mon and Wed 10.30am, Tues and Thur7.30pm, Fri 7.30am, Sat 10am. Rosary Thur 7.15pm, Sat 6.15pm.Confessions: Sat 6.30pm or by appointment. Parish Priest: FrBeresford Skelton 0191 565 6318 www.st-marymagdalene.co.uk Visit our Facebook pageSUNDERLAND St.Aidan, Ryhope Road,Sunderland ,SR29RS. A Parish of the Society under the Episcopal care of the Bishopof Beverley. Sunday: Sung Mass 10.00 am, Evensong 6.00 pm.(Benediction last Sunday of the month 6.00 pm). WeekdayMasses: Mon, Wed, Sat 9.30am, Tues 1.00pm, Thurs 7.30, Fri8.30am. Rosary Mon 5.30 pm. Confessions Sat 6.15 pm or by ap-pointment. Contact: Fr David Raine SSC: 0191 5143485, [email protected] All Saints, Benhilton A Parish of the Society in thecare of the Bishop of Fulham. Sunday: Low Mass 8am, SolemnMass 9.30am. Weekdays Low Mass: Monday and Tues 7.30am,Wed 7.30pm, Thurs 10am, Fri 7.30am, Sat 10am. For further in-formation please contact Fr David Chislett SSC: 07860 636 270.Churchwardens: Linda Roots 020 8644 7271, Carolyn Melius 0208642 4276SwINDON Parish of Swindon New Town A Society Parishunder the episcopal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sundaymasses: 6.00pm Saturday S. Mark's (First Mass of Sunday),9.00amS. Saviour's; 11am S. Luke's. Weekday masses as advertised. Con-tact 01793 538220 [email protected] Holy Trinity, Trinity St,Taunton,TA1 3JG. SocietyParish. Modern Catholic liturgy. Musical tradition. Sunday Serv-ices 8,10 & 6.30. Daily Mass. Fr Julian Laurence SSC, Vicar, FrAdam Burnham SSC, Curate. See website for full details of serv-ices and events holytrinitytaunton.orgTIPTON, west Midlands St John the Evangelist,Upper Church Lane, DY4 9ND. A Society Parish under the episcopalcare of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sunday 9.30am Mass; 11.00am'The Eleven' Mass with Sunshine Club for children; 4pm EveningPrayer. Daily Mass: Monday & Thursday 7.30pm; Wednesday9.30am; Friday 6pm; Saturday 10am & Confessions at 10.30am.Parish Priest: Fr Simon Sayer CMP 0121 679 7510TIVIDALE, Oldbury, west Midlands St. Michaelthe Archangel, Tividale Road and Holy Cross, Ashleigh Road. So-ciety Parish. Sunday Worship: Parish Mass 11am (St.Michael's),Evening Mass 6pm (Holy Cross). Contact Fr.Martin Ennis 01 384257888 [email protected],www.vicaroftividale.co.ukwALSALL St Gabriel’s, Fullbrook, Walstead Road, Walsall, offJunc.7 or 9 of M6. Resolutions ABC. Sunday: 8am Mass, 10am ParishMass, 4pm Evening Prayer, 5pm Evening Mass. Daily Mass. ParishPriest: Fr Mark McIntyre 01922 622583wALSINGHAM St Mary & All Saints, Church Street. A Societyand Forward in Faith Parish under the Episcopal care of the Bishopof Richborough. Sunday: Solemn Mass, 11.00 am Weekdays:please see www.walsinghamparishes.org.uk Contact: Fr HarriWilliams SSC, 01328 821316

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parish directorycontinued


wEDNESBURY, west Bromwich St Francis of As-sisi, Friar Park WS10 0HJ (5 minutes from junc 9 of M6) Sunday: Mass9.45am. Weekday Mass: Tues and Thur 9.30am, Wed and Fri7.30pm, Sat 10am. Lively worship in the Modern Catholic Tradi-tion, with accessible preaching, and a stunning gem of a churchbeautifully restored. Parish Priest: Fr Ron Farrell SSC: 0121 5565823 Visit us at www. saintfrancisfriarpark.comwELLINGBOROUGH St Mary the Virgin, Knox Road(near BR station) A Society Parish under the episcopal care of theBishop of Richborough. Sunday: Mass 10.30am. Daily Mass andOffice. For further information see our Website: www. stmary-wellingborough.org.uk

wEST KIRBY S. Andrew, Meols Drive, Wirral, CH48 5DQ. Sun-day 8:00 am Low Mass; 10:30 am Sung Mass; Evensong 6:00 pmThird Sunday. Daily Mass. Traditional ceremonial with a warmwelcome. Safe harbour in Wirral and Cheshire West, visitors wel-come. Parish of The Society under the Pastoral Care of The Bishopof Beverley Parish Priest Fr. Walsh. 0151 632 4728, www.stan-drewswestKirby.co.uk e-mail: [email protected]

wESTON super MARE All Saints with St Saviour, AllSaints Road, BS23 2NL. A Member of the Society under the episco-pal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet - All are welcome. Sundays:9am Mass, 10.30am Parish Mass. Weekdays: 10am Mass (Wed,Thur and Sat). Priest-in-Charge: Fr Andrew Hughes SSC 01934204217 [email protected] - Parish Office 01934 415379 [email protected] Visit our website www.all-saintswsm.org

wEYMOUTH St Paul, Abbotsbury Road DT4 0BJ Under theepiscopal care of the Bishop of Ebbsfleet. Sundays (usually):Parish Mass 9.30am (creche and Sunday school); Informal Eu-charist 11.15am; EP & Benediction 5pm (1st Sunday). For timesof daily and Holyday masses see www.stpaulsweymouth.orgor ring parish office 01305 771217 [email protected]

wINCHESTER Holy Trinity. A Society Church under theEpiscopal care of the Bishop of Richborough. Sunday: Sung Mass10.30am. Weekday Masses: Thur 12 noon. Contact: Churchwar-dens: Barbara Smith 01264 720887 or John Purver 01 962732351 - email: office@holytrinitywinches ter.co.uk - website:www.holytrinitywinchester.co.uk

wOLVERHAMPTON St Paul’s, Church Lane, Coven WV9 5DE.A Society Parish under the episcopal care of the Bishop of Ebbs-fleet. Sunday Parish Mass 9.15am, Wed Low Mass 10.30am.Other services as announced on the Website. Further details andinformation contact Fr Simon Iredale on 01902 [email protected]

YORK All Saints, North Street (near Park Inn Hotel) A SocietyParish. Sunday: Low Mass 10.30 am, Sung or High Mass 5.30pm,Thursday Low Mass 12.45 pm. Visitors to this beautiful medievalchurch are always welcome; the church is normally open duringdaylight hours. - website: www. allsaints-northstreet.org.uk

YORKSHIRE near Skipton. Three rural churches whichmake up The Society parish of the Yorkshire Dales. Sundays:THORNTON St Mary Sung Mass, modern rite 9.15am.MARTON St Peter Prayer Book Holy Communion 10.45am.BROUGHTON All Saints Evensong 7pm. HOLY wELLSaturdays at Noon, summer. Canon Nicholas Turner ssc , Fr.AlexLadds ssc 01282 842332 bmtparish.co.uk

FiF, DIOCESE OF BIRMINGHAMSociety Parishes King-standing St Luke 0121 354 3281, Kingstanding St Mark 0121 3607288, Small Heath All Saints 0121 772 0621, Sparkbrook St Agatha0121 449 2790, Washwood Heath St Mark & Saltley St Saviour*0121 328 9855

FiF, DIOCESE OF CANTERBURYSociety parishes Deal StAndrew 01 304 381131, Folkestone St Peter 01303 254472, Har-bledown St Michael 01227 479377, Lydden St Mary 01 304830044, Maidstone St Michael 01622 721123, Ramsgate Holy Trin-ity 01843 863425, Rough Common St.Gabriel 01227 479377FiF, DIOCESE OF CHESTER Chester St Oswald and St Thomasof Canterbury, Fr.Stephen Sheridan 01 244 399990; Congleton StJames the Great, Society, Fr Colin Sanderson 01260 408203; CreweSt Barnabas, Society, Fr Ralph Powell 01270 212418; Crewe St

Michael, Coppenhall, Society, Fr Charles Razzall 01270 215151;Knutsford St John the Baptist, Society, Rev Nigel Atkinson 01565632834/755160; Liscard St Thomas the Apostle, Society, Fr RobertNelson 0151 630 2830, Stockport St Peter, Society, Fr Kenneth Ken-rick 0161 483 2483; West Kirby St Andrew, Society, Fr Peter Walsh0151 632 4728

FiF, DIOCESE OF COVENTRYCoventry Centre: St John theBaptist (Fr Dexter Bracey 024 7671 1687); Holbrooks: St Luke (FrSimon Oakes 024 7668 8604); Radford: St Nicholas (Fr.AndrewColeman 024 7636 6635); Tile Hill: St Oswald (Interregnum 07512924401); Ansty: St James & Shilton: St Andrew (Fr Andrew Cole-man 024 7636 6635); Nuneaton: St Mary the Virgin(Fr.Tom Wintle024 7638 2936).FiF, DIOCESE OF DERBY Calow: St.Peter, Fr.Kevin Ball, 01 246462192; Derby: St Anne, Churchwarden Alison Haslam 01 332362392; St Luke, Fr.Leonard Young SSC 01 332 342806; StBartholomew, Fr.Leonard Young SSC 01 332 342806; Hasland StPaul and Temple Normanton St James vacant 01246 232486; Ilke-ston Holy Trinity, Fr.Tom Barnfather SSC (Associate Priest) 07570597 873; Long Eaton St Laurence, Fr Giles Orton SSC (Assistant Cu-rate) 07768 827101; Staveley St John Baptist with Inkersall StColumba and Barrow Hill St Andrew: Fr.Stephen Jones, 01 246498603 DIOCESE OF EXETERFiF Recommended Parishes: Abbot-sham St Helen, Churchwarden 01 237 470447; Babbacombe AllSaints, Fr P.Jones 01803 323002; Barnstaple St Peter, Fr DFletcher 01271 373837; Bovey Tracey St John, Churchwarden 01626 821956 ; Exeter St Michael & All Angels, Heavitree; StLawrence, Lower Hill Barton Rd; St Paul, Burnthouse Lane; StMary Steps, West Street, Fr R Eastoe 01392 677150; Great Tor-rington St Michael, Taddiport St Mary Magdalene, Fr.P.Bevan -01805 622166; Lewtrenchard St Peter, vacancy 01566 784008;Newton Abbot St Luke, Milber, Fr.N.Debney 01 626 681259;Paignton St John the Baptist with St Andrew & St Boniface Fr RCarlton 01803 351866; Plymouth St Peter and the Holy ApostlesFr.D.Way - 01 752 222007; Plymouth Mission Community of OurLady of Glastonbury St Francis, Honicknowle, St Chad, Whitleigh,St Aidan, Ernesettle, Fr D Bailey 01752 773874; Plymouth SacredHeart Mission Community Parishes St John the Evangelist; Sut-ton-on-Plym ; St Mary the Virgin, Laira; St.Simon, Mount Gould,Fr.Philpott, e-mail [email protected]; Plymouth DiscoveryMission Community, St Bartholomew, Devonport, St Mark, Ford& St Gabriel, Peverell Park Fr. R. Silk – 01752 562623; Torquay StMarychurch Fr R Ward 01803 269258; Torquay St Martin, Fr GChapman 01803 327223; Torre All Saints, Fr.P.March 01 803312754DIOCESE OF GUILDFORD, Society ParishesAldershot StAugustine, Fr Keith Hodges 01252 320840, Hawley Holy Trinityand All Saints, Fr.William Perry - 01276 609498. - For further de-tails of all activities, events etc in both parishes, visit the churchweb sites www.staugustine-aldershot.org.uk andwww.parishofhawley.org.uk

FiF, DIOCESE OF LEICESTERBlackfordby and WoodvilleFr.Michael Fish 01283 229072; Leicester St Aidan, New Parks, Fr SLumby 0116 287 2342; St Mary de Castro, Fr D Maudlin 01572820181; St Chad, Fr M Court 0116 241 3205; St Hugh, Eyres Mon-sell , vacant, contact Fr.Philip O'Reilly 0116 240 2215; NarboroughFr A Hawker 0116 275 1470; Scraptoft Fr M Court 0116 241 3205;Wistow Benefice Fr P O’Reilly 0116 240 2215FiF, DIOCESE OF LINCOLN Resolution Parishes: BinbrookGroup (Louth) Fr.McEune 07411 761883; Edenham ( Bourne)Fr.Martin 01778 591358; Grimsby St Augustine vacant contactMr.A.Walmsley 01472 825761; Skirbeck St Nicholas (Boston)contact Mrs.L.Forman 01205 354687; Wainfleet Group (Skeg-ness) Fr.Morgan 01 754 880029; Burgh-le- Marsh (Skegness) FrSteele 01754 810216; Fosdyke All Saints (Kirton) Fr Blanch01205 624128. Non-petitioning parishes information: South Lin-colnshire- Fr Martin 07736 711360; North Lincolnshire- Fr Noble- tbaLEEDS FiF, wITHIN THE DIOCESE OF LEEDSBelle Isle StJohn and St Barnabas, Priest in Charge, Fr Chris Buckley CMP01132 717821, also priest with pastoral responsibility for theParish of Hunslet St Mary. Cross Green St Hilda, Fr.Darren PercivalSSC 07960 555609. Harehills St Wilfrid, Fr Terry Buckingham SSC:01943 876066, Sunday Mass 10amFiF, DIOCESE OF MANCHESTERAudenshaw St.Hilda , Soci-ety, Fr.John Kershaw - 0161 336 2310; Blackley Holy Trinity, Soci-ety, Fr Philip Stamp 0161 205 2879; Lower Broughton TheAscension, Society, Canon David Wyatt 0161 736 8868; Chadder-ton St Mark, Society Fr.Steven Smith - 0161 624 0535;Failsworth Holy Family, Society, Fr.Paul Hutchins - 0161 681

3644; Glodwick St Mark, Society, Churchwarden - Michael Hig-gins - 0161 626 4007; Hollinwood St Margaret, Society, ParishOffice - 0161 682 5106; Leigh St Thomas & All Saints, Resolution,Fr Robert Dixon 01942 673519; Lightbowne St Luke, Society, FrPhilip Stamp – 0161 205 2879; Little Lever St Matthew, Resolu-tion, Fr.John Wiseman, 01 204 700396; Middleton Junction StGabriel, Resolution Fr.Steven Smith - 0161 624 2005; Moss SideChrist Church, Society, Canon Simon Killwick 0161 226 2476;Oldham St James with St Ambrose, Society, Churchwarden -Janet Taylor - 0161 345 3330; Peel Green St Michael, Society,Fr.Ian Hall - 0161 788 8991; Prestwich St Hilda, Society, FrRonald Croft 0161 773 1642; Royton St Paul, Society, Fr.GrahamHollowood - 0161 624 4964; Salford St Paul, Society, CanonDavid Wyatt 0161 736 8868; Swinton and Pendlebury Society, FrJeremy Sheehy 0161 727 8175; Tonge Moor, Bolton St Augus-tine, Society, Fr Tony Davies 01204 523899; Winton St MaryMagdalene, Society, Fr Ian Hall 0161 788 8991; Withington StCrispin, Society, Fr Patrick Davies 0161 224 3452FiF, DIOCESE OF PORTSMOUTHFareham SS Peter andPaul, Fareham Fr.Roger Jackson 01 329 281521; IOW: All Saints,Godshill, and St Alban, Ventnor Fr John Ryder 01983 840895;Good Shepherd, Lake, and St Saviour on the Cliff, Shanklin, Fr.DavidLawrence-March 01 983 407928; Portsmouth: St Michael, Pauls-grove, Fr Ian Newton 02392 378194; The Ascension, North End,Fr.Benjamin Weitzmann 023 9243 9711; Southsea Holy Spirit,Fr.Russell Lawson 023 9229 6364; Stamshaw St Saviour, Fr.Ben-jamin Weitzmann 023 9243 9711FiF, DIOCESE OF ROCHESTERBeckenham St Michael, 11amSung Mass; Belvedere St Augustine, 10am Sung Mass; Swanley StMary, 10am Sung Mass; Bickley St George, 8am Low Mass,10.30am Sung Mass; ChislehurstThe Annunciation, 8am LowMass, 10am Sung Mass; Elmers End St James, 9.15am Sung Mass,10am Sung Mass; Gillingham St Luke, Parish Mass 10.30am;Higham St John, 9.30am Sung Mass; Sevenoaks St John, 8am LowMass, 10am Sung Mass; Tunbridge Wells St Barnabas, 10am SungMass; all contact details from Fr Clive Jones 020 8311 6307FiF, DIOCESE OF ST ALBANSFiF Recommended ChurchesBedford St Martin, Fr Pimenta 01234 357862; Bushey Heath StPeter, Fr Burton 020 8950 1424; Hemel Hempstead St Francis,Hammerfield , Fr Macey 01442 243258; Luton: Holy Cross, MarshFarm, Fr.Brown 01582 512228; Holy Trinity, Biscot, Fr Singh 01582579410; St Mary, Sundon & St Saviour, Fr Smejkal 01582583076.(Please contact clergy for details of services)FiF, DIOCESE OF ST EDMUNDSBURY and IPSwICHCookley St.Michael and All Angels, Fr.Jonathan Olanczuk, 01 502470079, 9.30am Mass (3rd Sunday in Month) ; Ipswich St Mary atthe Elms, Fr.John Thackray 07780 613754. Sunday Mass 10.45am-Mendlesham St Mary, Fr Philip Gray 01449 766359; Eye SS Peterand Paul - The Rev.Dr.Guy Sumpter 01 379 871986.FiF, DIOCESE OF SHEFFIELDBolton-on-Dearne St Andrew,Fr.Schaefer 01 709 898426; Cantley St Wilfrid, Fr Andrew Howard01302 285 316; Doncaster Holy Trinity, Fr Stokoe 01302 371256;Edlington St John the Baptist, Fr Edmonds 01709 858358;Goldthorpe SS John and Mary Magdalene, Fr Schaefer 01709898426; Hexthorpe St Jude, Fr Edmonds 01709 858358; HickletonSt Wilfrid, Fr Schaefer 01709 898426; Hoyland St Peter, Fr Parker01226 749231; Thurnscoe St Hilda, vacant; Mexborough St Johnthe Baptist, Fr. Morrison 01 709 582321; Moorends St Wilfrith, FrPay 07530921952; New Bentley Ss Philip and James, Fr Dickinson01302 875266; New Cantley St Hugh, Fr Stokoe 01302 371256;New Rossington St Luke, Fr.Leal 01 302 864304; Ryecroft: StNicholas, Fr.Andrew Lee 01 709 921257; Dalton: Holy Trinity, Fr.An-drew Lee 01 709 921257; Doncaster Ss Leonard & Jude (with StLuke) Fr. D’Silva 01 302 784858; Sheffield: St Bernard, SoutheyGreen and St Cecilia, Parson Cross, Fr Ryder-West 0114 2493916; StCatherine, Richmond Road, Fr.Knowles 0114 2399598; StMatthew, Carver Street, Fr.Grant Naylor 01 142 665681; St Mary,Handsworth, Fr Johnson 01142 692403 (contact clergy for Masstimes, etc)FiF SOUTHAMPTON Society parishes (under the episco-pal care of the Bishop of Richborough) welcome you: StBarnabas, Lodge Road (off Inner Avenue A33 London Road) Sunday:Solemn Mass 10am, Daily Mass and other service details from FrBarry Fry SSC 02380 223107; Holy Trinity, Millbrook (Off A33 citycentre road from M271) Sunday: Solemn Mass10am, MidweekMass and other service details from Churchwarden 07709022080 DIOCESE of TRURO - FIF Recommended Parishes FALMOUTH:St. Michael & All Angels, Penwerris, vacant, contact MissB.A.Meade, 01 326 212865; PENRYN: St. Gluvius, Fr.S.Wales –01326 378638; TRURO: St. George, Fr. C. Epps – 01 872 278595

DiocesanDirectory

The Bishop of BeverleyPROVINCE OF YORK (EXCEPT BLACKBURN AND LEEDS)

The Right Revd Glyn WebsterHoly Trinity Rectory, Micklegate, York YO1 6LE

01904 628155 [email protected]

The Bishop of BurnleyBLACKBURN

The Right Revd Philip North CMPDean House, 449 Padiham Road, Burnley BB12 6TE01282 479300 [email protected]

The Bishop of ChichesterCHICHESTER

The Right Revd Dr Martin Warner SSCThe Palace, Chichester PO19 1PY 01243 782161

[email protected]

The Bishop of EbbsfleetPROVINCE OF CANTERBURY (WEST)

The Right Revd Jonathan Goodall SSCHill House, The Mount, Caversham,Reading RG4 7RE 0118 948 [email protected] www.ebbsfleet.org.uk

The Bishop of FulhamLONDON & SOUTHWARK

The Right Revd Jonathan Baker The Vicarage, 5 St Andrew St, London EC4A 3AF

020 7932 1130 [email protected]

The Bishop of RichboroughPROVINCE OF CANTERBURY: EAST (EXCEPT CHICHESTER,LONDON & SOUTHWARK); EUROPE

The Right Revd Norman Banks SSCParkside House, Abbey Mill Lane, St Albans AL3 4HE01727 836358 [email protected] www.richborough.org.uk

The Bishop of WakefieldLEEDS

The Right Revd Tony Robinson SSCPontefract Ho, 181A Manygates Lane, Wakefield WF2 7DR

01924 250781 / 07834 [email protected]

The Right Revd John Gaisford SSC(formerly Bishop of Beverley)

The Right Revd John Goddard SSC(formerly Bishop of Burnley)

The Right Revd Dr John Hind(formerly Bishop of Chichester)

The Right Revd Martyn Jarrett SSC(formerly Bishop of Beverley)

The Right Revd Roger Jupp SSC(formerly Bishop of Popondota)

The Right Revd Robert Ladds SSC(formerly Bishop of Whitby)

The Right Revd Michael Langrish(formerly Bishop of Exeter)

The Right Revd Peter Ramsden(formerly Bishop of Port Moresby)

The Right Revd Nicholas Reade(formerly Bishop of Blackburn)

The Right Revd Lindsay Urwin OGS (formerly Bishop of Horsham)

The Right Revd Peter Wheatley (formerly Bishop of Edmonton)

Bishops ofe Society


Chrism Masses 2019Bishops of The Society will be celebrating the following

Chrism Masses:

Richborough Wednesday 10 April 7.30 pm St Hugh, Eyres Monsell, Leicester

Richborough Saturday 13 April 11.00 am Portsmouth Cathedral

Beverley Sunday 14 April 6.00 pm St Aidan, Grangetown, Sunderland

Burnley Sunday 14 April 6.00 pm St Paul, Adlington

Wakefield Sunday 14 April 6.00 pm St Peter, Horbury

Beverley Monday 15 April 12.00 noon St Helen, Carlin How

Ebbsfleet Monday 15 April 12.00 noon Bristol Cathedral

Richborough Monday 15 April 12.00 noon Chelmsford Cathedral

Fulham Tuesday 16 April 11.00 am St Andrew, Holborn

Beverley Tuesday 16 April 11.30 am Manchester Cathedral

Ebbsfleet Tuesday 16 April 11.30 am Exeter Cathedral

Chichester Tuesday 16 April 12.00 noon Chichester Cathedral*

Richborough Tuesday 16 April 12.00 noon Canterbury Cathedral

Ebbsfleet Wednesday 17 April 11.30 am Lichfield Cathedral

Beverley Wednesday 17 April 12.00 noon St Catherine of Sienna, Sheffield

Richborough Wednesday 17 April 12.00 noon Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham

*with renewal of ministerial vows - for all the clergy of the Diocese of Chichester.

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classifiedsCAR SUPPLIERS – PRIORY AUTOMOTIVE Prioryare the Christian car suppliers who can pro-vide any new or used car at the very bestprice. Let them take the hassle out of yournext car purchase, all vehicles are fullychecked before free delivery to your door.Part exchange a pleasure and budgets to suitall. Please call 0114 2559696 or visitwww.prioryautomotive.com

EDENHAM REGIONAL HOUSE RETREAT CENTREnr Bourne Lincs. Near Peterborough. Underthe Episcopal Care of Bishop of Richbor-ough. Individuals and small groups welcome.Private Chapel and spacious rooms for dayvisits, disabled facilities, self-catering flat.Contact Fr. Edward Martin SSC, ERHChurch Lane Edenham, Lincs PE10 OLS. 01778 591358. edenhamoffice@ gmail.com

SCARBOROUGH - Modernised house, in quietlocation, available for holiday lets on North-ern edge of Scarborough. Close to YorkshireMoors and Cleveland Way. Sleeps 5. O.A.P.Clergy discount. Regret no pets and not suit-able for children under 8 years. For detailscall: 01653 628115.

St John the Baptist, Lound, Suffolk If anyonethought that, as details are not in Together,we were skipping Easter - our services are asfollows: Palm Sunday - Liturgy of the Pamsat 9.30am. Maundy ursday - Mass of theLord's Supper and Gethsemane Watch at8pm and Sung mass on Easter Day at9.30am. Fr Glen Brooks 01 502 732420


parish directory - forward in faithvicar: fr.michael macey, 01 442 247503e-mail: ica r@ stj ohnbxm...

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