Eurobishop

The following announcement was made today by the Diocese in Europe: Bishop David Hamid, suffragan bishop of the Diocese in Europe and one of the longest serving bishops in the Church of England, has announced his plans to retire in February 2024. Bishop David said: “For over 20 years I have been blessed to have one of the most fulfilling and enriching jobs in the Church. At times the Diocese in Europe is difficult to explain to outsiders and to many in other parts of the Church of England, but I can sum up from my experience that it is a family, a family of committed and loving people, a truly rich and diverse, if scattered community, which seeks to live the Christian life in the Anglican way. The diocese embodies a profound vision of ecumenical outreach and collaboration and is a beautiful multicultural and multiethnic mosaic. These particular aspects of her life are very close to my own heart and have added to my joy in serving the diocese as one of its bishops. "I am grateful b...

St George's Madrid The Chrism Mass is a key moment each year when the unity of those engaged in public ministry is manifested and renewed, and when the sacred oils of baptism, the sick and chrism are blessed for distribution across the diocese.  St James the Apostle refers to anointing the sick with oil, and the prayer of blessing asks that the Lord may free those anointed from pain and illness and made well again in body, mind and soul.  In blessing the oil of the catechumens we pray that those anointed in preparation for their baptism will be given a deeper understanding of the gospel and strength for the challenge of Christian living.  The sacred chrism, a mixture of olive oil and fragrant and aromatic essences, is blessed by the bishop and priests together, and is used after baptisms, at confirmations and ordinations, as a sign of the outpouring of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.  A translation of an ancient (sixth century) hymn O Redemptor sume carmen  is sun...

20 years ago today, the feast of St Ignatius of Antioch, Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey, assisted by Anglican bishops from England, Portugal, Spain, Latin America, Scotland and Canada, and Old Catholic bishops from the Netherlands and Germany, consecrated me a bishop.  It was deeply moving also to be supported on that day by the presence of so many ecumenical guests from the Roman Catholic, Orthodox, and Oriental Orthodox Churches. Today I recollect, with a combination of humility and joy, the privilege of serving this part of God’s Church. The pastoral, multicultural and ecumenical dynamics continue to make this diocese an exciting context for episcopal ministry. I am deeply grateful for the prayers and generosity of so many, and for the wise counsel and warm collaboration of colleagues. And for the patience and love of my family that carries me through the challenges. “We have not only to be called Christians,  but to be Christians."  -St. Ignatius of Antioch

The MES (Ministry Experience Scheme) is a programme largely funded by the National Church which places young persons, 18-30, who may be exploring ordination into parochial settings to get a sense of life in parish ministry. The MES programme of this diocese is one of the most successful across the Church of England. It is headed by Dr Clare Amos, our Director of Discipleship, with support from Fr William Gulliford our Director of Ordinands. Dr Amos at the Dome of the Rock One part of our diocesan MES programme which has not been able to be realised for the past two and a half years due to COVID has been a study-pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Finally this year we were able to restore this trip and so 10 interns spent from 7 to 15 July, visiting the Biblical lands, accompanied by Dr Amos, Fr Gulliford, the Revd Carolyn Cooke from the chaplaincy of La Côte, and myself. We were further very pleased that an intern from a similar programme of the Episcopal Church (TEC) in Europe, who is servin...

On the day of Pentecost, according to the Acts of the Apostles, there was amazement in the crowd which was gathered from the then known world. People as diverse as Parthians to Cretans to Arabs all heard the disciples speaking in their native language. This was the sign that the Church's destiny was to be open to all human nations and cultures. In this diocese we try to live this Pentecost vision, witnessing to our unity as a community, no matter where on the globe we are from. The licensed clergy who lead our parishes themselves hail from 24 countries (according to my last count), from Canada to Congo. And the list is growing. The newest priest to be licenced is the Very Revd Dr Ishanesu Sextus Gusha, who is the Chaplain of St Philip and St James, Palma de Mallorca. He comes from Zimbabwe where he was the Dean of the Cathedral of St Mary and All Saints in Harare. Appropriately for our international diocese, he has travelled extensively in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Europe and ...

This is what we have posted on the Diocese in Europe website , on news of the death of HRH Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. _______________________________________________________________________ Buckingham Palace has announced today the death of HRH Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh. The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Revd Justin Welby said: "I join with the rest of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth in mourning the loss of His Royal Highness Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, and give thanks to God for his extraordinary life of dedicated service. Prince Philip continually demonstrated his unfailing support and unstinting loyalty to Her Majesty The Queen for 73 years. He consistently put the interests of others ahead of his own and, in so doing, provided an outstanding example of Christian service. During his naval career, in which he served with distinction in the Second World War, he won the respect of his peers as an outstanding officer. On the occasions when I...

We celebrate another Easter in the midst of the pain of the world caused by the COVID-19 crisis. Lockdowns continue in many of the countries and regions of the diocese. But for much of the world vaccines are not yet available, and billions of people remain vulnerable, without a coordinated response to address the spread of the virus.  Justice and peace seem far from reach for millions of our sisters and brothers; grief from war and violence in so many places has not abated.  Close to my own heart. the b loody oppression of the people of Burma continues, with no signs of the military thugs lessening their grip on power.  But not only in distant lands, in every community, when we open our eyes, we know there is  injustice, grief and despair.  Christians celebrating the resurrection victory of our Lord are renewed in our commitment to reach out in love, and bear hope to a world in the midst of pain and suffering. T he Easter story of the myrrh bearing women is our ...

  "Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem"   by  Kristoffer Trolle  is licensed under  CC BY 2.0 This extraordinarily difficult year is drawing to a close, a year marked by much loneliness, despair, suffering and death, due to the pandemic. But we have learned some lessons, including valuing what we have hitherto taken for granted, and appreciating with new awareness so many of the simple gifts which God provides.  But the greatest gift is the one we celebrate in the Nativity of Our Lord. The great Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner summed it up:  "When we say it is Christmas, we mean that God has spoken into the world his last, his deepest, his most beautiful word in the incarnate Word, a word that can no longer be revoked because it is God's definitive deed, because it is God himself in the world. And this word means 'I love you, you, the world and humankind'.   So we celebrate God who is with us in the world, Emmanuel. Our response is a renewed...

  St Mark, traditionally held to be the founder of the Church in Alexandria Advent begins this Sunday. Our Director of Lay Discipleship, Dr Clare Amos, has been busy preparing some resources to help the faithful of the diocese to enter into the spirituality of this season.  This Monday 30 November, 18.00 Central European Time (17.00 GMT), Clare will lead a reflection on the Gospel of Mark. This brief overview of the emphasis that Mark lays out in his Gospel, will be helpful for us as Mark is the Gospel we will be mostly be reading from on Sundays during this "Year B" of the Common Lectionary.  Clare's reflections will be in the context of a brief liturgy called "A Service of Meditations for the Beginning of Advent". Clare is a Biblical scholar (among many other things) and a very engaging teacher. Do join us for this "Journey into Advent with Mark". The livestream is on the Diocesan YouTube channel:    ...

On 26 September, 3 new deacons were ordained in All Saints Rome: Professor Dr Gottlieb Leopold Martin George , to serve as assistant curate (NSM) in St George’s Anglican Church, Berlin;  Robert Rushforth Morley , to serve as assistant curate (NSM) in All Saints Anglican Church, Milan; and Dr Valdis Teraudkalns , to serve as assistant curate (NSM) in St Saviour’s Anglican Church, Riga .   T he congregation had to be limited by Italian regulations to 60, and many of the close family and friends of the ordinands were unable to attend due to distance and travel limitations in the pandemic situation, but finally, after a three month delay, and finding a place where both I as ordaining bishop and the candidates could all be together (ordinations cannot be virtual!), we were able to proceed with this joyful occasion in the life of the Diocese and the Church.      Archbishop Ian Ernest, the Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, and former Archbishop and P...

In this season of Creationtide, Christ Church Vienna is hosting a relevant workshop on the morning of Saturday 19 September. The workshop will be led by Dr Clare Amos, the Diocesan Director of Lay Discipleship, a biblical scholar and world class lay theologian. Dr Amos will draw on both the Old and New Testaments to explore our relationship to the created order. Environmental issues and a commitment to safeguard the integrity of creation is one of the key themes of the diocesan strategy.  Previous workshops by Clare have been heavily subscribed, so if you are interested please contact Christ Church Vienna ( office@christchurchvienna.org ) by Thursday 17 September to reserve your place! Please note that the times are Central European Time, (British Summer Time +1 hour).

Today I will be representing the Diocese at the funeral of Dean Emeritus Robinson. Please remember Fr Ken in your prayers, and his widow Merry and their family. O Lord, may Ken your servant and priest, who devoted a faithful ministry to your name, rejoice in the company of your saints.      The notice from the Church Times: ROBINSON . — On 5 August, the Very Revd John Kenneth Robinson: Chaplain of HM Prison Lancaster (1965-66); St John’s School, Singapore (1966-68); Vicar of Holy Trinity, Colne (1968-71); Chaplain of St George’s, Grenada (1971-74); Director of Education, Windward Islands (1971-74); Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of the Windward Islands (1971-74); Vicar of Skerton (1974-81); USPG Area Secretary for East Anglia (1981-91); Hon. Minor Canon of St Edmundsbury Cathedral (1982-91); Chaplain of St George’s, Lisbon, with St Paul’s, Estoril (1991-2000); Archdeacon of Gilbraltar (1994-2002); Canon of Holy Trinity Cathedral, Gibraltar (1994-2000); Dean (20...

For any who might be interested, Unité des Chrétiens , the French ecumenical journal has run an interview with me which touches upon many themes of our Diocese in Europe: ecumenical life, Anglican identity, Brexit and our multicultural context. The journal itself (despite this interview!) is always an interesting read, covering ecumenical life in France, Europe and beyond, from Oriental, Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican and Protestant perspectives. The link to the journal's site is here: https://unitedeschretiens.fr/ The article is below:

On Friday 12 June at 12 noon Central European Time (11.00 am British Summer Time) there will be a service of  prayer, scripture, silence of 8 minutes and 46 seconds, and blessing, in solidarity with BAME communities around the world.  This will be a brief service (about 15 minutes in total) at the hour when Our Lord hung upon the cross. It will be led by some of the BAME clergy of the diocese.  We offer this moment to come together to repent of the sin of racism, to pray for an end to injustice, to give thanks for the beautiful diversity of humanity, and to be strengthened for action that will make a difference.  Please join us.  Just follow this link to the live stream (available from about 11.30 am CET/10.30 am BST) on the Diocese in Europe YouTube.   Photo by Nicola Fioravanti on Unsplash

Many people across the diocese will remember Sylvia Brantingham, the cheerful and helpful receptionist and office assistant at the Diocesan Office in Westminster, who retired several years ago.  Sylvia died on the morning of Pentecost, last Sunday 31 May, after a battle with cancer. She was a faithful member of St Pancras Old Church in London, and her parish priest was able to bring her Holy Communion and minister the last rites to her that morning and be with her as she passed into the loving arms of God.  Sylvia's Christian devotion was both humble and inspiring. Bron Panter our Office Manager knew her well and even recalls getting a bit cross with her as she would quietly disappear to say her midday prayers! I also recall how Sylvia never wasted a moment; in the midst of the busy-ness of answering doors, phone calls, preparing refreshments for visitors and meetings, sorting post, and other general office duties, if she had a spare moment, she would be found at her desk ...

Canon Sabry (Casablanca), retired Archdeacon Geoff Johnston, and Rebecca Boardman USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel) is one the oldest mission agencies in the Anglican Communion. Founded in 1701, it has been a partner to Churches and communities world-wide, including the Diocese in Europe. It sees its partnership as a way to "enliven faith, strengthen relationships, unlock potential and champion justice". It is a little known fact that over half of the communities in the Diocese in Europe owe their origin to USPG (or SPG as it was known then) support and sponsorship. Today, USPG supports our work with migrants and refugees in France, Germany, Greece and Morocco. The Mission and Public Affairs Unit of the Diocese, chaired by Archdeacon Leslie Nathaniel, has a member from USPG on the unit. Rebecca Boardman has been a close collaborator, particularly on migration and refugee issues, for over 5 years.   At a recent meeting of the MPA unit Rebecca in her repor...

In Holy Week in this Diocese in Europe there are normally several Chrism Masses celebrated in various centres. I was scheduled to preside at those masses in Madrid and Rome, for instance, with Bishop Robert presiding in Brussels and Paris. But due to the Europe-wide lockdown, these services were cancelled.  However, Bishop Robert and I thought it would be fitting to have a service, streamed online, for the clergy and lay minsters to renew their vows, which is normally a part of this rite. A diocesan production team went into action and about 180 priests, deacons and lay ministers joined in the service yesterday. A "screen shot" of some of the participants is above. It was a new experience for all! I had the privilege of preaching the homily. If you care to listen, it is here: It was a privilege to give a word of encouragement to the clergy and Licensed Lay Ministers (Readers) in this strange time, when our ministries are so radically disrupted. Among my words to ...

"....from plague, pestilence, and famine.. Good Lord, deliver us"   This supplication from the Book of Common Prayer must have had particular significance as the Litany was recited this morning in St George's Church, Venice, by the priest, Fr Malcolm Bradshaw, and the reader in training, Philip Jones. (There was no congregation as public worship is suspended in the region, see below). Indeed, t he people of this diocese, particularly in Northern Italy,are experiencing what one priest has summed up as "strange times".  Philip James, Fr Malcolm and the Patriarch of Venice As we are a very mobile and international diocese Bishop Robert and I have written to the clergy with instruction about church gatherings and liturgical celebrations that go, necessarily, beyond the current guidelines issued by the Church of England, centrally. (The Central Church of England advice can be found here:  https://www.churchofengland.org/more/media-centre/coronavirus-covi...