Eurobishop

At the end of the Solemn Liturgy of Good Friday at Holy Cross, Palermo, Fr James Hadley, the Chaplain and I were invited to a prayer vigil for peace in Ukraine. Local clergy, civic dignitaries, carabinieri and military officials were in attendance. I was very moved to be asked, after the introductions, to lead the assembled crowd in prayer (in English) for peace.   The Good Friday procession which had been taking place for the past several hours ended up joining the vigil, which enabled special prayers to be offered to Our Lady of Sorrows to intercede for those suffering in Ukraine. It was a slightly livelier ending to Good Friday than I normally experience, but an emotional and significant one. Hear the cries of your people, O God. May peace and justice become a reality for the people of Ukraine and for all the world.       

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...

  Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay   Today we wish a very happy Thanksgiving to the many folk across the diocese in Europe who come from the USA. In that country it is a national holiday and a day of thanks, which may have its origin back to 1621 when the Plymouth colonists and members of the  Wampanoag nation shared an autumn harvest feast, together enjoying the fruits of the earth.  In our multinational/multicultural Diocese in Europe, we rejoice in the ministry, witness, generosity and support that so many from the United States bring to our common life. We also recognise that for many of our US friends and colleagues this year's holiday will be a difficult time. Some have endured months or more of separation from loved ones. Some have lost family or friends, or are worried about those close to them who are sick. Some are concerned for values of truth and justice in their homeland. So we pray with you, the prayer for this day in the Prayer Book of the Ep...

One of the joys of life in the Diocese in Europe is its multicultural make-up. In this great mosaic of peoples, Nigerian Anglicans are among the largest groups of members. They are also among the most joyful in their faith.  These are worrying days for the Nigerians in Europe. Events in their homeland are alarming and many are worried for the safety of family and friends. Yesterday, Bishop Robert and I sent a letter to our clergy and to the Nigerian members of our diocese, to unite us in prayer for their troubled country.  Here is the letter:   

Photo by Jack Sharp on Unsplash On 23 August in Kenosha, Wisconsin, police shot an African American, Jacob Blake, in the back, at close range, several times, in front of his 3 sons. Mr Blake has survived, but may be paralysed from the waist down. Public officials are calling for a thorough investigation of the shooting, and a reckoning with the broader issues of racial injustice.   Meanwhile protests have been seen in Kenosha in the aftermath of this event; sadly some of these protests have turned violent and destructive. One of our locum clergy who is connected to the Camino Chaplaincy (in Santiago de Compostela), the Revd Fr Matthew Buterbaugh is the Rector of St Matthew's Episcopal Church, a parish in downtown Kenosha, close to the centre of the unrest. Fr Matthew has been in communication with Fr Bob Bates, our Lead Chaplain for the Camino Chaplaincy, who has been circulating requests for prayer for Kenosha. Fr Matthew says " I greatly appreciate that, and I am heartened ...

Tomorrow, 14 May, is an international, interreligious day of prayer to ask God to lift this pandemic from the world, and to inspire scientists to find a cure for the disease. The inspiration for this comes from the "Higher Committee for Human Fraternity" which was set up when Pope Francis visited Abu Dhabi last year. The initiative transcends religious boundaries and invites all religious people to appeal to God, in accordance with their own faith and teachings.  Pope Francis has released a video which I post here to motivate us all. In it he calls on all believers, adherents of all religions to pray, fast and perform works of charity tomorrow. Dr Clare Amos, our Director of Lay Discipleship, was previously the Interfaith Director at the World  Council of Churches. She has composed this prayer which I commend for use: God of life, Creator of all,  Your reach stretches beyond the farthest stars that we can see,  Yet you are nearer to us than our o...

To assist the faithful across the diocese with their prayers during this time of lockdown, Fr Louis Darrant has produced a resource specially for us. It is a PDF booklet, which, as Fr Louis states in the introduction   "is to support us in our common prayer  during Holy Week".  You may already have found it among our diocesan resources on the website.If not, the link is here: https://europe.anglican.org/downloads/praying-at-home-in-holy-week-2020.pdf Louis writes: "The Church is responding quickly to the changing  circumstances in which we find ourselves. With imagination and creativity  we will find ourselves caught up in the Easter mystery in such a way as will  bear fruit in due time. No Christian prays alone. Together we share the  sacred work of the Church in offering praise to the Father through the  Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit." Fr Louis Darrant is the Chaplain at St Christopher's Costa Azahar in Spain. He is also...

The Annunciation, (unknown), the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.  Addressing the leaders of all Christian Churches, communities and confessions worldwide, the Pope invites us all, on 25 March at 12 noon in each local time zone, to recite the prayer of all Christians. “In these days of trial, as humanity trembles at the threat of the coronavirus pandemic, I would propose that all Christians join their voices together to heaven to invoke the Almighty, the All Powerful God, by reciting contemporaneously the prayer that Our Lord Jesus has taught us”.  25 March is the Feast of the Annunciation. Its central focus is the wondrous moment in history when the Eternal Word became flesh in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary; in short God became one of us. The feast marks the dramatic entrance of the divine into our everyday world, God with us, Emmanuel. As we remember the closeness of God to us – God who took on our very flesh – Pope Francis encourages us in reciting our common...

"....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...

From 3-5 May 2019 at the Salesian Centre in Barcelona over 25 people from parishes in the Archdeaconry of Gibraltar came together for a weekend to explore prayer and spirituality using insights and traditions from our ecumenical partners. I gave three addresses outlining some forms of prayer that can enrich our own prayerlife, learning from ecumenical partners. From the Orthodox tradition, the Jesus Prayer; from the Roman Catholic tradition, the Rosary, and from the Lutheran tradition, Martin Luther's teaching on prayer using Scripture or the Creeds, which was a good launchng point for considering the Lectio Divina tradition in general. There was much time for private prayer and contemplation in the beautiful setting of the Salesian Centre.

The Altar of Repose in the Pro Cathedral of St Paul, Valletta Maundy Thursday is the day in Holy Week when we commemoration the Last Supper of Jesus Christ, when he established the sacrament of Holy Communion prior to his arrest and crucifixion. So within the solemn rites of the sacred three days (Triduum) a central observance of the Holy Thursday liturgy is the commemoration of the institution of the Eucharist. At the conclusion of the mass there is a procession with the Blessed Sacrament to the Chapel of Repose, where the Sacrament is present to remind us of our Lord's ti me in the Garden of Gethsemane where he prayed before his arrest and crucifixion. In the Christian tradition the faithful join in silent prayer, watching and waiting with Christ.  In the Pro Cathedral of St Paul in Valletta, Malta, members of the congregation kept watch, and many others who may have entered the Church out of curiosity or simply out of a sense that Christians were observing...

St Samuel the Confessor Monastery, Egypt I have sent a message of solidarity on behalf of the people of this Diocese in Europe to Archbishop Angaelos, the Coptic Archbishop of London, on learning the news of the killing of 7 pilgrims travelling to St Samuel Monastery yesterday. Dozens more have been injured. Your Eminence, dear Brother in Christ: once again our beloved Coptic sisters and brothers are mourning the deaths of pilgrims killed by terrorists in Egypt. I assure you of my prayers and those of our own communities for those who have died and for those who now mourn. May the Lord grant strength and consolation to your people and deliver Egypt from these acts of violence. In fraternal love +David Please remember the victims, their families and the Coptic Church in the intercessions on Sunday. Eternal God, in whose perfect realm no sword is drawn but the sword of justice, and no strength known but the strength of love: guide and inspire all who seek your kingdom, that p...

Rosemary Selle with Candidate Danny The English Church in Heidelberg is currently without a resident priest (we are actively recruiting) but that has not stopped the growth in faith among members of the congregation. Reader Rosemary Selle recently prepared a candidate for confirmation and presented him to me at a recent parish visit. Testimonies are frequently given by the candidates for the sacrament of Confirmation, but in Heidelberg something different happened, which moved us all. A prayer was prayed for Danny, which had been composed by his big sister Divya. I post it below. It is beautiful. Danny’s confirmation prayer written by his sister Divya : Dear God, Thank you for letting us all come and gather here today, under your watchful eye. Thank you for guiding my brother all through his life and for staying with him through all these years both as a mentor and as a friend to turn to in times of need. We are unendingly grateful to you, Oh Lord, for bringing my brother to ...

A further deadly attack in a city in this diocese, this time in Turku, Finland. The Area Dean for Finland, and Chaplain of St Nicholas, Helsinki, the Father Tuomas Mäkipää has written the message below to his people. We join our prayers with those of our Finnish sisters and brothers. May God renew our confidence and give us peace in our day. ___________________________________________________ I have followed in shock the news from Turku where two persons lost their life and at least six others were injured in an attack by a man with a knife. My prayers and thoughts are with those who are affected by this heinous crime. May those who have died violently and unprepared find rest and everlasting life in the mercy of God. The rescue workers and the police are working to help the victims, to prevent any further acts and to investigate the motives behind these events. Many came to help putting their own life in danger. May God look with love on those whose sense of security has...

St George's Barcelona It is with shock and sadness that we see that once again terror has struck at the heart of one of our great European cities. Many have died in the van attack along one of the main and busiest streets in the centre of the city, filled with residents and visitors enjoying a summer afternoon.  I have been in touch with the Chaplain of St George's Barcelona and with one of the Churchwardens Mr Jimmy Dress to ensure that our immediate community members are safe. Social media is helping Jimmy gather news of parishioners. The Chaplain, the Revd John Chapman, has been on leave and returns this weekend. I wrote to John and his wife, the Revd Dr Deborah Chapman, and to Churchwarden Jimmy to convey a message on behalf o four diocesan family. The message is below. The Revd John Chapman I have just heard the news of the terrorist attack on La Rambla this afternoon, which has left some dead and many more injured. It is hard to contemplate that this seems...

To followers of Eurobishop I wish a joyful Easter, filled with the love of Christ and with the hope to which we are called.   Posted with Blogsy

As the news of another terrorist attack on the Christian community in Egypt emerges, on behalf of the people of this diocese, I have sent the message below to my dear friend Bishop Angaelos, the General Bishop of the Coptic Church in the UK, and the Moderator of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland. _____________________________________________ Your Grace Bishop Angaelos, my dear Brother in Christ I can hardly believe the news that has just reached me, that on this most Holy Day when the Christian faithful begin our commemoration of the passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, a passion and death which was for the reconciliation and peace of humankind, the Coptic community attending the sacred liturgies in Alexandria and Tanta have been victims of a bloody terrorist attack. I understand that at least 36 have been killed and many more are seriously injured. I assure you of my closeness in prayer to you and to your Church at this most sad and troubled time. With other Anglicans...

Church of St Peter and St Sigfrid, Stockholm Sadly, once again terror has struck in the heart of one of our European cities, this time Stockholm. I have been in touch with the Chaplain of St Peter and St Sigfrid's Church, the Revd Nick Howe, to ensure that our immediate community members are safe, which they are, thankfully. On Friday afternoon I also wrote to the (Church of Sweden) Bishop of Stockholm, the Rt Revd Eva Brunne, and to Fr Nick to convey a message on behalf of our diocesan family. The message is below. To:          The Bishop of Stockholm                 The Chaplain of St Peter and St Sigfrid Anglican Church Dear Bishop Eva Dear Nick I have just heard the news of what appears to have been a deadly terrorist incident in Stockholm which has left at least 3 dead and many more injured. We in the Diocese in Europe are deeply shocked at what seems to be a new pattern of violence emerging, after Nice, Berl...

"Crossing Barriers" is the theme of this year's Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. In the northern hemisphere, including in this Diocese in Europe, that week is observed from 18-25 January . The 2017 materials have been prepared by the Council of Christian Churches in Germany, the ACK - Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen . Our German Deanery which unites with the Episcopal Church parishes in Germany in the Council of Anglican-Episcopal Churches in Germany - CAECG, is represented on the ACK. Of course, 2017 marks the 500th anniversary of the Reformation and the Week of Prayer resources aptly focus on reconciliation. Germany's history of division, including the Berlin Wall, provides an important backdrop for these theological and liturgical materials. But today in our Europe, both on the continent and on the islands (such as Great Britain), there is an alarming resurgence of calls for separation from our neighbours and even political moves towards building...