Eurobishop

Last Friday, the Revd Neil Dawson, priest-in-charge of Holy Trinity Madeira , wrote with an update on the situation on the island that was devastated by floods a week ago. Fr Neil writes ... …Though the centre was certainly an awful mess of mud and debris, with assistance of soldiers from the mainland and many volunteers and workers from here, ladies in head scarves and muddy aprons, lines of scouts looking muddy but stoic, with buckets and brushes, most of the mess has been cleared up and the town is getting back to normal. Shops, restaurants and banks are back open - cash machines work! Hopefully schools will open next week. Telephones and power is on in most places. One hears so many stories of sadness and near misses. There are of course serious pockets of damage especially around the three rivers running down through the city which became such swollen torrents. Some of the roads near them have been badly damaged, a good knowledge of the back allies is useful when getting a...

Some shockwaves have hit the European ecumenical scene this past week. Members of our diocese in Germany will be particularly aware of this situation, as it has been widely covered in the German media. Bishop Margot Kässmann resigned her post as the head of the German Protestant Church, the EKD ( Evangelische Kirche in Deutchland ) on Wednesday 24 February. She was found driving with over 3 times the legal alcohol limit in her blood after she drove through a red light on the previous Saturday. The Council of the EKD laments her decision and felt that the incident in question should not be grounds for resignation, and that as a result the Church has lost a “fascinating religious personality”. German public opinion is divided about her resignation. Some feel that the 51 year old former bishop of Hanover has made the right choice as a moral leader. Others feel that she should be forgiven according to Christian principles. The EKD is a federation of 22 Lutheran, Reformed and Unit...

10 readers and readers in training from Costa del Sol East and West, Madrid, Lisbon, Monaco. Torrevieja, Aquitaine and Pau gathered at the Casa de Espiritualidad of the Diocese of Málaga from 24 to 26 February for a training course on bereavement and funeral ministry. The keynote speakers were the Revd Peter Moger, the Church of England’s national liturgy advisor and the Revd Canon Hugh Broad, the Area Dean of Gibraltar, supported by the Revd Ulla Monberg, the Diocesan Director of Training. The workshop covered many areas related to the pastoral and liturgical ministry around death, including: • The history of Christian funeral rites, including developments in Anglicanism since the reformation • The purpose of the funeral liturgy, and who funerals are for • The grieving process • The liturgical resources for funerals, authorised and commended for use in the Church of England • Issues in hymnody and music • Practical aspects to presiding at funeral services • The n...

The 30th International Old Catholic Congress will be held in Zurich from 9 – 13 August this year. The theme is “You shall go out with joy”, taken from Isaiah 55.12. Through this theme, the participants will explore an intriguing question: " How can a zest for life and humour be of potential benefit to our faith, our spirituality and our community?" It is clear that the congress organisers hope to inspire a joyful vision for the church, to stimulate one's personal spirituality as well the life of church communities. The programme for the 5 days includes lectures, workshops, worship, recreation and excursions. It is geared for laity and clergy, and for all ages. The following main speakers, and the topics they will address are confirmed: Bishop Dr Dirk Schoon (Netherlands): “The church as a Place of Joy – Yesterday and Today” Henriette Crüwell (Germany): Does God Have a Sense of Humour?” Bishop Dr John Okoro (Austria): “How Seriously Should I Take Life?” The Revd Dr...

Messages of support from around the diocese are being received in Madeira, which has been hit by devastating floods and mudslides due to torrential rain last weekend. Many telephone lines are still not operating but I reached Tony Hughes-Lewis, one of the Churchwardens at Holy Trinity, Funchal, this morning for an update. Tony confirmed that the situation has now been declared a national disaster by Portugal and three days of national mourning have been called for. The military are assisting with the clean-up, rescue and relief efforts. The official death toll is 44 (including one British visitor) but a further 250 persons are missing. There is concern for one member of the congregation who is still missing at time of writing. Funchal is located geographically in a "bowl" and the water from the mountains literally poured in, and the storm drains simply could not cope. The centre of town is now in parts, “head deep” in mud and boulders. There is widespread fear that when u...

This year Eastern and Western Christians celebrate the Lent-Easter cycle on the same dates. The first Sunday in Lent is observed by Orthodox Christians as "the Feast of Orthodoxy". It originally commemorated the end of iconoclasm in the 9th century, but has come to celebrate more generally the maintenance of the true faith. The Ecumenical Patriarch (photo left), His All Holiness Bartholomew I, has published an encyclical letter on the occasion of the first Sunday of Lent which gives strong support to the ecumenical movement and dialogue. He writes, "It is not possible for the Lord to agonize over the unity of His disciples and for us to remain indifferent about the unity of all Christians". The Patriarch is addressing those, particularly within his own Church, who oppose theological dialogue with other Christians because they feel it is a denial of the truths of the faith. He states in the encyclical, "The truth does not fear dialogue, because truth has n...

The Revd Bob Bates (left), chaplain at St Vincent’s Anglican parish in Algarve, Portugal, is going to undertake a 260 km walk across the Algarve, from East to West, this May. The purpose of the walk is to raise funds for the St Vincent’s Home for mentally and physically disabled children and adults, a local charity which is in need of financial support. Fr Bob will set out on 28 April for a walk that will take about 7 days, following what is believed to be the original pilgrim trail of St Vincent, also known as the Moçarbe Way. He will finish at Cape St Vincent on the westernmost fringe of Europe. The Anglican Church in Algarve has St Vincent as its patron, so there is a natural link with the Portuguese charity, and Fr Bob hopes that the walk will also be a good way to highlight the presence of the Church of England in this part of Portugal. Fr Bob is an experienced walker having completed the final 220 miles of the Camino de Santiago from the city of León to Santiago de Com...

There is widespread misunderstanding and considerable anxiety about the Clergy Discipline Measure (CDM), particularly among clergy. On Wednesday 27th January, I attended an Ecclesiastical Law Society lecture on the CDM. It was given by the Lord Justice of Appeal, Sir John Mummery, who is the “President of Tribunals” under the Measure.  Sir John spoke of his experience which gave me renewed trust in the way the Measure is being observed throughout the Church. For one thing he shared a statistic which helps to keep things in perspective. The number of complaints brought under CDM are few: 22,000 clergy are subject to the measure yet in 2008 (the latest year for which we have statistics) there were only about 70 formal complaints in total, including some against bishops and archbishops. Of these only 3 complaints ended up being referred to tribunal. To date, there have been no complaints under CDM in the Diocese in Europe at all. What does the CDM deal with? The CDM is ...

I realise that many of you might not thank me for this post, as you may be quite relieved not to be a member of General Synod! However, here is a potted summary of what happened last week, in case you are interested. Church House suggests this might be useful material for parish magazines. Of course, not all is relevant to our situation in this particular Church of England Diocese. It is a long post, so remember to follow the read more link. The General Synod met in London from February 8th to 12th. Among other matters, it discussed: Children and young people Synod discussed Going for Growth, the Board of Education’s strategy for working alongside children and young people, which offers both a theological framework and priorities for practical action at diocesan and parish level. Mission Synod considered research from the Mission and Public Affairs Council into the growth of the ‘mixed-economy Church’, and carried a motion encouraging further development of pioneer ministers an...

As we begin our observance of Lent I share a prayer which expresses the spiritual discipline of the season. It is a prayer of St Ephrem the Syrian. St Ephrem was born around 306 in the city of Nisibis, which today is known as Nusaybin, in southeast Turkey, just on the border with Syria. therefore just within our diocese. The photo above is from the 5th century monastery of Mar Gabriel, not far from where Ephrem lived and ministered. He was a deacon and author of over 500 hymns. (Two of his compositions are included in Common Worship: Daily Prayer , on pages 49 and 637). The Church of England commemorates St Ephrem on 9 June. His prayer is said daily in Lent in the Eastern Churches (with a prostration after each sentence): O Lord and Master of my life, give me not a spirit of sloth, despondency, lust for power and idle talk. But a spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love give to me thy servant. O Lord and King, grant me to see my own faults and not to judge my brother or sist...

Here is February's book selection. The reviews are written by Dr Martin Davie, the Theological Secretary to the Bishops of the Church of England. They will be of interest to all who wish to keep up with current theology, including the clergy and Readers (lay ministers) of the Diocese in Europe. This month's selection covers a wide range of theology: interpretation of scripture, missiology, patristics, discipleship, ecology and apologetics. 8 reviews are below. Just click on the read more link.

The Director of Ordinands and the Director of Training convened a consultation on Friday 12 February on mapping the minority ethnic presence in the diocese, noting trends and challenges. The consultation began to grapple with the reality of the growing minority ethnic dimension in Europe and particularly the implications for discernment, selection, training and deployment of minority ethnic clergy. In the Diocese in Europe there are presently 4 licensed clergy, as well as a handful of clergy with Permission to Officiate, and another handful of postulants for Holy Orders who come from minority ethnic backgrounds. (Note: "minority ethnic" means visible minority in a British context). Participants in the consultation were the Venerable Jonathan Boardman (Archdeacon of Italy and Malta), the Revd Philip Mounstephen (the chaplain of St Michael’s Paris), Ms Sonia Barron (Archbishops’ Advisor for Minority Ethnic Anglican Concerns), the Revd Dr Ian McIntosh (Eastern Regional Ministr...

Every year during Holy Week the oils that are used throughout the following year for ministry to the sick, for Christian initiation, and for ordination are solemnly blessed in an episcopal service. This is also the occasion at which the clergy and readers of the diocese are invited to reaffirm the promises and commitments they have made in their ministry, before the bishop. As in recent years, in order to include more clergy and readers in this significant event, the Diocesan Bishop and the Suffragan Bishop will preside at Chrism Eucharists in different centres in the diocese. BRUSSELS - Tuesday 30 March, 12.00 The Pro-Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, Brussels: Bishop Geoffrey presiding. MADRID - Tuesday 30 March, 12.00 noon St George’s Church, Madrid: Bishop David presiding. The preacher will be the Very Revd Dr John Paddock, the Dean of Gibraltar. PARIS - Thursday 1 April, 12.00 noon St George’s Church, Paris: Bishop David presiding. The preacher will be the Revd Philip...

Photo: SHAUN CURRY/AFP/Getty Images This afternoon I went to observe the debate on the private member's motion on ACNA. As a bishop who serves a diocese which overlaps with some work of the Episcopal Church USA (through the latter's Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe), I believed it would be useful to feel the pulse of the synod on this matter. It was a long debate, not without some surprising moments. One member proposed the procedural motion to move to next business, which if passed would have been the end of discussion on this item for the life of the synod. The member's rationale was that there was not enough truth circulating about the issue and that the synod would be in danger of breaking the ninth commandment, "you shall not bear false witness". His procedural motion did not pass. At another moment the new, state-of-the-art electronic voting system failed so the synod had to revert to the old system of division by walking through separate do...

The Archbishop of Canterbury delivered today, Tuesday 9 February, a wide-ranging and strong presidential address to the General Synod. Archbishop Rowan touched upon many subjects, of national and international interest. Nationally, he refers to the debate which continues in the British Parliament around the "Equality Bill", and the question of assisted suicide which is being widely discussed. With regard to the ordination of women as bishops, and the life and unity of the Anglican Communion internationally, the Archbishop urges a closer listening to each other, to refrain from demonising opponents. He went on to say that a freedom claimed in one part of the Church can have a "devastating impact" on the freedom of others elsewhere. The Archbishop urges us to strive for a discovery of  "an ecclesial fellowship in which we trust each other to act for our good". It is a difficult message provoking reaction from liberals and conservatives alike. You can read ...

From 5 – 8 February nine young adults from across the diocese met at George Bell House in Chichester to explore some aspects of vocation to the priesthood. The Revd William Gulliford, the Diocesan Director of Ordinands, and the Revd Stephen Ferns of the Ministry Division of the Church of England, planned the weekend to provide an exposure for the enquirers, most of whom, although deeply committed members of congregations of our diocese and theologically trained, had had little direct experience of the Church of England in England . The participants came from Moscow, Turku, Bologna, Stockholm, Athens, Versailles, Berlin, Vienna and Trondheim. The Revd Deacon Frances Hiller and Ms Margaret Jeffery of the Diocesan Ministry Team assisted Frs Gulliford and Ferns in leading the weekend, along with a former ordinand of our diocese, the Revd Jan Nobel, now an assistant curate in Durham Diocese. Over the course of the days the participants visited two contrasting local parish communities ...

At the sessions of the General Synod of the Church of England this week, a private member's motion will be debated: “That this Synod express the desire that the Church of England be in communion with the Anglican Church in North America”. The proposer of the motion, Lorna Ashworth (Chichester Diocese) wishes to give the Synod a chance to hear of unfair treatment of loyal Anglicans in the Episcopal Church (USA ) and the Anglican Church of Canada, which has led to the formation of a separate body, the Anglican Church in North America . Mrs Ashworth asks “Does not our fellowship and communion in the Lord require us both to be aware of these happenings, to express concern, and where appropriate to provide the support we can?” There are many complex issues involved. Simon Sarmiento of Thinking Anglicans has brought together some background papers concerning these issues for ease of review (they are to be found in his February 5 entries in the Thinking Anglicans blog ). I am slig...

The warmth of our ecumenical relations in France was underlined recently when the Roman Catholic Church website for the Calais area posted a prominent news item covering the licensing of the Revd Sara MacVane as Priest-in-Charge of Pas de Calais. The website reported very positively on the service led by Archdeacon Ken Letts on 30 January in St Mary Magdalene’s Roman Catholic Church, which included several clergy from the RC and Reformed Churches. The picture above shows the Archdeacon (in chasuble) with Sara in the middle, surrounded by Anglican and ecumenical clergy colleagues. The report (in French) can be found here .

The members of the Archdeaconry of Gibraltar at its synod from 2 - 5 February, heard an inspiring report from members of “Team Peru” the group which paid a visit to the partner diocese last November, in response to an invitation from its Bishop Bill Godfrey. There were 10 persons on the team, aging from 12 to 82. The youngest member, Sebastian Hubbard, (left) spoke movingly of his own encounter with “poor people, who know they are loved by our presence, not just by our money” and how the experience was one of “working, talking, learning, laughing and sharing of our lives”. Sebastian was impressed that the funds raised at just one event in his home parish (St Vincent’s Algarve) would pay for the feeding of 7000 children in Peru. Others spoke of the partnership aspect to the visit, that they learned it was not about what they thought they should or would do, but what the local partners wanted them to do. “Here is a calling for us in the Archdeaconry – breaking out of our own little w...

Keith Brown (above), a reader in training from our Diocese in Europe, serving in the parish of St Peter and St Paul, Torrevieja , Spain, has written an article for the newsletter of the  International Anglican Family Network (IAFN). The IAFN is a forum for the exchange of information about the challenges facing families in different countries and cultures across the Anglican Communion. The latest edition of the newsletter deals with the difficult subject of how the churches in different parts of the Anglican Communion seek to respond to death. Keith writes a moving account of how the chaplaincy in Torrevieja is responding pastorally to this challenge. I am grateful to Keith for his thoughtful contribution to this international Anglican resource. His contribution also helps to raise the profile of our own diocese within the Anglican Communion. Keith's article is entitled, Dying Abroad in Spain. Follow the read more link for the text.

Children from the St Vincent's Anglican Parish in the Algarve provided leadership in music, reading and prayers at the opening eucharist of the synod of the Archdeaconry of Gibraltar meeting in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal. It was a joyful celebration of the feast of the Presentation, Candlemas, at which the chaplain of St George's Madrid, the Revd Ian Hutchinson-Cervantes, presided. My own chaplain, the Revd Deacon Frances Hiller, was the preacher who reminded us of the gifts which more senior members bring to the community of faith, drawing on insights from the Gospel story of the role of "ancient Simeon and Anna". Deacon Frances also paid tribute to the Revd Deacon Dr Lindy Jordan, the Assistant Curate of St Andrew's, Costa del Sol East, whose sudden death on 23 January has touched so many in the Archdeaconry and Diocese. Over 120 people, clergy and lay representatives from the 70 Church of England congregations in Spain (including the Balearic and Canary Is...

The Church of England is encouraging churches to consider celebrating marriage on St Valentine's Day (14 February) which this year falls on a Sunday. The co-incidence presents an opportunity to offer themed worship and foster connections made with those who have been married in church. One suggestion is that churches offer a Valentine service with themed readings on Sunday 14th February, and the Archbishops’ Council’s Weddings Project has promoted the production of liturgical resources. These include a suggestion for a Special Service of Celebration for use with A Service of the Word, as well as thoughts on how the regular Sunday Worship might adopt a marriage/love theme. If you are interested, the liturgical resources are available here . An aside: I am not a particularly romantic person so I take comfort that origin of the Church’s commemoration of St Valentine has nothing to do with lovers, but with martyrdom. There were several notable Christians called Valentine in the ear...

The Ship of Fools Mystery Worshipper has appeared again in St Alban's Copenhagen - this time on Christmas morning. It appears that he / she received a warm welcome in a full church, and again, rated our congregation favourably with a very respectable 8 out of 10! But who is this Mystery Worshipper? Read the review on the Ship of Fools site here . St Alban's website is here .

The Feast of the Presentation of Christ in the Temple (2nd February) celebrates the events in the Gospel of St Luke when Mary and Joseph took the baby Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem, 40 days after his birth, to fulfill the requirements of the law of Moses. It is one of the most ancient feasts of the Church. Egeria, a Spanish nun on pilgrimage to Jerusalem around 381, describes the feast in her remarkable journal: "On that day there is a procession into the Anastasis [the site of the Resurrection], and all assemble there for the liturgy; and everything is performed in the prescribed manner with the greatest solemnity, just as on Easter Sunday. All the priests give sermons, and the bishop, too; and all preach on the Gospel text describing how on the fortieth day Joseph and Mary took the Lord to the temple, and how Simeon and Anna the prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, saw Him, and what words they spoke on seeing the Lord, and of the offering which his parents brought. Aft...