Monaco - Christian Unity celebrated at the circus!


The Week of Prayer for Christian Unity is a busy time in Monaco. On Saturday 22 January, Fr Walter Raymond of St Paul's Church (above right) and I, joined with Reformed and Roman Catholic colleagues for a mass for unity in the Cathedral, celebrated by the RC Archbishop of Monaco, Bernard Barsi (above left). On Monday 24, Father Walter hosted a fraternal lunch for local clergy. Again, Archbishop Barsi attended along with clergy from the RC, French Reformed, Russian Orthodox, and Evangelical Churches. 


But the highlight was the Célébration oecuménique held on Monday evening. The International Circus Festival was in full swing and the service was held in the great tent, in the presence of His Serene Highness Prince Albert of Monaco. The prayers, readings and chants were interspersed with circus acts selected from the competition that week. The performers (and even some animals) offered their own talents to God in a joyful and sacred event.


About 40 clergy took part: RC bishops and priests from Monaco and neighbouring dioceses in Italy, France, and Germany, Orthodox priests, and pastors of the Reformed and Lutheran Churches. The Archdeacon of France, the Venerable Ken Letts, (above) was present joining Fr Walter and me as the Anglican representatives. The tent was filled with a couple of thousand people.


.... and I made a new friend.



Comments

  1. Kit Carson20 June 2011 at 19:45

    What a disgrace !

    Circuses are cruel evil events for the wretched animals beaten by wicked training methods which inflict great pain on our fellow creatures.

    How on earth can Christians of all people support such events just to "suck up" to the rich and famous.

    What would our lord say ?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous20 June 2011 at 19:47

    Shameful.

    What would our Lord say about the hideous cruelty inflicted on his creatures to entertain humans ?

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Farewell to the Diocese in Europe

Image
Deacon Frances and I packed up our office yesterday and turned over our official files, emails and equipment. Thus a close working together for 22 years comes to an end. So it is hard to believe that today, St David's day, a new chapter begins, after 44 years of stipendiary ministry, 22 years as deacon then priest and 22 as a bishop.  Here are just a few memories from the last couple of months...   But now it is time to begin a new chapter.  O God, by whose command the order of time runs its course: forgive our impatience, perfect our faith and, while we await the fulfilment of your promise, grant us to have a good hope because of your Word,  even Jesus Christ our Lord. (St Gregory Nazianzus, 330 - 390)
Read more

Archbishop of Canterbury's Pentecost Letter: A European Consequence

Image
In his Pentecost letter, the Archbishop of Canterbury warned of certain consequences for provinces of the Anglican Communion which have failed to stand by the three moratoria . (No authorisation of blessings services for same-sex unions; no consecrations of bishops living in same-sex relationships; and no bishop authorising any ministry within the diocese of another bishop without explicit permission). One consequence would be that representatives from such provinces w ould not be able to participate in the formal international interchurch dialogues of the Communion. One of those dialogues is the Anglican-Old Catholic International Co-ordinating Council ( AOCICC ), the official instrument set up to deepen the relationship of communion established in 1931 between the Anglican Communion and the Old Catholic Churches of the Union of Utrecht . As the member Churches of the Union of Utrecht are all European, the AOCICC is effectively a European body. (I am one of the members, appo...
Read more

Bishop Austin Rios of California

Image
It was a joyful, colourful, multicultural three-hour liturgy. At Grace Cathedral, San Francisco, the Revd Austin Rios was consecrated the bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of California. I have known Austin from his time as the Rector of St Paul's Episcopal Church in Rome, where he was a great friend and collaborator with our own Church of England All Saints Chaplaincy in that city. The liturgy, appropriately, marked the multiculural make-up of the diocese, with prayers, readings, hymns and songs in English, Spanish, Tagalog, Tonga and Mandarin. The final procession was led by a Chinese dragon! I was told that there were about 300 in the procession and 2000 present in the beautiful gothic cathedral on Nob Hill San Francisco. My good friend and ecuenical colleague from Rome Fr Keith Peckers SJ was also in attenance, so the Church of Rome and the Church of England were both represented! Among the bishop friends present were Bishop Mark Edington of the Episcopal Convocation in Europe, a...
Read more