Eurobishop

Here is a good pub quiz question: Who is the last person officially "canonised" by the Church of England? The answer is Charles, King and Martyr. Charles I was put to death on 30 January 1649. In 1662 his martyrdom was commemorated in the Book of Common Prayer. It is astonishing to know how quickly his cult expanded. In Tangiers, for instance, during the time of the English occupation in the 1680s, our own church there was dedicated to St Charles the Martyr! (Today, the present church in Tangiers is dedicated to St Andrew). Each year, close to his feast day (30 January) the "Royal Martyr Church Union" gathers for a solemn eucharist to honour King Charles. Last Saturday, in St Mary le Strand Church in London, assisted by Deacon Frances Hiller, my Chaplain, and other clergy, I had the honour of presiding and preaching at this mass. Whatever one thinks of King Charles the Martyr, he suffered and died for what he believed in.

Fr William (bottom right) with members of his team and the 27 enquirers 27 enquirers from across the Diocese in Europe, from Sweden to Sicily, gathered in London last weekend to explore issues related to ordained ministry in the Church of England. It is an annual conference run by our Director of Ordinands, the Revd Canon William Gulliford, to give our enquirers an intensive exposure to the Church of England in its heartland. It is often a first stage in the process which may lead to clarifying a vocation to the sacred ministry. During the three days, the process of discernment for holy orders is explained, as well as the selection, training and deployment norms of our Church. Advice is given on spiritual direction to assist in personal discernment. Some topics pertinent to ministry in the Church of England are covered, such as the norms of obedience and authority, the 5 marks of mission and issues in human sexuality. Parish visits are set up for a variety of experiences, often c...

  "I am here today in solidarity with all who are oppressed. I stand here for justice". The words of the Revd April Maja Almaas. April is a priest of our Diocese in Europe, who serves the Anglican congregation in Trondheim, Norway. She participated in a march in that city last Saturday, joining with millions of others around the world. (It is estimated that in the USA alone more than 4.5 million marched. Others marched around the world, from Iraq to Antarctica.) "As a multi-ethnic American and a Christian I felt that it was important to speak out", said April. In addressing the crowd, April recalled that this march was in a long line of such historic demonstrations, from the first march for women's voting rights in Washington in 1913, to that led by Martin Luther King against racism 50 years later. Along with her sisters around the world, April wished to declare that the rhetoric used in the US election campaign was unacceptable, that many have been discriminate...

  : Fr Marcus Walker of the Anglican Centre in Rome Our parish of All Saints in Rome keeps busy during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Last night, on the second day of unity week, the choir sung Evensong in the Papal Basilica of St Paul's Outside the Walls. I was present to preside and preach at the service. The Associate Director of the Anglican Centre in Rome, the Revd Marcus Walker, assisted me. All Saints Choir rehearse in the. Basilica It is a moving experience to read and and then to preach on the words of the Apostle (II Corinthians 5.14-20 was one of the lessons) just a few metres from where, according to Christian tradition, his earthly remains lie. The basilica, built by Constantine in 324, rises above the place venerated as the site of his burial. St Paul who was of course Saul of Tarsus, was beheaded in Rome sometime in the reign of Nero, likely between 65 and 67 AD. As he was a Roman citizen, he was able to be buried on this site about 2 miles fr...

Why is a bishop in Europe a trustee of the Churches Together in Britain and Ireland (CTBI)? A good question. Of course the basic reason is because the Church of England is a member of this ecumemical instrument. But beyond this, the work of CTBI takes on many international dimensions, not least in its advocacy and support for refugees and migrants.This is an issue which transcends national or regional boundaries as we in the diocese are well aware. (It was a visit by CTBI to Greece, hosted by our own Fr Malcolm Bradshaw back in 2015 that was a catalyst for increased focus, both in churches and in government circles to the refugee crisis). CTBI also has historic and fruitful partnership relations with Churches in the Middle East (where Christians must not slip from our sight in the midst of current conflicts), as well as in other regions such as Sri Lanka and China. So CTBI is itself a body with a global focus, even as it seeks to serve the member Churches, including our Church of ...

"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...

  As part of my continuing education I have been participating in a programme called "Equipping Christian Leaders in an Age of Science". Today, the Feast of the Epiphany, by happy coincidence one of the topics in our sessions turned our gaze to the stars and galaxies as we explored issues related to SETI, the search for extra terrestial intelligence. A wonderful lecture was given by the Revd Professor David Wilkinson, of St John's College Durham, a noted astrophysicist as well as theologian, with doctorates in both fields. Professor Wilkinson, from a scientific point of view, would surmise that at present we are likely the only intelligent life in this galaxy, although with 100 billion stars in the galaxy, with about 70% having planets, and 100 billion galaxies in the universe one cannot be sure! As a theologian, he maintains that SETI is important for Christians for a number of reasons: It invites us to observe and wonder at the complexity and vastness of the universe...