Eurobishop

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 ...

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...

  It is with sadness that I share the news across the diocese that the Very Revd Ken Robinson died last Wednesday evening, 5 August, after a long illness. Fr Ken had served this diocese with distinction, first as Chaplain of St George's Lisbon with St Paul's Estoril, then as Archdeacon of Gibraltar, and finally as Dean of Gibraltar. He retired from that position in 2003, and was named Dean Emeritus. Ken was widely loved in the diocese, and contributed greatly to building a sense of family among us, making the Cathedral a particularly warm and welcoming place. He has many friends across the diocese, in the wider Church of England, and even in the Windward Islands where he once served as Director of Education. It was Dean Robinson who officially installed me in the stall of St Andrew in the Cathedral, shortly after my consecration, inaugurating my own close connection to the Cathedral. Fr Ken's wife Merry told me that despite being ill for several months, he died at peace, ha...

In 2008, an Anglican Communion report on interfaith relations entitled Generous Love , called upon Anglicans to practise "the embassy and hospitality of God". As an embassy, as ambassadors, we have been entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation. The challenges of hospitality include building relationships of trust and respect. Generous Love has an important and insightful sentence: "none of the places, situations or societies where we meet and greet are the exclusive territory of any one group; they are entrusted by God to be shared by everyone, since all humans are made in God's image".   I reflected on this today. The great  building and world heritage site which is Hagia Sophia in Istanbul was built as a cathedral in 537 and served as the seat of the Patriarch of Constantinople until the Ottoman capture of the city in 1453. It was then turned into a mosque. So it has been in its history a sacred space for both Christians and Muslims. In 1934 the...

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:

Here is something of interest to those in the diocese and beyond, who are keen to learn about our Anglican Communion's official dialogue and relations with the Roman Catholic Church. (And perhaps to know what it is I do as Co-Chairman of the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission!) This is a series of 3 seminars, online, sponsored by the Anglican Centre in Rome. The official invitation is here: H.G. Archbishop Ian, Director of The Anglican Centre in Rome, is delighted to invite you to attend ACR Petertide  online interactive course subdivided into three sessions on Ecumenism, examining the work of the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC) and the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity and Mission (IARCCUM). Course one, on the history and foundations of Arcic I and the beginnings of Arcic II and the Lambeth Conference of 1988, will be held on Monday 29 June – the feast of Sts Peter and Paul. Speakers wi...

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