Annual Conference of the Archdiocese of Europe,  2009.

 

The Need For Plain Speaking!

 

At St. Mary and St. John’s Church, Madeley Heath, England.

 

Friday / Saturday  8th / 9th May 2009

 

After assembling at St. Mary and St. John’s Church, Madeley Heath on the Friday evening the Conference commenced with Sung Vespers followed by Benediction.

 

After the opening prayers and welcome the Archbishop delivered his Charge to the Conference.

 

 

The Archbishop delivers his charge watched by Bishop Törner.

 

The report on attendance including apologies for absence due to ill health from Archdeacon Roberts and Deacon Lynch, was followed by the declaration of a quorum. The appointment of tellers was deferred until their requirement was necessary.

 

The minutes of the 2008 Conference were accepted, and there were no matters arising therefrom.

 

Two new members of the Archbishop’s Council of Advice were elected; Deacon Henchliffe, who had previously been co-opted, from the House of Clergy, and Ellen Spalton from the House of Laity.

 

A vote of thanks was extended to Archdeacon Roberts for his acting as correspondent to the Charities Commission, and upon his decision to relinquish this responsibility as a result of ill health Subdeacon Spalton was named as the new correspondent.

 

The Bursar delivered her report which was accepted, and she then outlined the proposed budget for 2010.

 

 

The Bursar delivers her report

 

The Conference was then adjourned until the following day, and fellowship followed during light refreshments.

 

 

The Conference recommenced on the following Saturday morning.

 

Reports were received from:-

                             a)  Bishop Garner on the Archbishop’s Council of Advice.

                             b)  The Chancellor.

                             c)  The Archivist.

                             d)  Bishop Garner on Ministry Training.

 

 

The Archbishop and Bishop Garner listen to one of the reports.

 

Fr William Campbell delivered an enlightening address on the reason for, need for and methods of evangelisation. This was followed by a lengthy discussion on this subject involving suggestions of how, when and where; publications and other material need to support evangelisation, It was agreed that a practical start should be made on the ground in Liverpool on Saturday 13^th June 2009.

 

 

 

Fr Campbell delivers his address on Evangelisation.

 

Reports were received from the following Missions:-

                             Sweden – Bishop Ralph Törner.

                             St. John the Baptist, Hale – Fr John Milnes.

                             St. Columba, Burnley – Fr John Milnes.

                             Liverpool – Fr David Valentine.

                             Corpus Christi, Blackhall – Fr Alan Bowser.

                             The Order of St. Benedict – Prior Fr James Pattison.

                             The Cathedral, Our Lady of Grace – Fr Michael Voinus.

 

 

 

 

Bishop Ralph reports on The Missionary District of Sweden.

 

The need for a new Clergy Directory, which is in slow preparation, was raised.

 

The Archdiocesan Retreat for 2010 has been organised for Monday 22^nd March to Wednesday  24^th March at Wistaston Hall, Crewe.

 

Architectural drawings of the new Cathedral, recently received from the Architect, were available for inspection.

 

The date of the 2010 Archdiocesan Conference was determined as Friday 7^th / Saturday 8^th, hopefully at the new Cathedral. 

 

Before Mass members of the Clergy renewed their vows and Members of the Order of St Benedict renewed their oblations. A Sung Mass was celebrated by the Archbishop.

 

                         

 

           Members of the Order of S. Benedict renew their Oblation.                    Members of the Clergy renew their vows.

 

                                                                            

                 Deacon Henchliffe sings the Gospel at Mass.                                         During the Canon of the Mass.

 

The Conference ended with the Archbishops Assent, closing prayers, and Proroguement.

 

The text of the Archbishop’s Charge.

 

I was in the room of an hotel in El Paso, almost on the border of Mexico, just over two weeks ago and I sat talking with Bishop James Moore, the assistant bishop in the diocese of Rio Grande. Referring to his congregation in Farmington, he said he had endured sleepless nights in that he was getting few converts. But I will quote what he then said to me: 

 

“I think of this Church as being like a tree waiting to blossom. We have been in the business of planting it, seeing that it gets plenty of plant food, and the time is fast approaching when it will burst out into in a lovely blossom. This may not be in our time, but it will happen because we are on the right track.” He concluded saying, “what we are about is of God."  I have to say that, knowing the bishop as I do, I was taken aback by his definite and supremely confident statement.

 

Today I would like to ponder our growth, and especially here in the United Kingdom. Or perhaps I should say our lack of growth. From where I sit, I have to state quite categorically, fewer than we would have liked were received into the Church since our conference of last year.  This is truly lamentable.  Something is missing in our outreach. The divine command is that we go forth and make disciples but this we are not doing.  One thing for sure is that there is a great harvest of souls out there, and we are not reaching them.   We need to look to the tree we have planted and ensure that it is well looked after. If we do not it could whither away.

 

In our country signs are that many folk, particularly the young, are searching - a feeling that something is missing. In short, there is a spiritual hunger but they do not recognize it as such.  Statistics show that, in increasing numbers, some are turning to false religions - and it would appear that a main attraction is Islam. The religions that attract most, it would seem, are those that make demands on there adherents. 

 

During the last few months I’ve been talking to a lot with young folk as well as those not so young. Almost without exception when there was even a mention of Christianity there was a complete turn off.  But questioning them was enlightening.  Here is a selection of what they had to say.

 

“Don’t talk to me about Christianity; it stands for nothing in practice.”

 

“O yes, its alright on paper, as for instance in the Sermon On The Mount, and that bit about loving our enemies, but I don’t see any evidence of Christians living up to it. They’re just like unbelievers. As for the C of E and Anglicanism; that church stands for nothing - a do as you please religion." Another said, - "I was brought up a Roman Catholic but the RC Church is now so much changed that its almost like all the rest. There was a time when we were taught to live a strict Christian life, with the duty of attending Sunday Mass and making a regular Confession and fasting, but not any more, it’s now a matter of pleasing yourself.”

 

A young American man said to me quite recently something I’ve always said: “A religion that costs nothing is worth nothing.”

 

Of this I am convinced, that a demanding religions, be it either false or true, that calls for self sacrifice,  is a compelling attraction to many folk, and especially the present younger generation.

 

Wasn’t Jesus Christ always making demands, calling for self-renunciation during his earthly ministry?  His demands for discipleship are summed up in the words. If you do not renounce yourself you cannot be my disciple. As a teenager wondering about the meaning of life a picture I came across still sticks in my mind. It was of Jesus making his way up a lonely hill carrying on his shoulders a huge cross The hill bore the sign ‘Calvary is this way’ and Jesus, looking behind him to the few whom he called his friends, called out to them, “You cannot be my friends unless you follow me up this hill and take up a cross”. Underneath was the caption, “Unless you renounce yourself, you can have no relationship with me at all.”

 

I was once invited to meeting in El Paso, I think it was called the Four Square Gospel for business men. One thing I do remember about the meeting was that it started with a lot of extemporary prayers and everybody swore allegiance to the USA flag during which I stood there silently, none participating and the looks I got were unnerving; although they knew I was not a USA citizen. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so non-participating because earlier that very day I was made an honorary citizen of El Paso by the mayor of El Paso in a public ceremony. But I could not in conscience swear allegiance to the USA at that meeting.

 

However a business man stood up and went on to speak about how he came to be a practicing Christian. He said that he had one time rejected Christianity as it seemed to appeal solely to neurotics, those who wanted a tranquiller to help them face the reality of life, a crutch as it were.  But, he went to say that, seeing the tough business men who were Christians he had changed his mind. True Christian Faith, he had come realise, he said, was not a pink pill for semi-neurotics to help them face life; no, it was a challenge to self denial and courage. This, he said, had attracted red-blooded men and women throughout the centuries, and it had attracted him.

 

Do not ever think that a watered down Christian faith will attract. It may do for while but it wont stick.

 

I say therefore to all our faithful clergy and laity. Do not be reticent about making the demands of the Faith known to those whom you seek to convert. Do not wrap up the Faith as a matter of come day go day, do as you please. You may conclude that it will only put folk off if you do spell out the demands.  May be so.  Jesus told the rich young man that he would need to give everything up if he wanted to follow him. But the rich young man turned away from the challenge, but Jesus didn’t call him back and make it easy for him. A diminished demand of a disciplined faith is not the way of Christ Jesus, as any brief reading of the four gospels will reveal.

 

In my recent stay in San Antonio I got into conversation with a man who was regarded by his priest and fellow church members as a model for others to emulate, a way of church life to follow.  I said to him, you have told me that sometimes you miss Sunday Mass when your friends invite you to a round of golf, don’t you think then you have committed grave sin. No, he abruptly replied.  Do you ever go to confession, never, was his answer.  Don’t you think you ought to I then asked? No, was his reply, I’ve no sins to confess.  

 

This was a man to whom newcomers especially looked up to as a good example of what it means to be a member of this Catholic Church. I left him with these words, in calling yourself a Catholic, as you do constantly, I have to tell you that you are nothing of the kind, and you should not receive Holy Communion again until you are converted. The adage of a bad apple in the barrel rotting the whole lot of apples came to mind.

 

I ask the question, are there bad apples in our mission here in this country.  I used to think, if there are, let them alone; they’ll come to the Faith in time. But we have now gone beyond that stage, this must be so if, to quote Bishop Moore, the tree we have planted is one day going to blossom. To leave the bad apple in place could leave the whole barrel to rot.

 

I’m as fully aware of the consequences of spelling out the demands of the Faith as anybody else. Some of our congregants may walk away.  Sadly, I have to say, let them. Some have had their chance now over a long period of time, and there is still rejection of the demands of Catholic membership.  This, I must however add, is a matter for the pastoral sensitivity of an individual pastor. My function in the matter is solely that of general guidance. He must direct the way.

 

It was in 1993 and the year after my consecration as a bishop by Anglican bishops that the Anglican Catholic Church Archbishop Lewes received a written request from the Orthodox Church of America asking for details of membership in the ACC. In other words, what did the Anglican Catholic Church believe? I was involved in the tasking of replying. I sent the Orthodox all I could find that would answer their question, canons, constitution, all of which clearly spelled out the duty of attendance at Sunday Mass, confession, fasting and so on.  Two years later Archbishop Lewis received a written response from the Orthodox. I remember well their key remarks. They went like this; you people have one Faith on paper but another in practice.  We have been observing your people and some of your priests; they do not follow in practice what your documents prescribe. Few of you go to confession and receive absolution, there is no evidence that Sunday liturgy is seen as a duty, and there is scarcely any fasting whatsoever. You have one religion on paper but a different one in practice.

 

As I look around the whole of this church worldwide, with a few exceptions, that reply of the Orthodox to the ACC could to some extent be addressed to us. 

 

The gist of my charge today, as your Archbishop as well as your Bishop Ordinary, is that, if we are to fill the vacuum in the Western Hemisphere created by the apostasy of the Church of Rome, aware that the Eastern Orthodox have never attempted to form an Western Orthodox Church to fill that vacuum, then we must BE that Church in a far more credible manner than we are presently doing.  The first necessary step in this is to ensure that Catholic discipline is not just to be found written in our canons, but clearly reflected in the lives of our laity and I may add, also in our clergy.

 

Change must begin, and it must begin now, today. This is necessary if the tree we planted many years ago; planted, I may add with much self-sacrifice and sufferings engendered by betrayals and much else; is, to quote Bishop Moore, to blossom out for all to see and to recognise us for what we are: the restored Catholic and Orthodox Church in the Western Hemisphere. 

 

May Christ Jesus who has called each one of us here today, by name, generously enable us to respond more fully to His call to be the Church of His founding: Catholic with unchanging and unchangeable Orthodox Faith, here and now.