REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY

Today I was the celebrant and preacher at a Solemn Requiem Mass at St. Alban’s, Romford. It was the parade service for the Scouts, Cubs and Beavers. A full church gathered to remember with thanks those who paid the supreme sacrifice in two world wars and countless other conflicts including those have died more recently in Afghanistan. One of the Scouters read the Epistle and some of the Scouts and Cubs led the Intercessions. Father Hingley, the Vicar, was supporting the main civic service as Mayor’s Chaplain.

In my homily I related the story of Raimund Sanders Draper, a British born American who joined the RAF and was stationed at Hornchurch. On take of one day, he realised that his spitfire was going to crash and would hit the nearby school known as Suttons. He took immediate avoiding action which he knew would mean his own death but which would save the lives of the children in the school. In his honour, the school name was changed to Sanders Draper School. I reminded everybody that Jesus had said “Greater love has no man than this, that a person lays down his life for his friends” Those who had died in wars had done just that.

We kept the two minutes silence at 11.00 a.m. followed by the National Anthem. After the service I went to the hall to enjoy a very welcome cup of coffee.

Malala Yousafzai

One month ago 15-year old Malala Yousafzai was shot in Pakistan for campaigning to ensure all girls have access to education.

Her bravery has sparked a global movement and thousands have signed a petition calling on UK politicians to nominate her for the the Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous work.

Click here to join me and sign the petition: www.change.org/nobelformalala

Members of Parliament are able to nominate individuals for the Nobel Peace Prize and already UK Foreign Secretary William Hague has indicated that Malala's actions are worthy of considering for the prize.

Malala doesn’t just represent one young woman. She speaks out for all those who are denied an education purely on the basis of their gender.

Please help reach 100,000 signatures globally by joining me and signing this petition: www.change.org/nobelformalala

THE NEW ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

 

After several days of leaks and speculation it has been announced from 10 Downing Street that The Rt. Revd Justin Welby, Bishop of Durham is to be the new and 105th Archbishop of Canterbury.

As he prepares for his translation. and when he takes up his new appointment, he will need the support of our prayers

THE ELECTION

Today the electorate of the USA go to the polls to elect their next President. Will it be the present President Barack Obama or contender Mitt Romney? Some opinion polls record that they are running neck to neck and that the result is too close to call whilst other say that Obama is slightly ahead. We will know the result in the next 24 hours or so. There are 11 swing states which could go either way, with the three holding the most electoral college votes being Florida (29), Pennsylvania (20) and Ohio (18)

Who ever is elected faces a mammoth task as President of one of. if not the, most powerful nations on earth. At the same time, all the House of Representatives and one-third of the Senate is also up for election.

Who ever wins it is important for the UK due to the close ties we have with the USA and it is for this reason that just lately we have had at least half of the News Programmes devoted to what is happening in America. I, for one, will be mighty glad when the result is announced and we can get back to hearing what else is happening in the UK and the rest of the world. When the dust has settled, when the new President has been announced and he is sworn in either for a final four year term or for a new four year term, please keep him in your prayers as he undertakes this mind boggling job.

ON A BEAR HUNT!

Yesterday evening Ann and I were just finishing dinner when the phone rang. On the line was a distressed daughter. It seemed that our granddaughter had lost her bear named Sally and the thought was it had probably been left in church. A quick phone call to Father Martin and he proceeded to search the church, the church grounds and the church car park. Nothing found. We kept getting increasingly tearful phone calls; my granddaughter would not settle until Sally was found.

In something like sheer desperation, we decided to go and do another search at church although I was convinced that Sally Bear was at R & S’s house somewhere. We did another extensive search of church, grounds, car park, toilets, play area, etc.etc. but we found no bear. We were very grateful to Father Martin who, having already undertaken one comprehensive search, came and did another with us. We had several phone calls during the proceedings from a daughter who by now was totally convinced that Sally Bear would never be found. Being the sympathetic parents and grandparents that we are, we decided that we would go to their house, as I remained convinced the bear was there, hiding somewhere.

When we arrived we found two distressed parents and one distressed granddaughter – the other being fast asleep. We had a quick look round but saw nothing remotely like Sally Bear. We sat and talked, comforted our granddaughter and then R decided to tidy up. She opened a box to put away a toy and there in the box was ………………you guessed………………….Sally Bear. How she got in the box nobody knew (or at least admitted). My granddaughter went to bed tightly cuddling her bear whilst R & S and Ann collapsed in a flood of tears of relief. The bear that was lost had been found!

We quickly phoned and told Father Martin the good news and then returned home to do the washing up we had left when we went out. What a perfect end to the day!

NOT FIT FOR PURPOSE

The following Press Release was issued by GRAS in October and demonstrates quite clearly that if the legislation is passed for women to be consecrated as Bishops, Catholics will no longer be welcome as part of the Church of England by the supporters of GRAS. But this is nothing new; it has always been the case that Catholics are neither wanted nor will be able to continue as ordinands;  they will be required to assert that which no true Catholic believes that women can be both priests or bishops if GRAS obtains its objectives.

THE GRAS PRESS RELEASE

The l993 Act of Synod should be rescinded as a precondition of new legislation.

A single enabling Measure to give clarity and affirmation to women’s full and equal status in all three orders of ministry. The legislation must be unconditional, with no discriminatory provisions.

A Code of Practice designed to recognise that there are essential elements of trust which need to be restored. The integrity and authority of the episcopate must be restored through the assignment of trust in each diocesan bishop, who should be responsible for provisions judged to be right for any in his or her care.

A commitment that, since the Church has accepted the principle of the orders of women as priests and bishops, in future all those being ordained should openly accept those orders as valid in accordance with the existing ecclesiastical rule (Canon A4).

The statement shows very clearly that a Code of Practice, to quote that old cliché, is not fit for purpose. The Bishops Amended clause (5) 1(c) has inserted the word “respect” and it now reads that the Code should cover "the selection of male bishops and male priests in a manner which respects the grounds on which Parochial Church Councils issue Letters of Request under section 3". The only way a Bishop’s decision can be challenged under this legislation will be by means of a Judicial Review which most parishes won’t be able to afford.

GRAS states that “the integrity………..of the episcopate must be restored through the assignment of trust in each diocesan bishop”. It is a sad but well acknowledged fact that some of our Bishops have done everything they can to undo Resolutions passed under the Act of Synod when parishes have become vacant and this despite the fact that it was against the ethos of the Act of Synod for them to do so. Where was the “integrity” in that. Are they going to change their ways now? I doubt it. Of course not every bishop has acted in this way but some have and I suspect that in the future, unless there is water tight legal protection they will not hesitate to do so again. The present legislation is not fit for purpose and must be defeated.

BIBLE WEEK AT THE SHRINE OF OUR LADY OF WALSINGHAM

Ann and I have been in Walsingham from Monday to Friday on the second Bible Week, which has replaced the conferences which were held for a number of years first at Caister and then at Pakefield Holiday Camps. Our accommodation was in the Milner Wing which is excellent and en suite. After breakfast, we met in Walsingham Roman Catholic Church for the Keynote Address. The week was based on St. Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians. On Tuesday a really first class address was given  by Bishop John Taylor who, until he retired, was Bishop of St. Albans.On Wednesday and Thursday they were given by Bishop Lindsay Urwin OGS. Each afternoon there were optional seminars and then at 5.45 p.m. there was  Solemn Mass in the Shrine Church.

The food, the choice, the quality and quantity served in the Refectory is excellent and we were offered three cooked meals a day with an alternative of the Salad Bar at lunch and dinner.

Every evening, after dinner there was a different service and these included The Ministry of Healing and Songs of Praise. It is intended to make these weeks an annual event. This year all the Shrine Accommodation was used plus some of the accommodation at the RC accommodation building. There were around 220 people present for a truly wonderful week.