Bishop William Kenney and Mgr Canon Timothy Menezes, the Vicar General, spoke to parishioners both before and after the 10.45am Mass.

Bishop William Kenney CP, Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham.

The Most Reverend Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, sent a special message to the parishioners of St John’s Banbury. It was read by Mgr Menezes at the start of Mass.

Archbishop Longley wrote: “Dear Canon Mervyn Tower and dear Parishioners, I want to thank you for welcoming Bishop William and Mgr Timothy, the Vicar General, as they visit the parish on my behalf this weekend.

“I have asked them to come on this special pastoral visit following the trial and conviction of Bede Walsh at Stoke on Trent earlier this month.  The unfolding of these events will undoubtedly have brought their share of confusion, sadness and suffering within your own parish.

“I know that you will appreciate that I cannot enter here into great detail about all the events or news that have been so disturbing over recent weeks.  But at the same time it can never be helpful to our spiritual wellbeing to try to block out such things entirely from our prayers.

“As we begin the season of Lent we ask our Lord to brings wholeness and healing into our lives and the lives of all those who suffer as individuals or as communities.  Sometimes a wound has to be exposed to the light of day before it can begin to heal.  We are strengthened and re-assured when we see the compassion of Christ and his readiness to help us.

“I realise that for many this will be a difficult moment in the life of the parish.  Yet it is also a moment when your witness as the Catholic community of Banbury is more than ever important.  It is never easy to be under scrutiny or to know that we are being watched critically by others, and yet it is in these very circumstances that we can reflect most powerfully the love of God that we ourselves have received and the faith that sustains us.

The Archbishop of Birmingham emphasised: “When there is any betrayal of trust in the Church we are all affected.  It contradicts the Gospel that anyone should look for the presence of Christ only for their faith in his Church to be undermined.  It can be a long and difficult journey to find peace of mind and to build up sufficient confidence once again to approach the Church’s ministers in the search for understanding, spiritual guidance and support.

“It is only right that we expect those who are ordained to reflect the compassionate presence of Jesus among us.  I am grateful that our parish communities are very rarely disappointed in this expectation.  I ask you to pray especially for all those who have pastoral responsibility in the Church.”

Archbishop Longley concluded his message: “During the Papal Visit in September 2010, on the day before he beatified Blessed John Henry Newman, Pope Benedict XVI preached in Westminster Cathedral, spoke some powerful words.

Pope Benedict said: ‘I think of the immense suffering caused by the abuse of children, especially within the Church and by her ministers. Above all, I express my deep sorrow to the innocent victims of these unspeakable crimes, along with my hope that the power of Christ’s grace, his sacrifice of reconciliation, will bring deep healing and peace to their lives. I also acknowledge, with you, the shame and humiliation which all of us have suffered because of these sins; and I invite you to offer it to the Lord with trust that this chastisement will contribute to the healing of the victims, the purification of the Church and the renewal of her age-old commitment to the education and care of young people.’

 “Pope Benedict concluded: ‘I express my gratitude for the efforts being made to address this problem responsibly, and I ask all of you to show your concern for the victims and solidarity with your priests.’”

Archbishop Bernard Longley added: “May these wise words help us to move forward and witness more effectively over the coming weeks of Lent to the loving presence of Christ.  He is in the midst of this parish community of yours which he loves and will always guide.  May he bless you and lead you safely to the joyful celebration of his resurrection this Easter.”

Today in our diocese we celebrate the Feast of Blessed John Henry Newman. His motto “Cor ad Cor Loquitur” embraces all that we gather to celebrate and thank God for.

“Cor ad Cor Loquitur” calls to mind the visit of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom just over a year ago and the Papal Mass, celebrated not far from here in Cofton Park when John Henry Newman, a priest of this diocese, was declared Blessed.

Canon Gerry Breen, Dean of St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham, pictured during his homily, on Sunday 9 October 2011.

Many here today will also remember, and were present at the first Papal Visit when Blessed John Paul II celebrated Mass and the Sacrament of Confirmation at Coventry in 1982.

Then, as last year, members of our Lourdes Hospitalité were involved in organising and providing medical care for pilgrims. Dr Pat was very much at the centre of things on both those wonderful occasions. As we know, Pat is not one to be found on the periphery!

In his homily for the Mass of Beatification Pope Benedict said in reference to Cardinal Newman’s motto: “Heart speaks unto heart gives us an insight into John Henry’s understanding of the Christian life as a call to holiness, experienced as the profound desire of the human heart to enter into intimate communion with the Heart of God.”  (Homily of Pope Benedict XVI Cofton Park, 19.09.2010)

Even now when recalling the days of the Holy Father’s visit we remember how “as believers we were indeed united as one heart one soul” (Acts 4:32)

The invitation to “intimate communion with the Heart of God” comes from the Father’s abundant free gift to each one of us – it is never our invitation but His– we just have to accept.

The Scripture for today reminds us of this invitation too.

The first reading from the Prophet Isaiah speaks of something more than an invitation to a “candle lit supper” to be enjoyed with friends. It is a divine banquet that is a sign of God’s limitless love and self-giving to his people within the parameters of time and space, as well as the pledge of the eternal kingdom of heaven.  (cf. Is 25:6-10)

Jesus, the self-giving of the Father made flesh, reminds us in the Gospel of Matthew that our response to the invitation must be generous – otherwise others will be invited instead! (cf. Matt 22:1-14).

Accepting this invitation can influence the choice of vocation we follow in life; and a true vocation, whatever form it takes, is that which builds up the living Body of Christ the Church; and, as St. Paul reminded us in our Second Reading: “There is nothing we cannot master with the help of the One who gives us strength.” (Phil:4: 12-14.19-20)

Today we are particularly mindful of those amongst us whose acceptance of that invitation of the Father led them to serve the needs of humanity in the medical profession and followed their vocation as a doctor.

Now to young Patricia Sabina Crosby and how she responded to her invitation. I managed to get hold of a copy of Pat’s C.V. and you will be interested, though not surprised to learn that she listed her hobbies as Music, Art, and Talking – or does it say Walking? Surprisingly enough there is no mention of her interest in fashion!?

Pat was born in Liverpool and raised in Oxton on the Wirral; and we know that when she is in full flight that lovely Liverpool accent comes to the fore!

Pat was a boarder at St Winifred’s Convent, Holy Well in North Wales. Her school reports never said: “Could do better” rather the nuns feared that “nothing will become of this girl!”

Canon Gerry Breen and Dr Patricia Crosby pictured outside St Chad's Cathedral after the Investiture, on 9 October 2011.

However, her mother had other ideas and a greater insight into the capabilities of her daughter and she decided that Pat should be a doctor. So Pat arrived at Edinburgh University to study medicine. A contemporary at University was a young student called Keith O’Brien, later to become Archbishop of St Andrew’s and Edinburgh and Cardinal for Scotland.

In a recent gathering Pat exclaimed with a little faux surprise “how strange it was that most of her male friends were priests and bishops!”  I know she is delighted with the presence of so many of her male friends here today – especially her “boys” – our younger clergy!

Graduating in 1961 Pat served as a House Physician and Surgeon in a number of Edinburgh’s hospitals working in Oncology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Pat moved into General Practice in New Malden, Kingston-on-Thames, where she nurtured her interest in uniforms as Medical Practitioner to RAF, Chessington, and Medical Officer to Richmond Prison for Young Offenders.

In 1970 she moved to Nuneaton, intending to stay for just six months; and she’s still there!

The C.V. continues:       A member of the Guild of Catholic Doctors; Chairman, twice, of North Warwickshire B.M.A.; Trustee of the Mary Anne Evans Hospice; founder member of the Lourdes Medical Association in 1974 serving on their Council for 34 years; since 1998 she has been a member of the Archbishop’s Advisory Committee on Women’s Affairs. And so the list goes on!

Pat’s involvement as a doctor with the Birmingham Lourdes Pilgrimage began in 1972; and, thankfully, that has become a major part of her life ever since. The only break she has taken since that time was to care for her late mother, whom she affectionately refers to as Mummy.

Mummy, Sabina Ann, was a real mulier fortis! A strong woman who not only gave but  expected nothing less than the highest of standards from Pat, and indeed from all people! She never suffered fools gladly! Mummy was very particular about her appearance and her dress – insisting on nothing but the very best in haute couture – in garments – both seen and unseen! And we wonder where Pat got it from – like Mother like Daughter!

Pat should you ever need a Latin motto, I would like to suggest one: ‘Cor regat caput’ which loosely translates as ‘The heart rules the head’.

In these days of political correctness, red tape, bureaucracy and risk assessment, people who let their hearts rule their heads can be some of the most frustrating of all; and I know that over the years Dr Pat has exasperated more than Tony Flanagan, even the odd Bishop!

Yet, those who let their hearts rule their heads are often the most compassionate of all. I would like to share with you one anecdote that illustrates this in relation to Pat; and it goes part of the way to explain why we hold her in such high regard both as a medic and a friend.

Some years ago we were asked to take a very sick man to Lourdes. He was in the advanced stages of carcinoma of the throat which was inoperable. Logic, reason and insurers dictated that we should not take him. Even some of Pat’s colleagues thought it too great a risk. But her heart ruled her head, and she insisted that he was precisely the type of pilgrim we should be taking to Lourdes. John joined us on pilgrimage and, as always, we had a wonderful week.

When it came to leave Lourdes on the Friday, our Sick Pilgrims were all gathered in the transit lounge of the Accuiel awaiting transport to the train station to begin the overland journey home.

By now John was gravely ill, and there was an acute possibility of the cancer rupturing the carotid artery. In a baggage room, John, fully conscious, was anointed in danger of death.

Reason, logic and the dreaded insurers once more insisted that John could not and should not risk the return journey home. John knew how close to death he was and asked not to be left behind. Pat stood her ground and yes there were words exchanged; but John was coming home – she refused to leave him!

Provision had to be made on the train; a compartment was commandeered and covered in plastic sheeting from floor to ceiling should the worst happen. John arrived on the platform and was passed through the window on his stretcher.

When it came to Night Prayers, broadcast over the intercom, John himself requested if we could sing the hymn Bread of Life?  Mike Stanley and Jo Boyce readily obliged. (And it’s good to have Mike and Jo here with us today).

The train carrying almost 400 pilgrims settled down very quickly on that return journey as John was very much in our thoughts and prayers. Pat sat on the floor of the carriage throughout the night re-assuring John and praying with him. A number of our young people kept vigil in the corridor outside should anything be needed. One was even delegated to take care of a handbag purchased in Madrid.

Arriving at Calais Ville in the early hours John was transferred to the Jumbulance for the ferry home. He was so grateful not to have been left behind. On the journey up through England, John passed away quite peacefully and without struggle just outside of Oxford. One of many grace filled happenings which we refer to as “Lourdes Moments.”

There have been many more occasions when Pat let her ‘heart rule her head’ whether in General Practice or as Medical Director for our Pilgrimage – occasions motivated by her compassion and care for both pilgrim and patient.

But there is a caution whenever the heart rules the head. For as scripture teaches: ‘It is the good man who draws what is good from the store of goodness in his heart….. For a man’s words flow out of what fills his heart.’ (Luke 6:45)

So, what is it that fills our hearts? We know of two things that fill Pat’s heart. First, her firm conviction of the intervention of Our Lady of Lourdes in her life. She has never failed you Pat or any of us when we have sought her intercession! Secondly, and more importantly, it is Pat’s love and devotion to the Mass which continues to nourish her vocation to be the caring and compassionate woman we know and love.

When speaking of the Most Holy Eucharist, in his “Apologia pro vita sua”, Blessed John Henry Newman said this: “The personal structure of Christianity finds its most intimate expression in Holy Mass, the source and summit of Christian life. In the mystery of the Eucharist, God never ceases to speak to us cor ad cor. When we receive the Lord in Holy Communion we can communicate in a most special way with God cor ad cor. Receiving the Body of Christ, we become what we are, the Body of Christ. Thus we are enabled to pass on the Good News cor ad cor.” (Apologia pro vita sua {26})

Dear Pat, for your acceptance of that invitation to intimate communion and for how that cor ad cor has found expression in your professional life of service to the Church and others, it is fitting that the Holy Father recognises this and confers on you the high dignity of a Dame of the Order of Pope St. Sylvester.

We join with him in giving thanks for you today as once more we enter into that most intimate of communions: the Mass. May Our Lady of Lourdes continue to intercede for you and each one of us; and may God, the Father of all compassion, grant you every grace and blessing now and always.

The official presentation took place in the sacristy at Westminster Cathedral shortly before  the Mass of Thanksgiving for the Anniversary of the State Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom.

Mr Fergal Martin, General Secretary of the Catholic Truth Society first presented a beautifully bound copy of the Roman Missal, in the new English translation, to Archbishop Vincent Nichols.

He then presented a copy to the Right Reverend Arthur Roche, Bishop of Leeds, Chairman of the Department for Christian Life and Worship of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, and also of the International Commission on English in the Liturgy (ICEL).

Presentation - Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Bishop Arthur Roche and Fergal Martin, General Secretary of the CTS, Sunday 18 September 2011.

During a short address Fergal Martin said: “To publish the Roman Missal is, for a Catholic publisher, a dream beyond compare. Nothing could or has given the CTS such great satisfaction and pleasure in its 143 years.”

Mr Martin added: “We truly hope the volume adds beauty to the celebration of the liturgy and plays its small part in calling the faithful to prayer and to faith.”

Pope Benedict XVI in his address to the Bishops of England, Scotland and Wales at St Mary’s College Oscott, on Sunday 19 September 2010, said: “I encourage you now to seize the opportunity that the new translation offers for in-depth catechesis on the Eucharist and renewed devotion in the manner of its celebration.”

Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Bishop Arthur Roche greeted Mr Fergal Martin, General Secretary of the CTS and members of his excellent team including Pierpaolo Finaldi, and Richard Brown, and their spouses.

The President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, Archbishop Vincent Nichols, warmly thanked the CTS for all their dedicated and hard work in producing such a splendid volume that he said would  play a vital role in the life of the Catholic Church for many years to come.

The assembled Bishops of England and Wales and ecumenical guests and servers present in the sacristy applauded in appreciation.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols and Bishop Arthur Roche.

Presentation of the new Roman Missal containing the new English Translation of the Mass.

Mr Fergal Martin, General Secretary of the CTS, his wife and Pierpaolo Finaldi a member of his excellent team.

Archbishop Nichols presented and read extracts from the Message from the Bishops’ Conference made public on the Anniversary of the Papal Visit.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, addressing the seminaries of England and Wales, in Westminster Cathedral Hall, on Sunday 18 September 2011.

Deacon Michael Glover*, aged 25, a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Birmingham, responded on behalf of all the seminarians present.

He began: “Most Reverend Father, on behalf of the seminarians of England and Wales who are here, the formation staff from our venerable institutions and everyone else who finds themselves here today, I would like to thank you for those thought-provoking reflections on the Papal Visit to the United Kingdom. Thank you also for bringing us here together.

“When I was asked to say a few words, after an initial moment of panic, I took solace from a cup of tea which I drank from my ‘Heart Speaks unto Heart’ official Papal Visit mug.  Then reclining in my chair, I thought back to the events of last year.”

Deacon Michael Glover, seminarian for the Archdiocese of Birmingham, pictured during his address in Westminster Cathedral Hall on Sunday 18 September 2011.

Deacon Glover said: One of the most profound moments for me, during the Papal Visit, was when we all met at Oscott after the Mass of Beatification at Cofton Park.  The whole shape and character of that last part of the visit had the sense of a family event. The Bishops gathered around the Bishop of Rome and the seminarians gathered around their Holy Father.

“The footage of the Holy Father’s visit to Oscott, and in particular, the photograph with the seminarians on the front steps of Oscott, has had over 5,000 hits on ‘You Tube’.  That is not quite as many as Susan Boyle but 5,000 hits is a significant number. It’s more than seminarians trying to spot themselves on television!”

Deacon Glover emphasised: “That photograph of the seminarians of this country surrounding the Holy Father was extraordinary.  It was clear that there was a love for the Holy Father. It was clear that there was a common desire among everyone on those steps, to follow Christ and serve him authentically.

“That photo on the steps of Oscott was not just an opportune snap shot for a newspaper or magazine.  It was an image of hope for the Catholic community in the United Kingdom.”

Deacon Glover stressed: “The Lord still calls men to the priesthood and there are men listening to that call and answering it.  Gathered on those steps we, as seminarians, said to the people of this country that the future is hopeful, there is something worthwhile in following Christ’s call to the priesthood.”

Deacon Michael Glover concluded: “Most Reverend Father, thank you once again for that powerful reflection. Thank you for bringing us together once again as we gather to commemorate the Holy Father’s visit to these Isles.  Thank you for bringing us together, bishops, seminarians, formation staff and vocations directors, to draw strength and support from each other’s presence.

“In the Archdiocese of Birmingham, at ordinations, you often encouraged men to the priesthood with the words: “Look around you, priests come in all shapes and sizes”.

“Looking around it seems that some things do not change. As you look on us, the future clergy of the United Kingdom, I pray that you may see what many people saw on the steps of Oscott, hope for the future. Thank you.”

*Deacon Michael Glover is currently in his last year at St Mary’s College Oscott where he is Dean of Seminarians and preparing for priestly ordination in the coming year. He is originally from Nuneaton.

Deacon Michael Glover, seminarian for the Archdiocese of Birmingham

Archbishop Bernard Longley, Archbishop of Birmingham, pictured in Westminster Cathedral Hall

Bishop David McGough, Auxiliary Bishop of Birmingham and Sister Luke Lennon, Assistant to Archbishop Bernard Longley at Archbishop's House, Birmingham, pictured in Westminster Cathedral Hall.

One year ago, the landmark visit of Pope Benedict gave millions of British Catholics an opportunity to celebrate their faith, while sharing a powerful message with everyone in our country about the importance of compassion, tolerance and justice.

The Pope’s message is just as relevant today. The shocking riots in the UK underline that we need more than ever to build a new culture of social responsibility and develop strong and powerful communities as we deal with tough economic challenges.

We should also be proud that Britain’s generosity is saving the lives of millions in East Africa and countless others affected by disasters across the globe.

I am deeply proud of the enormous contribution people of faith have made to our society and look forward to continuing our ever closer cooperation between the UK and the Holy See as we work for the common good.

The Mass was attended by those who made a particular contribution to the organization of the successful Papal Visit. All of the Bishops of England & Wales, along with seminarians, attended as they remembered the historic meeting of the Holy Father with the Bishops and seminarians at St Mary’s College, Oscott, on Sunday 19 September, 2010, following the beatification of Blessed John Henry Newman by Pope Benedict XVI at Cofton Park, Birmingham that morning.

Bishop Philip Pargeter pictured in the procession before Mass in Westminster Cathedral, on 18 September 2011.

Archbishop Bernard Longley pictured in the procession.

At the start of Mass Archbishop Vincent Nichols, Archbishop of Westminster and President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, welcomed everyone and mentioned a number of people by name. These included: Simon Martin, the Director of Protocol and Vice Marshal of the Diplomatic Corps at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office who was officially representing Her Majesty’s Government.

Mr Martin, who  exercised overall operational responsibility for the Visit of His Holiness to the United Kingdom, was accompanied by H E Nigel Baker, the  new British Ambassador to the Holy See; Dame Helen Ghosh, Susan Scholefield, George Edgar, Alison MacMillan and Tony Humphries.

Councillor Anita Ward, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, represented Birmingham City Council. Blessed John Henry Newman lived for much of his Catholic life in Birmingham and died in his room at the Oratory House in Edgbaston on 11 August 1890, aged 89.

Father Gregory Winterton, aged 89, Provost of the Birmingham Oratory 1972-1992, who revived the Newman Cause during the mid-1970′s and who helped to create popular devotion to the great English Cardinal in many part of the world, was present on the sanctuary.

Detective Chief Superintendent Philip Jordan, represented the Association of Chief Police Officers Visit Team and Detective Chief Inspector Chris Lundrigan, represented the Metropolitan Police Service Command Team.

Mgr Paul Conroy, Coordinator of the Papal Visit on behalf of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, represented the Bishops of Scotland. Mgr Andrew Summersgill, Coordinator of the Papal Visit on behalf of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales was present.

Also on the sanctuary was Archbishop Elisey of Sourozh from the Russian Orthodox.

Archbishop Bernard Longley pictured with ecumenical guests before the Mass of Thanksgiving.

MESSAGE FORM POPE BENEDICT XVI

At start of Mass of the two-hour Mass a special message from Pope Benedict XVI was read by His Excellency, Archbishop Antonio Mennini, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain:  “The Holy Father was pleased to learn that on 18 September 2011 a solemn Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated in Westminster Cathedral to mark the anniversary of his Apostolic Visit to the United Kingdom. He sends cordial greetings to the bishops, clergy, religious and lay faithful gathered for the occasion, as well as to the distinguished civil authorities present.

“His Holiness recalls with deep gratitude the warmth of the welcome given by Her Majesty The Queen and her Government, and he again expresses his appreciation to all those who contributed to the happy outcome of his Visit. He trusts that this moment of thanksgiving will serve as a renewed summons to take up the challenge which he issued a year ago in this very place: to bear joyful witness to the truth of the Gospel “which liberates our minds and enlightens our efforts to live wisely and well, both as individuals and as members of society”.

“In a special way, he encourages the seminarians to keep their eyes fixed on Jesus Christ, to devote themselves wholeheartedly to their intellectual and spiritual formation, and to be steadfast heralds of the new evangelization. “Commending you to the intercession of the Blessed John Henry Newman, the Holy Father is pleased to impart his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of grace and peace in Jesus Christ our Lord.”   – Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Secretary of State.

Archbishop Antonio Mennini, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain and Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, pictured before Mass.

MESSAGE FROM THE ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY

The  message from the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, was read by the Anglican Bishop of St Albans, Dr Alan Smith, who represented the Archbishop at the occasion: “Twelve months on, we look back on the visit of Pope Benedict with abiding gratitude. The visit was a great gift for all the Christian communities of the United Kingdom, affirming their role in society and strengthening their resolve to serve the communities of this country. The Pope’s memorable speech in Westminster Hall and many more of his public sermons and addresses brought a remarkable and creative theological mind to bear on the issues of the day, and proved impossible for even the most dedicated secularist to ignore or dismiss.

“But perhaps most importantly of all, those days last September visibly reminded the public at large that Christian discipleship is not the concern of some tiny ageing minority but a reality enthusiastically embraced by millions of all ages and races. Pope Benedict showed us all something of what the particular vocation of the See of Rome means in practice – a witness to the universal scope of the gospel.

“We who belong to other Christian families gladly acknowledge the importance of this witness and join with our Roman Catholic brothers and sisters in thanking God for the inspiration and challenge of Pope Benedict’s visit, in the hope that we can go on working together for the sake of Christ’s good news here in the United Kingdom.”   – +Rowan Cantuar

Dr Alan Smith, the Anglican Bishop of St Albans.

FULL TEXT OF THE HOMILY GIVEN BY ARCHBISHOP VINCENT NICHOLS

Today we come to thank the Lord for the blessings of the Visit of Pope Benedict to the United Kingdom one year ago and to ask for the Lord’s grace to profit fully from the inspiration of those wonderful days.

Each of us has our special memories from those days. I hope there has been time to reflect on them, study his words and refresh the joy and encouragement we experienced.

For me a particularly evocative moment was the Vigil of Prayer in Hyde Park, well captured in these words of one young person: “The procession of banners revealed the true depth and role of Catholicism in England today. The line was long and diverse – it brought tears to my eyes to see the effort that everyone puts into living out their belief in the sacred value of each human being….

“Pope Benedict spoke to us all of Newman’s witness and living in the light of truth. We all stood listening in a disruption to our daily routine that appeared like a wonderful moral and spiritual boost, sent to prepare us for an inspired return into secular society with our own unique God-given mission.

“At Adoration, the altar was covered in stars like another night sky and the figure of our Supreme Pontiff stood like the most beautiful moonbeam, with the Eucharist held aloft as the greatest treasure.

“As one, we knelt and stood at the instigation of our Holy Father and it felt truly as though we were all one heart, in that field with no roof: one body of worship and a witness to the world around of the great power of love in our faith.” (Rebecca Binney)

Those words, I suggest, sum up the gift and challenge we have received. Yes, we are to be effective witnesses in our society; and we can only be so if we are close to the Lord, strengthened by him in holiness of life.

This inseparable connection between our constant striving for holiness of life and our work in service of others is well expressed in other words of our Holy Father:

“Those who change the world for the better are holy, they transform it permanently, instilling in it the energies that only love, inspired by the Gospel, can elicit. The Saints are humanity’s great benefactors.”

And Pope Benedict, through his words to our young people, called us to be the saints of this age.

For me, three phrases sum up the message of Pope Benedict to us all. It is, of course, a message that reaches beyond the Catholic community and is one which we can pursue with many others, especially our fellow Christians. But it is addressed to us, first of all.

The witness we are to give, he said, is to the beauty of holiness, to the splendour of the truth and to the joy and freedom born of a relationship with Jesus Christ.

How do we grow in the witness to the beauty of holiness that we are to give? Most of all, I believe, through a deepening of our life of prayer. Only prayer roots us in Christ. Only prayer sustains the poise and purpose in life that becomes a witness to the reality of God’s presence.

Only prayer produces the reverence we are to show to all things holy. Only prayer sustains the space and silence our spirits need if we are indeed to be guided and formed by God’s Holy Spirit. As Cardinal Newman said: without prayer we cannot “radiate Christ; we become just another ‘clashing symbol’ in a world filled with growing noise and confusion.”

In the words of Pope Benedict, prayer is simply being in silent inward communion with God at the heart of our thinking, our meditating, and our being. Prayer is letting the Lord have the right of free speech.

This means that every one of us is called to renew in our lives the practice of daily prayer. There is no fixed or set way of prayer that suits everyone. Each of us is to pray as we can, and be faithful to that practice. And coming together in a family for prayer is a great foundation for family life.

This means that we do well to think of our parishes as well as our families, first and foremost, as being schools of prayer, places and communities in which we are encouraged in prayer, tutored in prayer and all contribute to prayer. The rich flowering of so many different ways of prayer and devotion can rightly find their place in our parish life. This much is clear: Pope Benedict is not afraid of diversity in the prayer and liturgical life of the Church. Neither should we be.

Prayer which is truly formed in the faith of the Church, and truly expresses that faith will enrich our shared life. And surely there is to be a special place in our prayer, in every parish, for Eucharistic Adoration. Prayer, then, is the foundation of all. In this way we can become ever more conscious of our dignity as a priestly people, “called to consecrate the world to God through lives of faith and holiness.”

Secondly, Pope Benedict urged us to be witnesses to the splendour or wholeness of the truth. And he gave us an astonishingly clear lesson in how to do so.

Who can forget his address in Westminster Hall? Building on the strengths and achievements of our democracy, he placed the great gift of faith at the service of our world today. He did so with sensitivity and reasoned argument, without hectoring or condemning, inviting rather than demanding, firmly but gently.

Listening to him I was reminded of the lovely words of Cardinal Hume spoken here many years ago. Speaking of St Francis de Sales he said: “He was gentle but firm, a combination which helps us to sustain and guide the faithful. It is never easy to keep these two qualities in harmonious balance. If one is to be favoured at the expense of the other let it be gentleness – a gentleness born of strength. The key to all ministry is to love people as Christ loved them.” (24 January 1992)

Archbishop Vincent Nichols, President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, pictured during his homily.

Pope Benedict spoke of the need in our society for clearer moral values, needed for a peaceful and harmonious society. Scandals in the world of the media and the violence and looting on the streets of some English cities in mid-August revealed how profoundly true his observations were. He said, “If the moral principles underpinning the democratic process are themselves determined by nothing more solid than social consensus, then the fragility of the process becomes all too evident.”

He reminded us of the crucial question: “Where is the ethical foundation for (political) choices to be found?” and that “Catholic tradition maintains that the objective norms governing right action are accessible to reason, prescinding from the content of revelation.”

How are we to think about meeting this challenge? The prayer of Pope St Gregory the Great comes to our help when he prayed for ‘the grace to see life whole and the power to speak effectively of it’, for love of the Lord.

Our Catholic faith, illuminating reason, gives us that gift. We see life whole when we recognise the true nature of the unborn child. We see life whole when we see in every pupil not only a future contributor to our economic prosperity, not only a future parent and leader, but also a spiritual being whose deepest needs and surest happiness can be answered only in the mystery of God and in a personal relationship with Him.

We see life whole when we recognise the limited value of our personal experience as the criterion of moral truth. We see life whole when we recognise that the well-being of every human person has to be at the centre of our economic life, the ultimate purpose of our striving and the measure by which we are to judge success. We see life whole when, in sickness and terminal illness, we both treasure life as it is and do not fear death when it comes, so that we neither deny the dignity of life at its endings, nor fail to welcome our journey to God when He calls.

In our exploration of life in its fullness we are aided and inspired by our own Blessed John Henry Newman. How much we can rejoice in a new wave of interest and devotion to this great man. We rejoice in his sensitivity to our culture and his insistence on the reasonableness of faith in God in an age of agnosticism and doubt. He will continue to inspire us.

Perhaps today’s Gospel expresses most forcefully the challenge of seeing life whole. We heard, somewhat incredulously, of the owner of the vineyard paying those who came so late to work as much as he paid to those who had laboured all day. The parable focuses on not so much the lot of the workers, but the absolute generosity of God, whose merciful actions go way beyond the requirements of justice.

We are always tempted to reckon life in terms of our achievements and our possessions. But when we see life whole then we know it is all a gift of God. All we have is God’s gift. When this is clear, then we are able to serve generously, to give freely, for what we have is already a gift, and what is freely received can more readily be freely given.

As the Holy Father said in Hyde Park, “Faith is meant to bear fruit in the transformation of our world through the power of the Holy Spirit at work in the lives and activities of believers.” Today we pray that the long line of banners and groups of Catholic action in our society will grow stronger and longer, coordinated centrally for strength and flourishing locally in responsiveness to all the needs and demands of our difficult times.

Finally, Pope Benedict reminded us of a key testimony that we are to give: that of joy and freedom. How many in our society would immediately associate those qualities with the Catholic Church? Yet they are there, to be seen in so many. Approaching two million young people – including some who were not so young at all – gave unmistakable testimony to that joy and freedom born of a relationship with Christ at the recent World Youth Day in Madrid. This was a manifestation of youthful faith and friendship, reaching to every continent.

Maybe its secret was expressed in the words of a young pilgrim from this country: “Catholic is what we are, not something we belong to!” That sense of common, inner identity, as opposed to a sense of membership of an organisation, is something for many of us to rediscover. Being a Catholic is a way of life, not a set of membership duties. Being a Catholic is expressed in everyday actions, the habits of a maturing faith, actions of devotion, kindness and, indeed, self-denial, actions which are willing expressions of our love of the Lord who alone is the source of our joy and freedom.

I hope that this is the spirit in which we will embrace the communal act of Friday abstinence, sharing together in our identification with Jesus in his self-denial for our salvation. Let the joy and freedom born of our loving relationship with him lift the burden of so much anxiety and strife from our hearts so that others may see the hope and consolation we receive from him.

My brothers and sisters, today we do indeed give thanks for the ministry and charism of the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of St Peter. We willingly express again our love and devotion to him, the visible touchstone of our faith and truly our Holy Father in the Church. We promise him the support of our prayers and we commit ourselves to working each day, in our families, our friendships, our schools and our parishes to reap a hundredfold from the seeds he has sown in our hearts.

May this truly be a moment of fresh wind in our sails, a moment of hope and confidence in the gifts that our Catholic faith offers to our world.  Amen.

Westminster Cathedral during the Mass of Thanksgiving on Sunday 18 September 2011.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Anita Ward, pictured with H E Nigel Baker, British Ambassador to the Holy See, after the Mass of Thanksgiving.

The Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Anita Ward, and her Consort, Mr Michael Brown (to her left) pictured with members of West Midlands Police and others who helped to make the Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Birmingham ( Sunday 19 September 2010) such a memorable occasion.

The Bishops from England and Wales have called on all Catholics to be confident, faithful and courageous in playing a full part in building a better future for all in  this country, especially during these difficult times of economic and social turbulence.

The call  comes on the anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s historic State Visit to the United Kingdom during which he helped many to recognise that “faith is not a problem to be solved, but a gift to be discovered afresh”.

Polling undertaken immediately after the Pope’s visit showed that the majority of the country agreed that there is a place for God and religion in public life.

Reflecting on the Pope’s call for all to discover the definite service that God has called all of us to give, the Bishops have set out their priorities for the Church over the next five years. The Bishops state: “Following the wonderful example Pope Benedict has given us, in our  mission we must be gentle but also confident in manifesting the ‘beauty of holiness’… faithful in proclaiming the ‘splendour of truth’… courageous in testifying to ‘the joy and freedom born of a living relationship with Christ’.”

Following the re-establishment of Friday abstinence as a common act of witness and of solidarity with those who are in need or suffer and as an expression of our vocation to follow Christ who sacrificed his life for the good of all humanity, the Bishops called on all Catholics to witness publicly to their faith with renewed confidence and to assist in all of their activities to work together for the good of the community at large.

The Bishops conclude : “On Home Mission Sunday, the anniversary of the Holy Father’s visit to our country, we renew our faith in the power of God to lead us through the difficult times faced by our nation and by our world. Confidently Catholic we look forward not anxiously or fearfully, but with renewed hope and courage. We invoke God’s blessing on our country and on our world.”

 A PILGRIMAGE TO THE HEART OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE

The full text of the Message follows: On this anniversary of the momentous Visit of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI to the United Kingdom, we recall the excitement, vision and hope that stirred in the hearts of so many who watched or took part in those historic events. Many experienced the Visit as a powerful encounter of God’s love and a welcome response to the “deep thirst there is among the British people for the Good News of Jesus Christ”^[i].

Only a few days after returning to Rome from the UK, the Holy Father spoke movingly of the importance of the Visit:

“It was an official Visit and at the same time a Pilgrimage to the heart of the past and of the present of a people rich in culture and faith, as is the British people. It was an historic event that marked a new and important phase in the long and complex relations between those peoples and the Holy See in the four busy and very beautiful days I spent in this noble land I had the great joy of speaking to the hearts of the inhabitants of the United Kingdom and they spoke to mine, especially with their presence and with the testimony of their faith. Indeed I could see how strong the Christian heritage still is and how active it still is in social life at every level. British hearts and British lives are open to the reality of God and there are numerous expressions of religious feeling that my Visit has made even more visible.”^[ii]

A VISION FOR THE CHURCH IN OUR LAND

Mindful of the need to “proclaim the Gospel afresh”^[iii], Pope Benedict presented a vision and direction for the Church in our land. This vision challenges each Christian believer, “in accordance with his or her state of life”, to work “for the advancement of God’s Kingdom by imbuing temporal life with the values of the Gospel”^[iv]. Inspired by the teaching of Blessed John Henry Newman^[v], it directs the Church on a journey where, “each of us has a mission, each of us is called to change the world, to work for a culture of life, a culture forged by love and respect for the dignity of each human person”^[vi]. All of this, the Holy Father reminded us, can only be attained “By letting the light of faith shine in our hearts, and by abiding in that light through our daily union with the Lord in prayer and participation in the life-giving sacraments of the Church”^[vii].

What this vision encourages us to seek and hope for is the renewal of Church and society through the mission, teaching and witness of all the Christian faithful. Pope Benedict has helped many to see that faith in God is not a problem to be solved but a gift to be discovered afresh. By his gentle, courteous, humble and open-hearted approach, the Holy Father models for us a way in which we can share this vision with others. By our gentle, courteous, humble and open-hearted living of the Christian faith, we too can proclaim the Gospel through the “beauty of holiness”, “the splendour of truth” and “the joy and freedom born of a living relationship with Christ”^[viii].

In setting out this vision, the Holy Father also reminded us that we must be realistic in our understanding of contemporary society and the world around us. The financial crisis which Pope Benedict spoke of a year ago and the suffering of long-term unemployment which has caused so much hardship to countless individuals and families, is still very much with us and its end seems a long way off.The effects of the global economic emergency, the desperate living conditions which millions of people face all over the world, the lack of hope and the profound crisis of faith within our society, form the context in which this vision is presented.

Nevertheless, Pope Benedict reminded us that it is precisely in times of “crisis and upheaval” that “God has raised up great saints and prophets for the renewal of the Church and Christian society”^[ix]. All the Christian faithful should then reflect on and, seek the graces for, the particular “definite service”^[x] that Almighty God is calling us to give.

THE NEW EVANGELISATION

A significant part of our continuing reflection on the Holy Father’s Visit and the vision he presented to us will involve next year’s XIII Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome. This Synod will have as its theme: ‘The New Evangelisation for the Transmission of the Christian Faith’.

After his Visit to the UK, Pope Benedict explained that: “In addressing the citizens of… (the United Kingdom), a crossroads of culture and of the world economy, I kept in mind the entire West, conversing with the intellect of this civilization and communicating the unfading newness of the Gospel in which it is steeped. This Apostolic Journey strengthened a deep conviction within me: the ancient nations of Europe have a Christian soul, which is one with the ‘genius’ and history of the respective peoples, and the Church never stops working to keep this spiritual and cultural tradition ceaselessly alive”.^[xi]

That statement links the urgency of the New Evangelisation with the vision and challenge presented by the Holy Father during his Visit. The Christian faith has ancient and deep roots in our lands. It has formed our nation and continues to play an important role in forming many aspects of our national and cultural life. It has a voice and a resonance which find a home in many a heart of those within our land who would not necessarily call themselves Christian.

Yet, as Pope Benedict stated: “No-one who looks realistically at our world today could think that Christians can afford to go on with business as usual, ignoring the profound crisis of faith which has overtaken society, or simply trusting that the patrimony of values handed down by the Christian centuries will continue to inspire and shape the future of our society.”^[xii]

The challenge of the New Evangelisation is then, ‘how’ we “work for the advancement of God’s Kingdom by imbuing temporal life with the values of the Gospel”^[xiii] and “present in all its fullness the life-giving message of the Gospel”^[xiv].

THE WORK AHEAD

Over the past year, we the Bishops of England and Wales have reflected together on the Holy Father’s ‘Pilgrimage to the heart of the British people’ and the vision he presented. We have considered the challenge he issued to the Church, to proclaim the Gospel, “which liberates our minds and enlightens our efforts to live wisely and well, both as individuals and as members of society”^[xv]. Together with the Church throughout the world, we are determining the demands of the New Evangelisation.

We have begun to formulate how the mission, teaching and witness that we must give will be expressed strategically in the priorities, aims and objectives for our work as a Bishops’ Conference over the next three to five years. These priorities will shape our work as a Bishops’ Conference, determining our use of scarce resources and offered in support of the mission of every diocese in England and Wales.

Integral to this work is recognising the importance of being confident, faithful and courageous in our mission, teaching and witness. Following the wonderful example Pope Benedict has given us, in our mission we must be gentle but also confident in manifesting the ‘beauty of holiness’, a beauty which can lead the heart of every person to an intimate knowledge of Christ^[xvi]. In our teaching, we must be courteous but also faithful in proclaiming the ‘splendour of truth’ through “the witness of lives lived in integrity, fidelity and holiness”^[xvii]. In our witness, we must be humble and open-hearted but also courageous in testifying to ‘the joy and freedom born of a living relationship with Christ’.

In respect of our mission, our first priority area of work will be: ‘To proclaim the universal call to holiness in Christ – by promoting a culture of vocation within the corporate identity of the Catholic Church, marked by a confident Catholic faith’; in relation to ‘teaching’, the second priority area of work will be: ‘To proclaim Christ and his Gospel as saving truth – by fostering and encouraging a culture of dialogue and solidarity’; and in terms of witness, our third priority area of work will be: ‘To proclaim the coming of the Kingdom of God – by serving and witnessing to the whole community, especially by supporting marginalised and vulnerable people’.

Within these priority areas we have already identified a number of aims and objectives:

We have re-established Friday abstinence as a common act of witness and of solidarity with those who are in need or suffer and as an expression of our vocation to follow Christ who sacrificed his life for the good of all humanity.

We are actively encouraging lay Catholics to witness publicly to their faith with renewed confidence and to communicate a culture of vocation to a wide audience.

We are creating a national vocations framework, offering discernment opportunities to all, not only to ecclesial vocations but also to marriage and other forms of lay witness^[xviii].

We will continue to encourage the programme we have begun of ‘deepening social engagement’ to bring greater coherence, support and visibility to the Church’s evangelising witness through the development of ‘Caritas’ within England and Wales.

We will foster opportunities to “build bridges of friendship to other religions, to heal past wrongs and to foster trust between individuals and communities”^[xix] by building on the unique and inspirational encounter between people of faith and representatives of other religions which took place during the Holy Father’s Visit.

We will work with other Christians and people of other religions to identify the areas of greatest need, at home and abroad, so that we can come “together in concrete forms of collaboration, as we apply our religious insights to the task of promoting integral human development, working for peace, justice and the stewardship of creation” and to work “together for the good of the community at large”^[xx].

We will strengthen our communication of the work of the Church through the use of new technology and build partnerships with appropriate media outlets to build on the vision of the New Evangelisation for the transmission of the Christian Faith.

CONFIDENTLY CATHOLIC

In coming to the UK, the Holy Father “…wanted first and foremost to support the Catholic Community, encouraging it to work strenuously to defend the immutable moral truths which, taken up, illuminated and strengthened by the Gospel are at the root of a truly human, just and free society.” He also wished “…to speak to the hearts of all the inhabitants of the United Kingdom, excluding no one, of the true reality of man, of his deepest needs, of his ultimate destiny.” ^[xxi]

We believe that the ‘beauty of holiness’, the ‘splendour of truth’ and the ‘joy and freedom born of a living relationship with Christ’ can still speak powerfully to the hearts of the people of our country. This is the inspiration for our work ahead.

On this Home Mission Sunday, the anniversary of the Holy Father’s visit to our country, we renew our faith in the power of God to lead us all through the difficult times faced by our nation and by our world. Confidently Catholic, we look forward then not anxiously or fearfully but with renewed hope and courage. We invoke God’s blessing on our country and on our world.

Notes:

[i] Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Bishops of Scotland, England and Wales, Oscott College, 19 September 2010

[ii] Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, Saint Peter’s Square, Wednesday, 22 September 2010

[iii] Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Bishops of Scotland, England and Wales, Oscott College, 19 September 2010

[iv] Pope Benedict XVI, Address, Hyde Park Vigil, 18 September 2010

[v] Blessed John Henry Newman, Meditations and Devotions, “Meditations on Christian Doctrine”, “Hope in God—Creator”, March 7, 1848

[vi] Pope Benedict XVI, Address, Hyde Park Vigil, 18 September 2010

[vii] Pope Benedict XVI, Address, Hyde Park Vigil, 18 September 2010

[viii] Pope Benedict XVI, Homily in Westminster Cathedral, 18 September 2010

[ix] Pope Benedict XVI, Address, Hyde Park Vigil, 18 September 2010

[x] Blessed John Henry Newman, Meditations and Devotions, “Meditations on Christian Doctrine”, “Hope in God—Creator”, March 7, 1848

[xi] General Audience, Saint Peter’s Square, Wednesday, 22 September 2010

[xii] Pope Benedict XVI, Address, Hyde Park Vigil, 18 September 2010

[xiii] Ibid.

[xiv] Pope Benedict XVI, Address to the Bishops of Scotland, England and Wales, Oscott College, 19 September 2010

[xv] Pope Benedict XVI, Homily in Westminster Cathedral, 18th September 2010

[xvi] Cf. Pontifical Council for Culture, The Via Pulchritudinis, Privileged Pathway for Evangelisation and Dialogue, 2009

[xvii] Pope Benedict XVI, Address, Hyde Park Vigil, 18 September 2010

[xviii] The number of those applying to enter seminaries reached a ten year high in 2010 and this upward trend appears set to continue. Since the Holy Father’s Visit, there has also been an increase in the number of women approaching religious congregations.

[xix] Pope Benedict XVI, Speech to Representatives of Other Religions, St Mary’s University College, Twickenham, 17 September 2010

[xx] Ibid.

[xxi] General Audience, Saint Peter’s Square, Wednesday, 22 September 2010

His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI.

The Holy See and the United Kingdom have enjoyed excellent relations in the thirty years that have passed since full diplomatic relations were established. The close bond between us was further strengthened last year during my Visit to your country, a unique occasion in the course of the shared history of the Holy See and the countries which today compose the United Kingdom.

I would therefore like to begin my remarks by reiterating my gratitude to the British people for the warm welcome which I received during my stay. Her Majesty and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh received me most graciously and I was pleased to meet the leaders of the three main political parties and to discuss with them matters of common concern.

As you know, a particular motive for my Visit was the Beatification of John Henry Cardinal Newman, a great Englishman whom I have admired for many years and whose raising to the altars was a personal wish fulfilled.

I remain convinced of the relevance of Newman’s insights regarding society, as the United Kingdom, Europe and the West in general today face challenges that he identified with remarkable prophetic clarity. It is my hope that a fresh awareness of his writings will bear new fruit among those searching for solutions to the political, economic and social questions of our age.

Blessed John Henry Newman 1801-1890.

As you rightly remarked in your address, Mr Ambassador, the Holy See and the United Kingdom continue to share a common concern for peace among nations, the integral development of peoples throughout the world, especially the poorest and weakest, and the spread of authentic human rights, especially through the rule of law and fair participative government, with a special care for the needy and those whose natural rights are denied.

On the subject of peace, I was very pleased to note the success of Her Majesty’s recent Visit to the Republic of Ireland, an important milestone in the process of reconciliation that is happily becoming ever more firmly established in Northern Ireland, despite the unrest that occurred there during this past summer.

I take this opportunity once again to encourage all who would resort to violence to put aside their grievances, and to seek instead a dialogue with their neighbours for the peace and prosperity of the whole community.

As you pointed out in your speech, your Government wishes to employ policies that are based on enduring values that cannot be simply expressed in legal terms. This is especially important in the light of events in England this summer.

When policies do not presume or promote objective values, the resulting moral relativism, instead of leading to a society that is free, fair, just and compassionate, tends instead to produce frustration, despair, selfishness and a disregard for the life and liberty of others.

Policy makers are therefore right to look urgently for ways to uphold excellence in education, to promote social opportunity and economic mobility, to examine ways to favour long-term employment and to spread wealth much more fairly and broadly throughout society.

Moreover, the active fostering of the essential values of a healthy society, through the defence of life and of the family, the sound moral education of the young, and a fraternal regard for the poor and the weak, will surely help to rebuild a positive sense of one’s duty, in charity, towards friends and strangers alike in the local community.

Be assured that the Catholic Church in your country is eager to continue offering her substantial contribution to the common good through her offices and agencies, in accordance with her own principles and in the light of the Christian vision of the rights and dignity of the human person.

Looking further afield, Your Excellency has mentioned several areas where the Holy See and the United Kingdom have already agreed and worked together, including initiatives for debt relief and financing for development.

The sustainable development of the world’s poorer peoples through well-targeted assistance remains a worthy goal, since the peoples of developing countries are our brothers and sisters, of equal dignity and worth and deserving of our respect in every way, and such assistance should always aim to improve their lives and their economic prospects.

As you know, development is also of benefit to donor countries, not only through the creation of economic markets, but also through the fostering of mutual respect, solidarity, and above all peace through prosperity for all the world’s peoples. Promoting models of development which employ modern knowledge to husband natural resources will also have the benefit of better protecting the environment for emerging and developed countries alike.

This is why I remarked in Westminster Hall last year that integral human development, and all that it entails, is an enterprise truly worthy of the world’s attention and one that is too big to be allowed to fail.

The Holy See therefore welcomes Prime Minister Cameron’s recent announcement of his intention to ring-fence Great Britain’s aid budget. I would also invite you, during your mandate, to explore ways of furthering development cooperation between your Government and the Church’s charity and development agencies, especially those based here in Rome and in your country.

Finally, Mr Ambassador, in offering you my prayerful good wishes for the success of your mission, allow me to assure you that all the departments of the Roman Curia stand ready to support you in your duties. Upon you, your family and all the British people, I cordially invoke God’s abundant blessings.

On 15 September 2010, the day before you arrived in the United Kingdom, Foreign Secretary William Hague spoke in The Old Hall of Lincoln’s Inn in London about the importance of values in foreign policy. He noted that “as a democratic country we must have a foreign policy based on values, as an extension of our identity as a society.”

And he added that: “Our values cannot be defined in purely legal terms. They include our belief in political freedom and economic liberalism, our commitment to helping the poor, to granting protection to refugees and to mitigating the impact of climate change on the most vulnerable. Our attachment to the qualities of tolerance, compassion, generosity, respect for others and the right of families and communities to choose how they live within the law, are also part of our values.”

These values are an indivisible part of the practice of British foreign policy today. But we recognize that they cannot remain as simply a statement of the ideal. We must seek to apply them in reality, working with others whilst respecting difference, recognising our own faults, and ensuring that we understand what is practical and achievable.

As Prime Minister David Cameron said to you in Birmingham at the end of your visit last year, we in Britain need to build “a new culture of social responsibility” at home. But we also need to work with others abroad, including the Holy See, on key international issues where we share a common goal and, indeed, common values.

The agenda that we share is global, multifaceted and profoundly important to the world today. It is difficult to do justice to the full extent of the relationship between the Holy See and the United Kingdom in a single speech. But I would like to touch upon three broad themes that encompass the reasons for our close and continuing relationship today, and in the coming years.

Firstly, because we share common values, we need to work together to tackle the existential threats this world faces, of which the two most significant are climate change and arms proliferation.

Climate change is the greatest threat facing mankind today, perhaps ever. You have called in your Encyclical Letter “Caritas in Veritate” for “an alliance between the human being and the environment”. As we look ahead to the next Conference of Parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change at Durban later this year, and the Rio plus 20 Summit in 2012, it is clear that we and others need to show far greater will and ambition if we are to tackle this extraordinary challenge that threatens the very relationship between man and creation.

The British Government is determined to keep this issue at the forefront of global diplomacy, and act as an example to others, for example by committing to reduce our carbon emissions by over 80% by 2050. The Vatican is already well on the way to becoming the world’s first carbon neutral state, and we recognize the important role played by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in the global debate.

Arms control, and in particular the elaboration of an international arms trade treaty that can reduce the risks that defence exports will be used to fuel conflict, violate human rights and undermine development, is a crucial area of mutual collaboration. It is a fundamental cornerstone of the construction of a rules-based international edifice that needs to stand the test of time, improve people’s lives and make the world safer for the next generation. We welcome our ongoing conversation with the Holy See as we aim to persuade others of the need to enshrine our wish to make the world a safer place into rules and safeguards that work, in practice and in a sustainable way.

Secondly, we need to come together to encourage dialogue, between faiths and beliefs, promoting peace and understanding. This means above all working, wherever they do not exist or are under threat, for liberty of religion, freedom of expression, and freedom from violence. We see these values threatened in many parts of the globe, but also see people struggling to realize these essential rights, most notably in recent months in the Middle East and North Africa.

It is our mutual challenge to help ensure that across the globe those who wish to enjoy and exercise these rights are able to do so, in the present and for the future. Your invitation to faith leaders to meet in Assisi this October reflects the fundamental nature of this challenge for people of all faiths and creeds. Closer to home, we deeply appreciate the Holy See’s continued support for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.

Thirdly, we need to work together to fight poverty and disease, with especial focus on the most disadvantaged, and the most vulnerable. The United Kingdom is committed to dedicating 0.7% of its national income to development aid by 2013, for which Prime Minister David Cameron argued the “strong moral case” despite difficult economic circumstances at home. But we are also committed to turning this solidarity into effective action, judging our aid by its outcomes rather than by its aspirations or simply by the level of funds disbursed. We need to be clear eyed and honest about the effectiveness of our international development cooperation as we strive towards the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

The Holy See and the United Kingdom have collaborated closely in recent years in practical development, such as in promoting debt relief, fair trade, and financing for development through the International Finance Facility’s Immunisation Bond and the Advanced Market Commitment. More recently, we have worked together on the Global Alliance on Vaccines and Immunisation, including at the 13 June 2011 conference in London, at which Prime Minister David Cameron announced a new commitment of $1.3bn of British aid to vaccinate over 80 million children over the next five years, and save 1.4 million lives. We welcome the fact that the Apostolic Nuncio in London, Archbishop Mennini, attended the conference and announced the Holy See’s support and a symbolic donation.

We share the conviction that more needs to be done in the common effort towards implementing the MDGs. The United Kingdom is looking carefully at those countries and MDGs most “off-track”, and is restructuring its aid accordingly, for example towards key programmes in countries in Africa like Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and issues such as sanitation for the poorest.

We believe that it is essential for national governments to work effectively with faiths to fight poverty, and we recognize the leading role of the Catholic church and Catholic charities across the world, including the Caritas and CIDSE global networks, in educating, caring for and supporting the most deprived, the most needy, and the most vulnerable.

Your Holiness, these immense global challenges require vision and a readiness to work together on the basis of what you have named “the many core values that we share”. In Westminster Hall you suggested that “the world of reason and the world of faith – the world of secular rationality and of religious belief – need one another and should not be afraid to enter into a profound and ongoing dialogue, for the good of our civilization”. We are ready and willing to enter into that dialogue. In his speech on values in foreign policy, William Hague concluded that: “We will seek to act in a way that appreciates the complexity and dignity of other nations that champions human rights in a pragmatic and effective way, that inspires others and that strengthens the global rule of law.”

It will be my task over the next few years to work closely with the Holy See to ensure that we can do this together, in harmony and in collaboration. In doing so, I shall bear constantly in mind the Prime Minister’s call at Birmingham Airport at the end of your visit to the United Kingdom for “ever closer co-operation between the UK and the Holy See as we redouble our resolve to work for the common good”.

My predecessor, Francis Campbell, noted in The Tablet Annual Lecture last year that “taking that forward will be a key task for my successor”. Your Holiness, there is a great deal to do. Rather than a task, it will be my privilege to play a role in building on the platform of our excellent current relations to develop and deepen our bilateral and global relationship in the years ahead.

H E Nigel Baker, British Ambassador to the Holy See pictured with Peter Jennings, outside the East India Club, London, during May 2011.

H E Nigel Baker, British Ambassador to the Holy See pictured with the Catholic journalist and publisher Mr Kevin Grant (left) and Mr Ian Brunskill, Editor, The Times Register, in London, during May 2011.

The full text of the nearly 3,000 word document, released on Monday 5 September 2011, (broken into shorter paragraphs with some of the footnotes omitted) follows:

The Visit of Pope Benedict XVI evoked for many people the spiritual reality of life and rekindled hope and faith: hope in the goodness that is within people and in our society, and faith in God. Even if it is not easily articulated, a spiritual yearning is to be found within most people.

This yearning is found also among Catholics who have lost touch with their faith or whose faith was never deeply rooted in a personal relationship with Christ.

Wishing to respond to this yearning but perhaps lacking in confidence in talking about their own spiritual life, many Catholics are asking how they can witness to their faith; what can they do to help introduce their faith in Christ to others in simple and straightforward ways?

The Bishops of England and Wales recognise that simple acts of witness, accompanied by sincere prayer, can be a powerful call to faith. Traditional Catholic devotions such as making the sign of the cross with care and reverence, praying the Angelus, saying a prayer before and after our meals, to name only a few, are straightforward actions which both dedicate certain moments in our daily lives to Almighty God and demonstrate our love and trust in His goodness and providence. If these devotions have been lost or even forgotten, particularly in our homes and schools, we have much to gain from learning and living them again.

The Bishops have looked again at the role of devotions and the practice of penance, both of which can help to weave the Catholic faith into the fabric of everyday life. Our regular worship at Holy Mass on Sunday, the day of the Lord’s resurrection, is the most powerful outward sign and witness of our faith in Jesus Christ to our family, friends and neighbours. Sunday must always remain at the heart of our lives as Catholics.

The Bishops also wish to remind us that every Friday is set aside as a special day of penitence, as it is the day of the suffering and death of the Lord. They believe it is important that all the faithful again be united in a common, identifiable act of Friday penance because they recognise that the virtue of penitence is best acquired as part of a common resolve and common witness.

The law of the Church requires Catholics on Fridays to abstain from meat, or some other form of food, or to observe some other form of penance laid down by the Bishops’ Conference. (Code of Canon Law 1251)

The Bishops have decided to re-establish the practice that this penance should be fulfilled simply by abstaining from meat and by uniting this to prayer. Those who cannot or choose not to eat meat as part of their normal diet should abstain from some other food of which they regularly partake. This decision will come into effect from Friday 16 September 2011.

Since the Bishops of England and Wales announced this decision in May 2011, a number of questions have been asked.

Among these are the following:

Q1. With all that is happening in our society and our world, are there not more important things to be concentrating on? Why have the Bishops of England and Wales reintroduced this common act of penance now?

The Bishops are of course very much aware of the great issues and challenges that we face at home and abroad. As shepherds of the Church and successors of the Apostles, in communion with the successor of Peter, they are charged by Christ to read the “signs of the times” and re-examine in each new age how the Church needs to respond to these issues and challenges. Re-emphasising the importance of penitence is but one of the responses the Bishops wish to make to the growing desire of people to deepen and give identity to the spiritual aspects of their lives.

Indeed, even though since 1985 it has been possible in England and Wales for the faithful to substitute another act of penance in place of abstinence from meat, many Catholics have continued to practice this ancient form of penitence.

Moreover, there are signs that in recent years, the practice of voluntary Friday abstinence has become more prevalent, especially among young Catholics who are seeking a greater sense of their Catholic identity and are looking for ways of bringing their faith into their daily lives.

It is also clear that many of us forget our obligation to do penance on a Friday. Abstaining from meat is easy to remember, a simple way to give witness at work, at school and even in the family and, although it is still an act of penitence, cannot be considered to put any real or substantial additional burden on the lives of the faithful. (The Bishops have also stated that those who cannot or choose not to eat meat as part of their normal diet should abstain from some other food of which they regularly partake)

Q2. What is penitence?

Penitence is the sorrow we feel, and know in justice is due, for wrongs that have been done. Penance is the expression of penitence as an act, or acts, of repentance and is part of a healing process which brings reconciliation and peace. Penance may be done for wrongs committed personally or for wrongs done by another.

Without “penitence”, acts of penance could become merely mechanical and of no spiritual benefit. The precept of penitence reminds us therefore that we are in need of continuous “…conversion and renewal, a renewal which must be implemented not only interiorly and individually but also externally and socially”.

For Catholics, the practice of penance constitutes a necessary component of Christian life. The Sacred Scriptures and the early Church Fathers insist above all on three forms of penance, prayer, fasting and almsgiving (or works of charity). These express respectively, conversion in relation to God, to oneself and to others.

Expressed by acts of penance, penitence is the spiritual disposition by which every Catholic identifies with Christ in his death on the cross. In prayer, we unite the sufferings and sacrifices in our lives with those of Christ’s passion. In fasting or abstaining from some food, we die a little to self in order to be close to Christ.

In almsgiving, we demonstrate our solidarity with the sufferings of Christ in those in need. All three forms of penitence constitute a vital part of Christian living. When this is visible ‘externally and socially’, then it is also an important act of witness.

Q3. Why are we obliged to practice penitence on Fridays?

From the earliest centuries of the Church’s history, Friday was dedicated to the memory of the suffering and death of the Lord Jesus Christ, as a day on which we should make a special effort to practice penitence. The seasons and days of penitence in the course of the Liturgical year (Lent, and each Friday) are therefore intense moments of the Church’s penitential practice.

For this reason, the Code of Canon Law of the Catholic Church specifies the obligations of Latin Rite Catholics: “All Fridays through the year and the time of Lent are penitential days and times throughout the entire Church.” (Canon 1250)

Q4. Why is abstinence from meat or any particular food a part of penitence?

Abstinence is a form of fasting. It is a way of disciplining or training the body. Few question the need to watch our intake of food when we are training to take part in a sport. Abstinence is part of our spiritual training. It reminds us that our bodies and our lives are gifts of God.

Abstinence can also remind us (and each other) of the sacredness of the lives of others who lack the food we enjoy. As a public witness then, it can be a service to those whose life and human dignity are in danger from poverty, hunger and all forms of violence.

The precise reason for the traditional practice of abstaining specifically from meat on Fridays and other penitential days is not known. What is without doubt is that it is a very ancient tradition, common to both the Latin Rite Church and the Eastern Rite Churches.

*The practice of abstaining from what belongs to meat (Latin: “carnis”) in the Latin Rite Church used to include not only the flesh, offal and blood of warm-blooded animals (this is generally what “carnis” refers to), but also things that “came from flesh”. This included eggs, milk and any other dairy products. Most of the Eastern Rite Churches still preserve abstinence from other foods, including oil and wine, in addition to the meat of animals. However, the Apostolic Constitution Paenitemini of Pope Paul VI states that the “the law of abstinence forbids the use of meat, but not of eggs, the products of milk or condiments made of animal fat” and Canon 1251 of the Code of Canon Law requires only abstinence from meat.

*Explicit mention is made of the practice of abstinence on Fridays from the end of the first century A.D., the Didache or Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, as well as by St Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian in the third century. St Gregory the Great, writing to St Augustine of Canterbury, spoke of the practice regarding abstinence “We abstain from flesh meat, and from all things that come from flesh, as milk, cheese, and eggs.”

Q5. Eating meat is not that important to me and therefore not much of a penance or sacrifice on my part. What then is the value of my abstaining from meat on a Friday?

For some people abstinence from meat will not necessarily be much of a “personal” penance or sacrifice. Indeed, many people do not eat meat. Giving up going out with friends on a Friday night, for example, would be for some much more of a penance or personal sacrifice. However, to say that we do not eat meat or we dislike meat, or that we “prefer fish”, is to miss the point!

What the Bishops are asking us to do, first and foremost, is to make abstaining from meat a common act of penitence; a common witness and sacrifice. This act unites us and reminds us of our personal duty, each Friday, to sacrifice something which is precious to us out of love for Almighty God and out of love for others.

Moreover, it is not just as an individual act of witness that we are asked to undertake Friday penance but as a weekly prophetic witness of the whole Catholic community. It witnesses that being a Catholic requires us, as a community, through our prayer, abstaining and almsgiving/works of charity, to stand alongside those who are in need.

If abstaining from meat is not really a sacrifice for us then we should consider doing something in addition to abstaining from meat. This will keep us united in this common sign of witness and enable us to make our act of penitence a real personal sacrifice and help us to stand in solidarity with those in real need.

Q6. Does this mean that we should eat fish on Fridays?

There is no requirement for us to eat fish instead of meat on a Friday. Our act of abstinence does not mean that we have to eat another particular type of food as the regular substitute for meat on a Friday.

The precise goal of penitence is not simply the avoidance of meat or its substitution with another food but relating the external and common act of penance we do to inner conversion, prayer and works of charity.

Q7. What should I do if I am invited out for a meal on a Friday?

If our friends and colleagues value us they will not be offended or upset if we tell them, ahead of time, that we do not eat meat on Fridays. Our choice to observe abstaining from meat in this social setting does permit us though to witness – in an indirect way – that our Catholic faith is important, that we are not ashamed of it.

It may also provide us with an opportunity, particularly if we are asked, to explain to our friends and colleagues what the significance of our faith is for us and our lives.

Q8. Why is prayer important to our Friday penance?

Next to Sunday, the Lord’s Day, Friday has always been a special day in the Catholic Church for prayer. On a Sunday our prayer is in thanksgiving to God for the new and eternal life brought to us by Christ’s resurrection from the dead. On a Friday our prayer is in thanksgiving for the gift of the mortal life that we have been given; a life which Christ willingly sacrificed on the cross for our sake.  A fitting prayer then, as part of our Friday penance, would be to ask Almighty God to turn away all threats to mortal life. The act of abstinence itself can be offered consciously as a prayer for life and in reparation for sins against life.

Q9. What has almsgiving or works of charity to do with abstaining from meat on a Friday?

Abstaining from meat on a Friday is not meant to be an end in itself. We engage in this common act of penitence to encourage each other and to unite all our personal sacrifices, whatever they may be for us as individuals, with the sacrifice of Christ on the Cross for the good of all.

Abstinence from meat (or some other food if meat is not part of our regular diet) can also be put at the service of others if we make a sacrifice and give the financial savings made from our abstention (or fasting) to charities which assist those who are poor or suffering. If we are unable to make that financial sacrifice, we can still perform a “work of charity”, an act of kindness and love to another person who is in need or suffering in some way.

Q10. Are all Catholics obliged to do penance by abstaining from meat on Fridays?

Canon 1251 of the Code of Canon Law states: “Abstinence from eating meat or another food according to the prescriptions of the Conference of Bishops is to be observed on Fridays throughout the year unless they are solemnities; abstinence and fast are to be observed on Ash Wednesday and on the Friday of the Passion and Death of Our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Canon 1252 states that: “The law of abstinence binds those who have completed their fourteenth year. The law of fasting binds those who have attained their majority, until the beginning of their sixtieth year. Pastors of souls and parents are to ensure that even those who by reason of their age are not bound by the law of fasting and abstinence, are taught the true meaning of penance.”

Those under fourteen years of age, the sick, the elderly and frail, pregnant women, seafarers, manual workers according to need, guests at a meal who cannot excuse themselves without giving great offense to their hosts or causing friction, and those in other situations of moral or physical impossibility are not required to observe abstention from meat; in other words, we should act prudently.

Q11. Are the Bishops placing a greater obligation on Catholics in England and Wales? Apart from the exceptions above, will it be a ‘sin’ to eat meat on a Friday after the Bishops’ decision takes effect in September?

The obligation on Catholics in England and Wales to do penance on a Friday will be the same after Friday 16 September 2011 as it was before that date. The only change is that the Bishops have determined that the requirement by all the faithful to do penance on a Friday will be fulfilled by abstaining from meat.

When asked a similar question to this, the Holy See replied that the “gravity” of the obligation applies to our intention to observe penance as a regular and necessary part of our spiritual lives as a whole.

*The “substantial observance” of the penitential discipline of Fridays and Ash Wednesday, Pope Paul VI wrote, “binds gravely.” Interpreting this statement authoritatively, the Sacred Congregation of the Council (now the Congregation for the Clergy) decreed that this grave obligation does not refer to the individual days of penance, but to “the whole complexus of penitential days to be observed… that is, one sins gravely against the law, who, without an excusable cause, omits a notable part, quantitative or qualitative, of the penitential observance which is prescribed as a whole (February 24, 1967; reprinted in Canon Law Digest, vol. 6, pp. 684-85).

Therefore, the ‘gravity’ of the obligation does not relate to observing the specific act of penance (abstaining from meat) prescribed by the Conference of Bishops. The ‘gravity’ of the obligation applies to the intention to do penance during the prescribed penitential days and seasons of the Church’s year. Failure to abstain from meat on a particular Friday then would not constitute a sin.

End of text

]]> http://peterjennings.co.uk/2011/news/catholic-witness-friday-penance/feed/ 0