THE E UROP E AN A NGLICAN N ORTH E RN LIGHTS S POTLIGHT ON S CANDINAVIA I N TH E FIRING LIN E A NXIOUS TIM E S IN A TH E NS W E LCOMING TH E D E AN G IBRALTAR CATH E DRAL ’ S N ew L E AD E R E AST E RN GLORI E S R E STORATION IN I STANBUL O RDINATIONS AND OP E RA IN I TALY S OUNDING OUT TH E G OSP E L FREE N o . 4 1 SPRING 2 0 0 9 2 ANGER OVERFLOWS ON ATHENS S T REETS THE E UROP E AN A NIGHT A NGLICA N TO R E M E MB E R The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe The Rt Revd Geoffrey Rowell Bishop’s Lodge, Church Road, Worth, Crawley RH10 7RT Tel: +44 (0) 1293 883051 Fax: +44 (0) 1293 884479 Email: [email protected] The Suffragan Bishop R i o t s c o n t i n u e i n The Rt Revd David Hamid Postal address: Diocesan Office A t h e n s a n d a c r o s s Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1160 G r e e c e Email: [email protected] The Diocesan Office 14 Tufton Street, London, SW1P 3QZ Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1155 Fax: +44 (0) 207 898 1166 Greek riots: Students Email: diocesan.office@europe. v o w f o u r t h d a y o f c-of-e.org.uk p r o t e s t s Diocesan Secretary Mr Adrian Mumford Tension on the streets of Athens during the riots of December 2008. Picture courtesy of Danylo Hawaleshka and the Athens News Assistant Diocesan Secretary Mrs Jeanne French Although there has been a About 10.00pm last night I traveled Finance Officer across to the Church, somewhat Mr Nick Wraight resurgence of violence on concerned because Philellinon and Diocesan Website the streets of Athens early Amalias (local street names) were the www.europe.anglican.org in 2009, the memories and centre of some action. Whereas every building around the church has Editor and Diocesan scars of the events of several Communications Officer been damaged, St Paul’s remains The Revd. Paul Needle days of rioting are fresh untouched. The Kathemirini shop Postal address: Diocesan office in the minds of church opposite of the road was torched Email: members of St Paul’s in which sadly has damaged the coffee [email protected] shop of our friend Theo, he is not Tel: 0034 662 482 944 Greater Athens and their insured and has to find Euros 3,000 Design Chaplain Canon Malcolm to restore his cafenion. Adept Design, Norwich Bradshaw. All windows of buildings around the church have been broken. Printer There have been three buildings Norwich Colour Print In his church magazine torched in Filellinon one of which was Distribution he noted some of his still smoking this morning. Most of the CoDEStorm plc thoughts and reactions as buildings/shops in Filellinon have been Cover photo: damaged and the same goes for the Jesus said “unless you change and he watched events unfold in buildings in Syntagma and Amalias become like little children, you front of him . – largely window damage. Last night, will never enter the kingdom of after the struggle the place looked like heaven”. These children pictured a war zone. The chairs of the Oasis with Archdeacon Patrick Curran in were strewed across Amalias. There is Christ Church, Vienna, after their Christingle service reflect the fun, not a rubbish bin left – all burnt. joy, fellowship and generous welcome that comes with life in Christ. PRAYERS AND CHALLENGES FOR 3 CHURCH MEMBERS C HRISTIANS FACING TH E CHALL E NG E S H E R E AND NO W G r e e k b o y ’ s f u n e r a l marred by violence A quarterly publication like the European Anglican cannot easily reflect news and current affairs events in the same way as newspapers, radio and television. G r e e k r i o t s : B a n k s But recent weeks have seen financial and economic a n d c a r s b u r n e d b y news stories bringing concern, fear and shock to G r e e k m o b people around Europe almost on a daily basis. These developments were reflected in our Diocesan Bishop’s address at the installation of the new Dean at Gibraltar’s Anglican Cathedral. Tension on the streets of Athens during the riots of December 2008. Picture courtesy of Danylo Hawaleshka and the Athens News I met up with a group of 20 wild Economic uncertainties were one of Even in Spain, where Winters are youths entering the Kolonaki end of the reasons offered for the violence milder, the San Antonio bonfire Karneadou. They passed down at and destruction on the streets of the outside a village Roman Catholic speed towards Kolonaki, through the Greek capital during December. church provided plenty of warmth as square and then into Skoufa damaging While many of us watched on pictured here – even if the following banks as they rushed through, television members of the Athens day’s Sunday services were briefly in breaking shop windows with hammers congregation watched as fire bombs doubt as the flames licked round the and torched the lower floor of a bank were hurled and looters threatened to church exterior! The light and in Skoufa. The speed was incredible. invade buildings in the area around warmth brought by Christ’s gospel No sign of any forces of law and order. the church and parsonage. As fellow seem to offer a safer option. We just pray that their fury is now Christians prayed for the congregation spent – certainly there does not seem its Chaplain and members asked Paul Needle, Editor to be any more damage that can be themselves how they could respond to The European Anglican done between Omonia and Syntagma. a pastoral crisis on their doorsteps. We prayed for Greece at today’s Damage caused in moments can Holy Communion Service take months or years to put right, and in this issue we also feature the results of painstaking restorations in St Helena’s Chapel in Istanbul which was badly damaged in a terrorist attack six years ago. And we turn the spotlight onto Scandinavia and the Baltic as church members there look to the easing of winter chills and enjoy the warmth of God’s love and blessings in Finland and Sweden. St Paul’s Church, Athens 4 A COMMON WORD BETWEEN YOU AND US L OV E OF G OD AND L OV E OF N E IGHBOUR Archbishop Rowan has asked me to message from Muslim scholars which – A C OMMON assist him in the ongoing dialogue acknowledges so clearly the sacred ORD OF which has developed from A Common quality of the Holy Bible. It may W Word, and with other initiatives come as a surprise for many Christians OP E FOR which originate from the Muslim to hear from Muslims that they H world itself. It is an assignment that I recognise within our own scriptures HRISTIANS consider to be a privilege and which that the teaching about love of God C I believe to be vitally important. and love of neighbour is central, AND USLIMS The significance of the and that they recognise that this is M ? Common Word initiative cannot be common ground between us. What On 13 October 2007, 138 Muslim overestimated. It gives hope for a a gift it is for Christians to see in scholars addressed a letter to Christian new tone and manner of engagement Muslims, and for Muslims to see in leaders entitled A Common Word among leaders of our two great Christians, that in both our scriptural Between You and Us (see www. religions in the 21st century. In the traditions human beings are called acommonword.com). In this West, certainly in the media, it is still to be grounded in a love oriented remarkable document Christians are a common view that our two great towards God and our neighbour. invited to engage in a new dialogue religions are intolerant of each other. While not side-stepping distinctive with Muslims which is unprecedented Many people assume, particularly and even diverse teachings on some in at least three ways. First of all it is when they hear immoderate voices important matters, Christians and an initiative which comes from the on both sides, that our religions Muslims can begin to share this Muslim world itself; second, because are not about love, but about the common ground as a solid basis for this initiative invites engagement with opposite, about hatred, exclusion a fresh approach in our relationships. our respective scriptures; and third and violence. One of the blessings We can approach each other with because the particular scriptural focus of A Common Word initiative is that a respectful, mutual challenge to that this initiative deals with is the it reclaims space for proper, deep go even deeper into our own teaching of love – love of God and and respectful engagement between scriptures and search for the profound love of neighbour. Christians and Muslims, based on a theological meaning of God’s will that A Common Word Between You rediscovery of a common value in we love Him and love our neighbour.