Autumn 2017 2 a Bishop Steeped in Catholicity and Ecumenism
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B ISHOP G EOFFREY R EADERS C ASA B LAN C A M AKIN G S T EADY E NVIRONMEN T R EMEM B ERED R ALLY D EVELOPMEN T P RO G RESS A W ARD C HAPLAINS ’ C ONFEREN C E P ROJE ct W ORK S AFE G UARDIN G S PANISH C HUR C H T RI B U T ES IN C OLO G NE U NDER W AY IN R EVIE W W INNERS europe.anglican.org No.75 AUTUMN 2017 2 A BISHOP STEEPED IN CATHOLICITY AND ECUMENISM THE On the morning of Trinity Sunday The OVE E UROPEAN Right Reverend Dr Douglas Geoffrey I L N G LI C A N Rowell, third Bishop of Gibraltar in A Europe, died peacefully. He had been W RI T IN G struggling bravely with cancer, a struggle he kept very quiet as he did not want F OO T NO T ES people to be alarmed or to make a fuss. On Wednesday 5th July the former by Rev Kevin O’Brien, Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan former Chaplain The Bishop of Gibraltar in Europe Williams remembered Bishop Geoffrey The Rt Rev Dr. Robert Innes Bishop in Europe’s Office in a tribute as his funeral in Chichester Cathedral. Below is a short extract of his Looking back over 47, rue Capitaine Crespel - boite 49, our time together 1050 Brussels words. Elsewhere on these pages are the Belgium personal memories of three of Bishop as Bishop and his Tel: +32 (0)2 213 7480 Geoffrey’s Chaplains. chaplain, some of Email: At meetings of the House of Bishops Geoffrey the most precious [email protected] was eager to talk about the Diocese in Europe moments are those The Suffragan Bishop in Europe – about its growth, its health, and its diversity. of seemingly only The Rt Rev Dr. David Hamid For him, the growth of that diocese was testament fleeting significance; Postal address: Diocesan Office to the capacity of the Anglican identity to go sitting next to one Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1160 on attracting and exciting. In addition to all another on a homebound flight, I might Email: be reading a file or some emails, Bishop [email protected] that was done, day by day and week by week, in pastoral work in the Diocese, there’s hardly Geoffrey perhaps editing the chapter of a The Diocesan Office any need to underline the immense contribution book, an unspoken comfort and ease in each 14 Tufton Street, London, other’s company. The times of saying the SW1P 3QZ Geoffrey made to the Church of England’s ecumenical consciousness. For many years he office together every morning in the peace Tel: +44 (0) 207 898 1155 and silence of his chapel, surrounded by Fax: +44 (0) 207 898 1166 managed, almost single-handedly, the complex Email: business of relating to the Oriental Orthodox the icons that he treasured, the crosses and [email protected] churches. He reminded us in the Church of other religious artefacts of countless journeys England – and indeed in this country – bravely, throughout Christendom. Diocesan Secretary There were the moments at the end of the Mr Adrian Mumford clearly and consistently of the needs and pressures faced by our brothers and sisters in those oldest day, brief reflections together on what had Appointments Secretary passed, what might yet occur, and then there Vacant Christian communities on the face of the earth, now confronting unimaginable insecurity and is one particular moment I recall, with great Finance Secretary suffering. He was close, throughout his life, to affection, at the end of a particularly long and Mr Nick Wraight the Byzantine Orthodox churches, loved and arduous day. I entered his office at around Diocesan Website respected throughout that world. He won the nine in the evening, feeling tired and perhaps www.europe.anglican.org same trust and respect from his Roman Catholic a little jaded, and there was Bishop Geoffrey at his desk surrounded by piles of books, Editor and Diocesan colleagues in Continental Europe, but also from Communications Officer Protestant partners in ecumenical ventures and working on an academic paper. He looked The Rev Paul Needle discussions across the Continent. up at me with a blissful, almost serene joy, Postal address: Diocesan Office His ministry in Europe was, in every sense “I do so love writing foot notes”, he said. Email: and at the deepest level, a catholic ministry – a Because Bishop Geoffrey had not only [email protected] a vast scholarship, but also a prodigious Tel: +44 (0)7712 463806 ministry testifying to what the Church of England was capable of, not only in its engagement memory, he simply loved to make Friends of the Diocese with other historic churches but also in what, to connections and analogies between the Secretary: Mrs Jeanne French many people, could sometimes be a surprising learning of so many years and of such Email: breadth. To write a paper with its demands of [email protected] flexibility in the internal life of the Diocese, a flexibility expressed in pastoral attentiveness a coherent and focused narrative was indeed a Design and Print and imagination, a flexibility which allowed, to pleasure, but his real joy was in the footnotes, Adept Design, Norwich use a now familiar phrase, the ‘flourishing’ of where he could range wide and deep. Distribution many different kinds of Anglicanism, and which And this was Bishop Geoffrey’s chief CoDEStorm plc generously affirmed the ministry of so many concern, deep faith, deep scholarship, deep ordained women. prayer; “Deep calls to deep” he would quote from the Psalms and he dedicated his life to its pursuance. Bishop Geoffrey was a loving and loveable man, he had the gift of friendship, Front cover picture: he was gentle and compassionate, without guile or malice and he is a continuing The glorious company of Readers at their second diocesan conference in Cologne in mid- influence in my life – I miss him already May. The sixty participants enjoyed shared more than I can say. worship, fellowship and inspirational challenges from visiting speakers. Read more on pages 4 and 5. Reader news also on page 15. Rowan Williams peaching at funeral A TIRELESS TRAVELLER 3 NOW AT REST A TALEN T FOR THE E ND OF AN E RA C ULT URE AND by former Chaplain, Ven Meurig Williams RIENDSHIP “Over the the Pope downwards, whenever F coming days Geoffrey was in the room, people By former Chaplain Jonathan and weeks, gravitated towards him. I have many people lost count of the number of times Goodall, Bishop of Ebbsfleet will be heard to when, on a trip to somewhere in the say that Bishop Diocese, in a church or in an airport It was my joy Geoffrey’s terminal, I would be introduced to as his chaplain death marks an ambassador, a captain of industry to welcome and the end of an or a senior military official, only to induct Geoffrey era. Like Rowan Williams, he was be told afterwards “one of my former to his new role as consecrated after a sustained period students.” “Such is the influence Anglican Bishop of in academia and with little or no Geoffrey had on generations of gifted Gibraltar in Europe parish experience. But let’s not forget young people who have gone on in 2001, and we David Jenkins, Michael Ramsey and to be leaders in their chosen career. worked together John Habgood. They made a huge Similarly, he has fostered countless closely until, in 2005, when I left to join impact on the Church of England – vocations to the ordained ministry Archbishop Rowan at Lambeth. For much and the society it serves. Geoffrey’s over the years. We can count several of that period, Catherine, now my PA, innate ability to relate to a wide range bishops among them. was Geoffrey’s PA. In the midst of a lot of of people, and to engage naturally His vision of the Church was hard work and travel, there was a great deal without condescension, undermines gloriously wide and diverse. His of laughter at the more absurd aspects of any clichés about academics and the perspective as a historian meant that ministry across ‘a sixth of the world’s land ivory tower. Being with Geoffrey in he knew the peaks and troughs of the surface’. Thereafter Geoffrey and I worked together in many ways, taking every a pub, or on a railway platform, was Church’s struggles and achievements opportunity we could, to promote between a constant delight. He would very down the ages better than most the churches a patient and ever-deepening quickly get talking to someone, and of us; and this enabled him to put sense of communion. could talk about anything, from the the contemporary challenges of All of Geoffrey’s best qualities were Great Schism to the rising cost of mission and growth into a much committed in the Lord’s service: holiness, child care. broader frame of reference. From learning as much as teaching, a talent Being Bishop in Europe was his Gregory Nazianzus to Newman, for culture as well as for friendship, dream job, and he made the most Geoffrey was excited by a vision long-sightedness and long-suffering, of the travel opportunities. Quite of God the Holy Trinity, where a generosity in all things. Although he was content with the economic constraints deep fascination for the mystery of an unmistakeably catholic Christian, living of Easyjet and Ryanair, he loved the triune character of God fed his in, from – and fascinated by! – the heritage nothing more than spending time in delight in the rich diversity of human of the whole Church, his best energy was his Diocese every weekend, invariably experience.