CHURCH OF ENGLAND COUNCIL FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY CHURCH HOUSE LONDON

EUROPEAN BULLETIN – No 95

October 2016

CONTENTS

1. Introduction 2. New chapter opens for Canon Leslie: Large Ecumenical Turnout for Hamburg induction 3. Archbishop welcomes Patriarch of Serbia 4. Archbishop welcome to Patriarch of Russia 5. Pope Francis addresses gathering in Assisi and leads prayers for victims of war 6. Germany’s churches mark Reformation Anniversary with healing of memories 7. Reformation Anniversary Roadmap Cities 8. CEC Assembly to be held in Serbia in 2018 9. Adam van Trott lecture 2016 10. Chelmsford/Karlstad: Diocesan friendship renewed 11. Porvoo Fifth Theological Conference in Riga 12. WPCT Corbishley Lecture 2017

1. INTRODUCTION

Dear Bulletin Readers,

This bulletin records happenings in an eventful autumn. Items 3 and 4 have details with pictures of visits, both in October, from the Patriarchs of Serbia and Moscow. We look ahead to Reformation Anniversary roadmap and a CEC Assembly in 2018. There is news from Chelmsford about their Karlstad link.

Canon Leslie has been licensed in Hamburg. We are delighted that he is contacting the bulletin with news.

I hope you enjoy these items. Some recently arrived ones are being reserved for a November bulletin so watch this space.

Francis Bassett Assistant Secretary Council for Christian Unity

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The Bulletin is sent out on a mailing list: Please advise us if your email address changes, or if you do not wish to receive the Bulletin. CCU is not responsible for the content of external web sites mentioned in this Bulletin. Individual views expressed in blogs, reports or communiques are not necessarily the views of the editors.

2. NEW CHAPTER OPENS FOR CANON LESLIE: LARGE ECUMENICAL TURNOUT FOR HAMBURG INDUCTION

Ecumenical friends from near and far turned out in force for the Licensing on Saturday 17 September of Revd Canon Dr Leslie Nathaniel as new Chaplain of the Anglican Church of St Thomas Becket. Also there to welcome him was the British Honorary Consul, Nicholas Teller.

Father Leslie, until recently the Archbishop of Canterbury’s International Ecumenical Secretary and European Secretary of the Council for Christian Unity (and Editor of the CCU European Bulletin) has been eagerly awaited in Hamburg, not just by the Hamburg congregation but also by the wider Christian family in the north German city where there is a thriving ecumenical partnership between the churches.

Leslie, who was born and brought up in South India and has worked in both London and Germany, was supported in Hamburg by his wife Revd Julie Lipp – Nathaniel, a non – stipendiary assistant in the Stuttgart chaplaincy. This Indo – Swabian partnership, said Leslie, still has a lot to learn about the north German way of life. After the Licensing, they now have plenty of new ecumenical friends eager to show them the ropes.

3. ARCHBISHOP WELCOMES PATRIARCH OF SERBIA TO LAMBETH PALACE

Archbishop Justin Welby received His Holiness Irinej on Thursday 13 October during his official visit to the UK.

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The Archbishop of Canterbury welcomed His Holiness Irinej, Archbishop of Pec, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci, Patriarch of Serbia, and a delegation from the Serbian Orthodox Church to Lambeth Palace today. Archbishop Justin Welby invited His Holiness Irinej to make an official visit to the UK as an expression of the historic warm and strong relationship between the Church of England and the Serbian Orthodox Church, which reflects the enduring friendship of the two countries. The visit was also an opportunity to celebrate the centenary of the visit of St Nicolai Velimirovich, when he became the first Orthodox Christian to preach from pulpit of St Paul’s Cathedral. This anniversary was marked at Evensong at St Paul’s on Friday 14 October, at which His Holiness Irinej preached, at the invitation of the Dean of St Paul’s.

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Read the Archbishop’s official welcome to His Holiness Patriarch Irinej: Your Holiness, I have great pleasure and it’s a great privilege to welcome you and your delegation to Lambeth Palace today. I find it very moving to have learned more of the long history of friendship between the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Church of England. I am particularly conscious that this is the 100th anniversary of the extraordinary moment when St Nicolai Velimirovich, as a young priest monk, visited England and made a big impact on so many people. Perhaps I can quote a particularly powerful passage from that deeply inspiring sermon. He said: “I am coming from Serbia, from European ‘midnight’. There is no ray of light, not a single trace. All the light went from the ground to the sky and the sky is the only place where the light is coming from. Nevertheless, we that are weak in everything are strong in faith and hope that dawn will soon arrive.” Tomorrow evening, Your Holiness will preach at St Paul’s, an occasion that will be full of emotion and memory. On this occasion, far from this being a new thing, we have memories of the extraordinary hospitality and your welcome to the Anglican community in Serbia for a hundred years. I think, particularly, of your wonderful welcome to my Apokrisarios and the annual welcome on Christmas Eve to the Anglican community in your own Patriarchal chapel. Once again, today, Serbia finds itself on the frontier of Europe, facing the countless tens of thousands driven by darkness from their own homes. And, tragically, as in the past, Europe has not, in a united way, risen to this challenge, and Serbia has had to bear a great burden – and the Orthodox Church has demonstrated, again, its faithfulness. But there is more light than a hundred years ago. The reconciling light of Christ has shone across Europe for much of the last decades. Under your leadership the Serbian Orthodox Church has played a great role in building the nation. In your Patriarchal ministry you have been a tireless advocate for peace and stability, and the deep strength of the Serbian Orthodox Church in prayer and religious community – a strength recognised by His Royal Highness Prince Charles. Your commitment to reconciliation and the work of your church in catechesis, and in the training of Christians to know their faith and to be inhabited by the Spirit of Christ: all these are an inspiration and challenge to us. We are most grateful for your visit. I am sure we will learn much from you and deepen our friendship in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

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Read His Holiness Patriarch Irinej's response to Archbishop Justin: Your Grace, I am grateful for these wonderful words which you have put across to me. Most of all thank you for convening this meeting in regard to a wonderful occasion, that you have found it fit and right to invite us to visit you, to discuss many problems which touch upon what is important to both our churches and nations – and to thus speak to each other as children of God and as brothers in Jesus Christ. Thank you for offering the opportunity to mark one very important moment in the life of the monk priest Nicolai Velimirovic, in regard to the famous sermon that he gave at St Paul’s Cathedral. And, as you know, in this sermon he makes mention of the so- called Tower of Skulls, a magnificent temple built on human bones, which is located in the city of Niš. The city in which Emperor Constantine was born. The city in which I presided as bishop for 30 years. It is from Niš that I was transferred to Belgrade, to my quite deep regret. For although I was not born in Niš, nor in the vicinity of Niš, I grew to love this city and its people, who for a long time now have been living in quite a lot of hardship, but they have kept the faith. It’s a people who have displayed tremendous love towards the church, and therefore it is a people where I have found myself to be with my own. I am very glad and it makes me very happy, I am honoured that I am sitting together with my brothers Arch Hierarchs, in this great place where you, Your Grace, are the host. And not only the keeper of this important institution but also the host to all of us, our people as well as our church. It has a positive view towards a very great state with its mighty history and culture. And it was Nicolai Velimirovic who revealed this magnificent history and culture to us as the church of the Serbian nation. He loved this country and this nation. He loved the culture of this nation. He loved many of its people and some of them were very significant: not only persons of importance to local history, but to the global world culture.

5 And, speaking as one of his successors, it is he who has drawn our attention towards England. From then onwards – and I believe that we have people who have become aware of England of course at an earlier date as well – our nation has nurtured a very friendly relationship, reaching out to the English nation, as was especially manifest during the First World War, during which Nicolai spoke a lot in London, in England, and got many doctors, nurses and other people from this city and nation interested in us, who helped us a great deal during the Great War. It is with special respect that we remember particularly the doctors and the nurses of your nation who rushed to a deeply wounded nation to help. In doing so they made tremendous sacrifices, and some of them laid down their lives in Serbia for Serbia. Some of them were shot by the forces of the then so-called Austria-Hungary, another significant number died through typhoid. It was the plague of the times, indeed among the people and the army many died. And I would like to reiterate that many of those who died of typhoid were precisely the people involved in medical treatment. This has bonded our nation forever to England. Later on, accordingly, our history remained in the same line that was opened and traversed by the English nation. We are also aware of the role that Britain played in the Second World War, receiving our government in exile – residing in London for a time – as well as the established royal House. And all of that has grown deep roots into the body of our relations. It is true, shall we say, that in the recent period we were overcast by certain shadows. This is the period of the 1990s, when, to our big surprise, England joined the other countries of Europe in the bombing campaign over Serbia from which we suffered a lot of hardship and pain in many fields. Nonetheless, I do hope that this is just a cloud which will soon enough be expelled by some other wind from the field of our relationships. I do hope that this visit of ours transpires in such a spirit and retains such a direction. That is why we are here and that is why we shall speak. And we shall, thus, try to realise that which is the thought and that which is the deed of the church of Christ, namely to build peace amongst nations, and, following closely your own programme, we shall work for peace amongst the churches, and, of course, amongst different religions as well. We should and we must understand we are the children of the church, and most of all and firstly we are children of God – as well as all the other people who exist on this planet. Therefore we have a duty towards our own selves but also to others to point and indicate what is the meaning of the gospel of Christ. In today’s times, which are saturated with confusion and unrest, and also by crimes committed in the world, we need to introduce a new spirit into the relationships between states and peoples, and to persevere in continuance to Christ’s reason for entering into this world. It is precisely there where the churches have the greatest and most important role to play. This is why we must seek ways which allow us to approach each other more closely, to put aside that which possibly divides us and makes us become distant. But at the same time to build from within that which is common to us – and indeed there is

6 much in common between you and us, both of us and the Roman Catholics, and, of course, the Protestant world. It is on that foundation that we need to build our common relationships. I trust this is the will of God, and that this is what God expects from us. This is why we need to be servants of the mission, of evangelisation in our times and in our world.

4. ARCHBISHOP JUSTIN WELCOMES PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW AND ALL RUSSIA

Archbishop Justin Welby and His Holiness Kirill at Lambeth Palace, 18 October 2016. (Lambeth Palace)

7 On Tuesday 18 October Archbishop of Canterbury welcomed His Holiness Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, and his delegation, to Lambeth Palace for a private visit. Archbishop Justin was accompanied by a delegation that included the Bishop of London. Patriarch Kirill arrived in the United Kingdom on Saturday 15 October at the invitation of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sourozh in Great Britain, which is celebrating 300 years of the presence of the Russian Orthodox Church in this country. Before arriving at Lambeth Palace today, Patriarch Kirill had an audience with Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace, at which the Archbishop and the Bishop of London were present. The visit represents the first time that Archbishop Justin and Patriarch Kirill have met, but it is the second time a Patriarch of Moscow and an Archbishop of Canterbury have met at Lambeth Palace in recent times. The first meeting was that of Archbishop Michael Ramsey with His Holiness Alexey I in 1964.

The relationship between the two churches has been continuous for more than three centuries living through some very difficult times as well periods when the two countries have stood side by side. This relationship has been cemented through many personal contacts and through the spiritual and cultural interchange which has enriched both churches. After welcoming Patriarch Kirill and his delegation to Lambeth Palace, Archbishop Justin had a personal conversation with Patriarch Kirill. Uppermost in the conversation was their shared compassion for Christian, and other, minorities in many parts of the world, especially in the Middle East, where they have been systematically targeted and persecuted and their communities decimated. Conversation also touched upon the concerns and challenges that their two churches face in the present time in their different contexts; including the challenge of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ in a secular culture; the witness of the Church in

8 serving the poor and marginalised in our societies and addressing the needs of migrants and refugees. They also spoke of the importance of the Church as the keeper of tradition – that is, the wisdom of the past, living in the present.

It was acknowledged that tensions currently exist between the Governments of their two countries. Archbishop Justin and Patriarch Kirill agreed that the first loyalty of the Christian Church is to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they affirmed that reconciliation was the key ministry of the Church in situations of conflict. In faith, hope and love, founded on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Churches have been a bridge of friendship between the two countries for more than three centuries. The meeting today, and indeed the whole visit of Patriarch Kirill, is a historic event in the development of that relationship, which they pray will be nurtured and sustained through continued spiritual, cultural and personal interchange between their churches.

9 The two delegations met together over lunch for informal conversation. The Patriarch presented to the Archbishop an icon of the protective veil of the Blessed Mother of God. Patriarch Kirill was presented with a specially bound album of the Treasures of Lambeth Palace Library. The visit to Lambeth Palace was the final engagement of Patriarch Kirill’s visit to the UK. On Sunday 16th October, Patriarch Kirill reconsecrated the Russian Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition in Ennismore Gardens, which was attended by Archbishop Justin and the Bishop of London.

5. POPE FRANCIS ADDRESSES GATHERING IN ASSISI AND LEADS PRAYERS FOR VICTIMS OF WAR Refugees and leaders and representatives of several religions, including Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus and others, joined Pope Francis Tuesday 20 September in a day of prayer for peace in Assisi, the hometown of St Francis, who preached tolerance and gentleness. After chatting and shaking hands with dozens of participants, Francis sat down to dine with them in the Franciscan convent. The guests included 12 refugees who fled war and conflicts in Nigeria, Eritrea, Mali and Syria, which was represented by three Christians who fled the besieged city of Aleppo. Francis took his papal name from the peace-loving saint who was born in the Umbrian hill town, where Franciscans from the religious order founded by the medieval saint care for the basilica and its renowned artworks. St John Paul II established the inter-religious prayer gathering in Assisi in 1986. This year, Christians were invited to pray in the Basilica of St Francis, while those from other religions will pray in the town that for centuries has drawn admirers of the saint who abandoned family wealth for an austere existence of preaching tolerance. The closing event gathers all participants in Assisi’s main square for speeches by the Pope, Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, a representative each from Islam, Judaism and Buddhism, and remarks from a victim of war. Then time was allotted for a moment of silence for victims of war. Francis urged people worldwide to find time to pray on that Tuesday whenever then can. From the start of his papacy in 2013, Pope Francis has decried war and conflicts which he says are tantamount to a “Third World War in segments.” He has also pressed for countries and individuals to welcome refugees. As an example, he flew Syrian civil war refugees back to Rome with him after his visit to the Greek island of Lesbos, where thousands of those fleeing fighting and poverty had set foot in Europe after risky journeys in smugglers’ boats.

10 Among those dining with Francis in Assisi was a 23-year-old man from Mali, who survived a voyage on a fishing boat from Libya, where human smugglers are based, to Sicily.

More information can be found at: http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/09/20/assisi_pope_francis_appeal_for_peace/12 59464

6. GERMANY’S PROTESTANT AND CATHOLIC CHURCHES PLEDGE “HEALING OF MEMORIES” TO MARK REFORMATION ANNIVERSARY Germany’s main Protestant and Roman Catholic churches have published a “Common Word” for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 in which they call for a “healing of memories” of past divisions and for the event to be commemorated in ecumenical fellowship. “Together we want to use the 500th anniversary of the Reformation as an opportunity to reflect on the concerns of the Reformers and to listen anew to their call to repentance and spiritual renewal,” the leaders of the two churches - Bishop Heinrich Bedford-Strohm of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and Cardinal Reinhard Marx of the Roman Catholic Church - state in an introduction to the text. The anniversary marks the action of Martin Luther in publishing his 95 Theses on 31 October 1517 to denounce church abuses, setting in motion events that led to the Reformation and the separation of western Christianity into Roman Catholic and Protestant churches. “A look at history reveals the suffering and wounds that Christians have inflicted on each other. This shocks and shames us,” the two church leaders state. “We see it as an exceptional moment of our fellowship, after centuries of mutual separation, to mark a Reformation anniversary with such readiness to engage in forgiveness and a new beginning,” they continue. Bedford-Strohm is chair of the EKD council and bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bavaria, which has its headquarters in Munich. Marx is chair of the German (Roman Catholic) Bishops’ Conference (DBK) and archbishop of Munich and Freising. They introduced the 90-page document, “Healing Memories - Witnessing to Jesus Christ”, at a press conference on 16 September in Munich. “In 2017, for the first time in the history of the separated churches, we will also celebrate the commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in ecumenical fellowship,” the two leaders said in separate statements presented at the press conference.

11 The EKD and the DBK are to hold a central service of penitence and reconciliation on 11 March 2017 in Hildesheim. “In it we will confess our guilt before God on behalf of our churches, asking God and each other for forgiveness and committing ourselves before God to continue to deepen our togetherness,” say Bishop Bedford-Strohm and Cardinal Marx. “The service in Hildesheim is a further milestone in the process of the healing of memories.” The two churches are encouraging similar services at regional and local levels. From 16 to 22 October, as preparation for the service in Hildesheim, Protestant and Catholic leaders from Germany are to undertake a common pilgrimage to the Holy Land to recall the roots of their common faith. Pope Francis and Bishop Munib Younan, president of the Lutheran World Federation, will celebrate an ecumenical service on 31 October 2016 at Lund in Sweden, where the Federation was founded in 1947. They will pray for forgiveness and the healing of the wounds the confessions inflicted on each other over the centuries. Information from https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news/germany2019s- protestant-and-catholic-churches-pledge-healing-of-memories-to-mark-reformation- anniversary

7. REFORMATION ANNIVERSARY ROADMAP CITIES

The UK Reformation Anniversary website has details of the European Roadmap pilgrimage route which will from November 2016 to May 2017 link cities that illustrate the influence of the Reformation. Here are the 68 cities involved:

November

Geneva Switzerland Lausanne Switzerland Neuchâtel (Neuenberg) Switzerland Basel Switzerland Villach Austria Graz Austria Vienna Austria Prague Czech Republic Osnabrück Germany (Lower Saxony) Minden Germany (North Rhine – Westphalia) Stadthagen Germany (Lower Saxony)

December

Goslar Germany (Lower Saxony) Helmstedt Germany (Lower Saxony) Wolfsburg Germany (Lower Saxony) Schmalkalden Germany (Thuringia) Worms Germany (Rhineland – Palatinate)

12 Heidelberg Germany (Baden – Württemberg) Bretten Germany (Baden – Württemberg) Tübingen Germany (Baden – Württemberg) Crailsheim Germany (Baden – Württemberg) Wildhaus (Switzerland) Bern (Switzerland)

January

Zürich Switzerland Schwâbisch Hall Germany (Baden – Württemberg) Chur Switzerland Rome Italy Venice Italy Ljubljana Slovenia Puconci Slovenia Sibiu Romania Debrecen Hungary Sárvár Hungary

February

Sopron Hungary Cieszyn Poland Bardejov Slovakia Dublin Ireland Liverpool U.K. Cambridge U.K. London U.K. Viborg Denmark

March

Bergen Norway Västerås Sweden Turku Finland Riga Latvia Wuppertal Germany (North Rhine – Westphalia) Bremen Germany (Bremen – Oldenburg) Wilhelmshaven Germany (Lower Saxony) Emden Germany (Lower Saxony) Deventer Netherlands

April

Dordrecht Netherlands Strasbourg France Speyer Germany (Rhineland – Palatinate) Coburg Germany (Bavaria – Upper Franconia) Augsburg Germany (Bavaria)

13 Nuremberg Germany (Northern Bavaria) Torgau Germany (Northwestern Saxony Nordsachsen) Berlin Germany Kiel Germany (Schleswig – Holstein) Detmol Germany (North Rhine – Westphalia) Lemgo Germany (North Rhine – Westphalia)

May

Eisenach Germany (Thuringia) Marburg Germany (Hessen) Herborn Germany (Hesse) Kerkwitz Germany (Lower Lusatia) Wroclaw Poland Zwickau Germany (Saxony) Bernburg Germany (Saxony – Anhalt) Lutherstadt Wittenberg Germany (Saxony – Anhalt)

The roadmap details can be found at: https://r2017.org/en/european-roadmap/ and distinctive connections between each city and the Reformation movement referred to.

The link for the UK Reformation Anniversary website is: http://www.reformation500.uk/anniversary.htm

8. CEC ASSEMBLY TO BE HELD IN SERBIA IN 2018

The Conference of European Churches has accepted an invitation from the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church to hold its 15th General Assembly in Novi Sad (Serbia). The Assembly will be hosted by CEC Member Churches in Serbia, and also other churches of the Vojvodina region. The decision about Assembly location was made by the CEC Presidency based on a mandate from the Governing Board meeting in June 2016. The staff and hosting churches are studying two sets of dates for the Assembly in June 2018 and October 2018.

“Novi Sad is a crossroads in Europe. Crossroads historically, politically, and ecumenically. We are excited by the possibilities this venue offers and by the new perspectives that are opening up for CEC,” commented CEC General Secretary Fr Heikki Huttunen.

CEC President Rt Rev. Christopher Hill KCVO, DD added, "I am delighted to say that Patriarch Irinej of Serbia offers us his warm welcome to Serbia; our visit will signal that CEC is truly ‘Europe-wide’."

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Assembly preparations began in earnest last week with a brainstorming session in Budapest (Hungary), the location of the 14th General Assembly. Over three days, representatives from the European National Councils of Churches, Assembly Planning Committee, and secretaries for European affairs discussed the future of Europe and how this will inform assembly preparations. The event was hosted locally by the Ecumenical Council of Churches in Hungary.

This news will shortly appear on the CEC website at:

https://www.oikoumene.org/en/press-centre/news

9. ADAM VAN TROTT LECTURE 2016

This year’s Adam von Trott Lecture will be given by Dr Peter Ammon, Germany’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom at 5pm on Friday 11 November in the Lecture Theatre at Mansfield College, Oxford. The title of the lecture is “Britain and Europe – A German Perspective”.

Dr Ammon was previously ambassador in France and the USA. Other postings in his diplomatic career include Dakar/Senegal and New Delhi. While a Director at the German Foreign Office he helped prepare the G8 world summits for Chancellors Gerhard Schröder and Angela Merkel.

The Mansfield College website has more details about the event and also about the four Adam von Trott scholars to date.

10. CHELMSFORD/KARLSTAD DIOCESAN FRIENDSHIP RENEWED

On a Thursday evening at the end of August, Esbjörn Hagberg retired as Bishop of Karlstad after 14 years of outstanding pastoral, spiritual and visionary leadership. There were few dry eyes as he laid the diocesan crozier on the altar at Karlstad Cathedral.

Shortly afterwards on the Sunday morning the new bishop, Sören Dalevi, was consecrated in Uppsala Cathedral. Bishop Stephen Cottrell was one of a small group of bishops invited to lay hands during the Consecration.

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Bishop Sören comes from a background teaching in the Religious Studies department at Karlstad University with a particular interest in the spirituality of children and young people. His doctorate is on children’s engagement with the Bible.

One of the notable events of the Consecration weekend was an afternoon seminar where Bishop Stephen spoke on Anglican Evangelism to all the Swedish bishops and guest bishops or archbishops from Denmark, Norway, Tanzania, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Scotland and Ireland – together with their spouses.

Many Chelmsford/Karlstad exchange visits have taken place since an ecumenical link, through the Porvoo Agreement , began in 1997. Bishop Esbjörn with a visiting group from Karlstad took part in one of the Chelmsford diocesan wide “Transforming Presence” gatherings. Chelmsford has invited Bishop Sören to be one of lead speakers at the Diocesan Conference in July 2017.

Chelmsford’s other link dioceses are Embu, Kirinyaga, Meru, Mbere and Marsabit (Kenya); Trinidad and Tobago; and Iasi (Romania).

Details from report in diocesan magazine “The Month” by Revd Canon Dr Roger Matthews, Dean of Mission and Ministry Chelmsford Diocese

11. PORVOO FIFTH THEOLOGICAL CONFERENCE IN RIGA

Here is the communiqué from the Porvoo Fifth Theological Conference:

More than forty delegates from the Porvoo Communion of Churches met in Riga, Latvia, to listen to each other, reflect and deliberate on the theme: The Spirit of God in the Life of the World (Rev. 3:20 – 22) – What is the Spirit saying to the Churches?

The conference took place at a significant time. The Porvoo Declaration was first signed 20 years ago and we were able to reflect on what has been achieved. We engaged in reflecting in new ways on how to be a missionary church in the changing and challenging circumstances in Europe. These are due to secularism, the difficulty of communicating the Christian faith effectively and the adjustments needed across Europe arising from recent migration.

Setting the scene

The conference started with a Celebration of the Eucharist in the Cathedral of Riga, celebrated by Archbishop Janis Vanags, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia. The sermon was given by Archbishop Michael Jackson, Church of Ireland, Anglican Co- chair of the Porvoo Contact Group, who set the tone of the conference by addressing the context of Latvia and the changing political landscape of Europe, with its consequent challenges for the churches. He ended his sermon by citing the Collect prayer for the Feast of St Luke; By the grace of the Spirit and through the wholesome medicine of the gospel, give your Church the same love and power to heal…

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Archbishop Janis Vanags received the conference in Latvia, thanking the Porvoo Communion for contributing with interesting and refreshing theological conversations. He gave an account of the current situation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, as well as the presence of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad. The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia in 2016 in its Synod passed a motion to say that only men can be ordained to the priesthood. It is expected that its relations with the Porvoo Communion will be dealt with in four years time at its next synod. Archbishop Michael Jackson thanked the Archbishop Vanags for his welcoming words and assured him and the church of the Porvoo Communion´s continued prayers. He also highlighted the special component of being hosted in Latvia, being both “at home” and “abroad”, alluding to the history of the Lutheran church in Latvia.

The Rt. Revd. Peter Skov-Jakobsen, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, Lutheran Co-chair of the Porvoo Contact Group, gave an introduction to the overall theme of the conference, by describing the situation of the churches as being at the crossroads. The churches are living with two stories, one is the story of fear, and the other is the story of hope. After 9/11 fear became decisive in such a way that fundamentalism and fear of religion was re-born. The New Testament also contains stories of fear and terror, but as Saul met Jesus through being blinded by the “the Light of the World”, he became Paul. Perhaps the churches, then, should be open to look for the Spirit in the world, especially in the other, even in secular society and with people of other World Faiths. Jesus is not teaching us to be gods, but to be human beings, meeting each other face to face.

Latvia in Context

Prof Dr Jouko Talonen, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, gave historical perspectives to the development of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia until today, including the history of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad. Dr Voldemars Laucins, Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, responded to his paper by looking at it in an international perspective, comparing the ecumenical involvement of the church with different periods in its history. Dr Dace Balode, Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad, addressed a particular part of the history by giving an overview of the history of ordination of women in the church.

Setting the scene of Europe and Porvoo

Revd. Dr Paul Weston, Church of England, spoke about the concept of the post- secular as a challenge and opportunity for the churches in Europe: How do we speak about God today? He started by giving an historical background for how we have seen secularization and Christianity, and then suggested that we should move beyond that. We were brought into the middle of the reality of contemporary spirituality. The crossing point between Christianity and Post-secular society starts with returning to the Gospel narrative of Jesus and in bringing it to the current context. We all share humanity as a precondition of encounter. He referred to Ephesians 2:17 – 18 as a basis for churches to engage in the break down of cultural barriers rather than “living with them”.

17 Together in Mission and Ministry

The Rt. Revd. Dr Ragnar Persenius, Church of Sweden, reflected on the Porvoo Communion of Churches and its continuing journey. We have a common basis in our Christian faith and we recognize each other’s sacraments and ordained ministry as indicated in the Porvoo Common Statement and in the Porvoo Declaration, but we also knew from the beginning about the differences between our churches, when entering into the Communion. What has been surprisingly important is the extent of the twinning exchanges that have taken place between parishes and dioceses. The churches of the Communion also seem to have the same kind of challenges in common. An issue the Communion could explore further, is baptism and the common priesthood of believers. Lutheran churches may have emphasised the ordained ministry too much. There must be a relation between the ordained ministry and the people of God, the priesthood of all believers. At the same time the understanding of baptism relates to a number of other common challenges, like Christian education, young people, theology and inter-religious dialogue.

Dr Sandra Gintere, member of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic Commission for Unity, started her presentation by giving an account of her involvement in the Porvoo Communion through the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, and added her account to the history of the church. She then introduced the work of the Lutheran and Roman-Catholic Dialogue resulting in the document “From Conflict to Communion”. The document gives background and guidelines for a joint commemoration of the history. It also explores baptism as a primary sacrament, which in turn may prepare a dialogue for Eucharistic hospitality.

Dr Kristin Graff-Kallevåg, Church of Norway, spoke about contextuality and ecumenism and diversity in communion. Using her own background as an example, she related our faith to the real issues people are raising in the world. Taking the context into consideration serves the missionality of the Church. The presupposition is that there is something to be communicated beyond our easily narrowed contexts. When constructive ecumenical discussions take place, there needs to be the balance between acknowledging the validity of a plurality of contextually determined interpretations and practices of faith on one hand, and the striving towards finding ways of expressing faith in word and deed that is cross-cultural, on the other hand. She recommended for discussion the challenge set by Fr Stephen Bevans: “Mission is finding out where the Spirit is at work, and joining in”.

Spirituality in a Changing Context

Revd. Prof Dr Veli-Matti Kärkkäinen, professor at Fuller Theological Seminary and teacher at the University of Helsinki, gave a lecture on the impact of Pentecostal and Charismatic Movements in the European and global context. He presented statistics on Christianity and confessions in the world, in which Pentecostal and Charismatic Christians number 25 % of all Christians, before he went on to introduce the ecumenical roots of Pentecostalism, and its sometimes surprising ecumenical influences. He also presented a comparison between the influence of Lutheranism on Pentecostalism, and the Pentecostal influence on Lutheranism, as an example of the “Pentecostalisation of Christianity”. This year an international Lutheran-Pentecostal dialogue was launched. The focus is on the Spirit-Christology, which is fundamental

18 for the Pentecostal theological orientation, and also seems to be a fruitful point of encounter for Lutherans. The connection between Christ and the Spirit is central also to Pentecostalism. Kärkkäinen saw that a recognition of one Christian baptism between mainstream Churches and Pentecostals can be possible, if the different points of orientation are taken into account. There is good theological and biblical material for that.

The Revd. Prof Dr David Brown, Scottish Episcopal Church, gave a lecture on why theology needs the arts. He used examples from music, architecture and painting to illustrate how artists have attempted to convey a concept of the divine. Society no longer has such trust in dualist understanding of the person, in rationality or in systems of universal knowledge. The arts can help point theology in the direction of symbols, the value of stories, and human experience, as ways of making us open to the dimension of transcendence.

The Revd. Dr Cecilia Nahnfeldt, Church of Sweden, spoke about how we listen to the stirrings of the Spirit in the context of migration and a troubled Europe. She started by describing the two-sided nature of what migrants experience in society, such as a feeling of lack of a meal when there is food, or the feeling of not being listened to, while still meeting people. Referring to Dr Judith Butler she explained the mechanism of de-humanisation. She also referred to Luther, and his trust in the recipients of a message. The concept of “being called” could help us deal with what is perceived as disturbances in society, helping us to give priority to the needs of our neighbours. All humans are entitled to call others, as well as to being called. The role of the church is to give room for this calling. The calling can come from unexpected places. An example is the recent restrictions in regulations on asylum seekers in Sweden, showing conditional hospitality, a situation in which the church has become a contra- voice. Are we a naïve church, she asked? The church cannot eliminate the signs of disturbance, but it must be willing to show un-conditional hospitality.

The Most Revd. Dr Michael Jackson spoke on receptive ecumenism as a resource for our joint journey. As a communion of churches, we need to gain an understanding of communion as something deeper than just ecumenical exploration and thereby engaging as a family in communion with other churches. Receptive ecumenism is something we can take on further and use to ask real questions of ecumenical engagement of ourselves in our relations with others, a task of which the Porvoo Contact Group can be an engine. Receptive ecumenism involves engagement with, and a deep sense of community with, the other.

Summing up

Participants and members of the Porvoo Contact Group led morning and evening prayers. Bible studies were led by The Venerable Dr John Perumbalath, Church of England, who spoke on Acts 7:1 – 53, “Resident Aliens: Our Calling” and Esther 4:4 – 5:8, “Mission in the Public sphere”. He explored the passages, asking how do we minister in a world where God is not spoken about? In situations where the church may seem powerless, God can still use coincidences that are contributing to people being saved. The church must be present in the twists and turns of the world, because God acts through them. God calls us to action.

19 The Closing Eucharist took place in St. Saviour´s Anglican Church in Riga, celebrated by The Rt. Revd. Jana Jeruma-Grinberga from the Diocese in Europe. The sermon was given by The Revd. Helene T. Steed, Church of Ireland, who reflected on the prayer attributed to Sir Francis Drake; “Disturb us, O Lord …”.

In addition to worship and lectures, the Fifth Porvoo Theological Conference worked through plenary discussions and group work, as well as interviews with keynote listeners, all of which contributed to the recommendations of the conference.

Recommendations

- Building on the understanding of apostolicity, as it is expressed in the Porvoo Common Statement, we recommend that further work be done on the role of the baptized in their shared responsibility for the mission in the world.

- We have listened to and understood more fully the situation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia, and we recommend a continuing dialogue. We long for signs of the church´s greater commitment to our common journey, and a positive vote for full membership of the Porvoo Communion of Churches.

- We recognize that changes in the world are affecting our communities, thereby also changing the understanding of our own mission, especially in relation to migrants. We recommend that the Porvoo Communion of Churches look for

- fruitful ways to deliberate on how we take our common mission further in new context.

The Porvoo Communion of Churches consists of the following Anglican and Lutheran churches: The Church of England; The Church of Ireland; The Scottish Episcopal Church; The Church in Wales; The Lusitanian Church in Portugal; The Spanish Episcopal Reformed Church, The Church of Sweden; The Church of Norway; The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland; The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland; The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark, The Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church; The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Lithuania. The Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church Abroad and The Lutheran Church in Great Britain signed the Porvoo Declaration in September 2014 and are now full members of the Porvoo Communion of Churches. Currently the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia is the only church with observer status on the Porvoo Contact Group. The VELKD is invited as guests to all Porvoo Theologcal Conferences.

12. WPCT CORBISHLEY LECTURE: “BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS”

Wyndham Place Charlemagne Trust have issued advance details of next year’s Corbishley lecture. On Tuesday 31 January Sir Ivor Roberts KCMG will be speaking on the theme of ““Blessed are the peacemakers”: dissecting diplomacy”. The lecture will take place at Europe House, 32 Smith Square London SW1 and begin at 6:15pm (preceded by a drinks reception from 5:30) and last about minutes. It will be followed by a discussion, with opportunities for questions. Sir Ivor is the President of Trinity College Oxford and formerly a diplomat with experience of several European postings.

20 Further details will follow. The WPCT website has details about the Corbishley lecture series and the distinguished speakers over the years. See: http://www.wpct.org/lectures.htm

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