Coronavirus Ad Clerum 02112020

Dear sisters and brothers in the LORD

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12.1-3

For obvious reasons, these words have a particular resonance at the Feast of All Saints’, which we celebrated yesterday. It is the writer of the Letter to the Hebrews who has given us that wonderful phrase, to describe the communion of saints, ‘surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses’. But these words are also resonant in the light of the announcement made by the Prime Minister on Saturday evening, that from Thursday this week, the nation returns to ‘lockdown’ until at least Wednesday 2nd December (and possibly longer the Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove). Reading these verses again this weekend, in the light of that news, the phrase which sprang out at me was the exhortation, ‘let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us’. This latest lockdown (which might well not be the last of course) is likely to be shorter than the one we endured earlier in the year, but it might also be harder. For one thing, that lockdown was bathed in the sunshine of late spring and early summer; this one will be shrouded in the cold and dark of winter. For another, most of us are more weary now than we were then and have fewer resources to draw on. We have already had to persevere for months, so it is no easy thing to persevere further. But I am helped by the way the text continues: ‘looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith’. ‘Looking to Jesus’ doesn’t just mean, I think, calling to mind his example – though his example of perseverance is indeed cited in the very next clause. ‘Looking to Jesus’ means, I think, communing with Jesus – seeking his face and his help, drawing deliberately on the strength of his Spirit, remembering that he is not just the pioneer of our faith, the author of it, the starter of it, but the perfecter of it, the completer and finisher of it. May the Lord use this month to fashion each one of us more fully in his own image, that we may be given grace to persevere even though our own resources are inevitably depleted.

1. A Letter from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York and the Bishop of London You can find here a pastoral letter issued last night, addressed To the clergy of the Church of England. It includes a call to prayer throughout this renewed period of lockdown. During the coming week, we will consider, in partnership with the Diocesan Prayer Community, how we might offer some focus for Diocesan-wide prayer, but in the meantime, as your bishops we would like to encourage you to engage in your parish and mission area congregations, your schools and chaplaincies with this invitation.

One likely option for Diocesan-wide prayer may be the collection of good news stories, so that our praying can include thanksgiving as well as petition before God. But in terms of intercession, one obvious focus for your praying might be your local schools – the pupils, staff, governors and parents. One of the differences between this renewed lockdown and the first period we endured earlier in the year, after all, is the fact that schools remain open this time. In the letter from the Archbishops and the Bishop of London, you may be heartened, as I was, to read the following paragraph in particular: However, worship online still means that the people of God do not have access to the sacraments which are so central to our life in Christ. This is a huge loss and since we were not consulted about the lockdown provisions, we fully intend to speak with government about why certain exemptions are made and not others, emphasising the critical role that churches play in every community. The sacramental life of the church cannot be seen as an optional extra. Nor can we separate out our worship from our service, it is always ‘both/and’ not ‘either/or’.

2. The implications of a second lockdown for public worship The letter from the Archbishops and from the Bishop of London spells out some of the implications of the new lockdown on the conduct of public worship and some of the areas of uncertainty. The relevant government guidance can be found here. In summary, the guidance states that places of worship should be closed except for six specific activities: • Funerals, which can be attended by a maximum of 30 people, in addition to those present who are working. • To broadcast acts of worship – it is not yet clear what exactly this means in terms of the number of people who are permitted to take part. We hope to issue further guidance in the next few days. • Individual prayer – it will be up to local church communities to determine whether or not to make this facility available: ‘may’ does not mean ‘must’. • Formal childcare or where part of a school • Essential voluntary and public services, such as blood donation or food banks. (Please note, services in this sentence does not refer to acts of worship but to community activities!) • Other exempted activities such as some support groups

If you become aware that someone who has attended an act of worship in your church, or has attended for private prayer, has subsequently tested positive for the virus, there is a helpful NHS guide here which provides advice about what to do. The government’s statement makes it clear that wedding ceremonies are not permitted in church during this period, and the implication must be that baptisms must also be deferred until the lockdown is lifted. (We are seeking advice about the position in relation to the calling of wedding banns during this period – since there has been no formal suspension of public worship unlike the Spring, it may be that banns can still be called, even if very few people are physically present to hear them.) Clearly, there can be no gatherings in church for Remembrance Sunday this year, although of course a broadcast act of worship is permitted and might be extremely helpful to those fringe groups and organisations with whom we have the privilege of engaging at this time of the year. We await government guidance on outdoor Acts of Remembrance, but it is likely that gatherings at War Memorials and so on will be discouraged. As and when any further clarification is provided, we will communicate it promptly.

3. Cathedral Visitation On an entirely separate matter, I made the following statement at the end of the celebration of the Eucharist at the Cathedral yesterday. “I have no doubt that the pandemic has exacerbated and amplified the turbulence which has swirled around our Cathedral church over the course of past 6 months, although of course I don’t mean that there would have been no controversy without it. It goes without saying that none of us would have wished to find ourselves in this situation, and all of us are of course sorry that Dean Peter’s tenure has come to an end in these circumstances. Moreover, the decision of the Cathedral Chapter to disband the Cathedral choir was, I believe, a decision that, in principle, in terms of the Cathedral’s Constitution and Statutes, it was entitled to make. But it has been an undeniably costly decision in terms of reputations and relationships and for that reason I have initiated a Visitation of the Cathedral, which will begin tomorrow. The aim of this Visitation is to provide a comprehensive review of the life of the Cathedral, to prepare the way for the appointment of the new Dean and to attempt to resolve some of the tangled areas of complaint and expressions of concern that have arisen since the summer. I am grateful to Canon Keith, the Vice Dean, and to the Cathedral Chapter for the way in which they have welcomed the visitation and embraced this process and I am grateful, also, to the Acting Dean, Canon Geoffrey, who sees that we have an opportunity here – and I quote – for the Cathedral to discern a fresh vision for its ministry to the city, the Diocese and the wider community. I am delighted to have assembled an excellent team to act as my commissaries in the Visitation. It will be led by the Chair of the Cathedral Council in Liverpool, Peter Bounds, CBE; and he will be assisted by the Revd Canon Peter Holiday, a member of the Cathedral Chapter in Lichfield and of the Choral Foundation there; Dee Cooley, the Chapter Safeguarding Advisor at York Minster; and Ellie Gage, Director of HR and People Culture with Christians against Poverty. The Visitation will focus on seven areas: the culture and HR ethos of the Cathedral, safeguarding good practice, Chapter’s handling of recent complaints, lessons to be learned from the decision to disband the Cathedral Choir, Governance issues generally, Cathedral Strategy and Financial Sustainability. The Visitation team is open to speak to anyone about these areas of Cathedral life. If you wish to arrange an appointment to meet with members of the team, please email [email protected] or phone my office on 0114 2302170. Secondly, and more happily, I can confirm that the process of appointment for the next Dean of Sheffield is now underway. I am working closely with the Archbishop’s Advisor for Appointments to move the process along as swiftly as we can securely do it. I am also pleased to announce that after consultation with the patrons and with me, the Archbishop of York has invited the Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Mr Andrew Coombe, to chair the panel which will oversee the process and Andrew has kindly agreed to take on the role.” Please do hold the Cathedral community in your prayers in the coming weeks, and especially Canon Geoffrey and Canon Keith, as well as the Visitation team. Do pray too for the person the Lord is calling to take on the role of Dean of Sheffield and for those who will be involved in that appointment.

Finally, a reminder that if you yourself contract the virus, it would be helpful to us if you could let us know via [email protected] – over the coming weeks we may again find that in some parts of the Diocese numbers of licensed lay and clergy leaders might become stretched, not least in relation to funeral cover.

Thank you for all that you are doing in the service of Christ Jesus and God’s coming kingdom. May the Lord sustain each one of us through this month by the power of his Spirit.

The Rt Revd Dr

The Rt Revd