The Council of Bishops encourages participation by Society parishes

Prayer lies at the heart of all we do as Christians, and in a church that is coming alive afresh to the priority of mission, that rootedness in prayer is more important than ever. This is why we are so keen that parishes of The Society play a part in the Archbishops’ initiative ‘Thy Kingdom Come'. Between Ascension and Pentecost, as we look for the coming of the Holy Spirit, we are invited to set time aside to pray for the evangelization of our nation. This time of focused prayer, which was held for the first time last year, has become a major ecumenical initiative. The Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales is committed to it, as are the majority of free churches. This year the National Pilgrimage to Walsingham will be a Beacon event.

We hope that you and your people will want to share in this huge wave of prayer. There will be many ways of doing this. You may want to offer Mass during the course of these ten days or hold some other public devotion. You may want to invite your people to share in ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ within their private devotions. You may well want to join in with other Society parishes or ecumenical partners to pray with others. Liturgical resources produced by the Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham include:

• Vigil Service
• Eucharist Propers for The Mission of the Church
• The 40 Hours Devotion
• Eucharist Propers for Mary, Mother of the Mission of the Church
• The Rosary - Thy Kingdom Come

If you arrange something, you may also wish to register it on the Thy Kingdom Come website.

Parishes of The Society running events as part of this iniative are ecouraged to use the hashtags #TheSociety and #ThyKingdomCome when promoting them on social media.

+TONY WAKEFIELD

The Rt Revd Tony Robinson

Chairman of the Council of Bishops

Bishops of The Society will be celebrating the following Chrism Masses:

*with renewal of ministerial vows - for all the clergy of the Diocese of Chichester.

The Bishop of Wakefield has issued the following statement on behalf of the Council of Bishops of The Society.

We wish to express publicly our sympathy and concern for Bishop Philip and our understanding of the decision that he has felt compelled to take. The pressure on him over the past few weeks will have been enormous.

We share the disappointment of those of all persuasions in the Diocese of Sheffield and in the wider Church of England who were looking forward to his ministry as Bishop of Sheffield. It is a cause of great regret that the Church of England will not benefit from his leadership, and his advocacy for the poor and marginalised, as a diocesan bishop. 

The implications of what has happened for the stability of the settlement that enabled women to become bishops in the Church of England, and also for the integrity of the whole process whereby the Church of England discerns that God is calling someone to a diocesan see, are a cause of grave concern.

As we enter more deeply into Lent, a period of prayer and self-examination, we call on all concerned to engage not in mutual recrimination but in a period of calm reflection about how our church can recover from this wound.

+TONY WAKEFIELD

The Rt Revd Tony Robinson

Chairman of the Council of Bishops

The Bishop of Wakefield has issued the following statement on behalf of the Council of Bishops of The Society.

We are confident that the ministry of Bishop Philip North as Bishop of Sheffield will make a very significant contribution to the life and mission of the Church. We have been delighted by the welcome that his nomination has received from representatives of a wide range of traditions in the Diocese of Sheffield and in the Church of England more widely. The support expressed by many female clergy who have experience of his ministry and gifts is especially encouraging. Their response gives grounds for hope that the Five Guiding Principles and the spirit of mutual flourishing that they embody have begun to permeate through the Church of England.

We have also noted critical comments. Some of them have referred to the cards that are issued to Priests of The Society. The card merely states, ‘Fr John Smith is a Priest of The Society’, and that it is only valid while the priest holds a benefice, licence or permission to officiate in the Church of England. The cards are no different from the membership cards that are issued by many organizations. They are not available to priests who have not chosen to become Priests of The Society. We understand that the way in which the cards have been described has created a different impression, and wish to express our regret at the offence that this has caused.

In our 2015 statement ‘A Catholic Life in the Church of England’ we said: ‘We reject any so-called “theology of taint” whereby a bishop who ordains women to the episcopate or the priesthood thereby invalidates his own orders and renders invalid the orders of those whom he subsequently ordains.’ We made it clear that priests ordained by such bishops are welcomed as Priests of The Society. We are disappointed that our beliefs continue to be misrepresented.

One of the many aspects of Bishop Philip’s ministry which is exemplary is the fact that he values, and works happily with, both female and male clergy of different traditions. As bishops of The Society, we expect its clergy and people to respect all whom the Church of England has ordained and appointed to office, and to work with them in a spirit of mutual flourishing. The Five Guiding Principles, to which we are wholeheartedly committed, require this not only of the rest of the Church of England but also of us.

The Archbishop of Canterbury has described the House of Bishops’ Declaration as ‘a promise to love one another’. We call on all involved in the discussions that have arisen to recommit themselves to that promise, as we do ourselves.

Tomorrow sees the beginning of Lent – a season of prayer, reflection and spiritual renewal. We hope that throughout this season people will continue to pray for Bishop Philip and the people of the Diocese of Sheffield.

+TONY WAKEFIELD

The Rt Revd Tony Robinson

Chairman of the Council of Bishops