LOVING THEM INTO THE KINGDOM (See News )

Many voices have reached this paper since Christmas, by telephone, by email, through the letter box, even whispers at a funeral. One voice in particular was both calming and challenging. “Perhaps we should all ask ourselves what it was the Scriptures said to us that made us speak out in the first place. I don’t mean the passage we chose as a support for opinions we already held but those that urged us to speak out at whatever cost.” A mighty question; one each of us is required to answer, not least this writer.

THE ZAMBIAN LINK

Bishop Patrick is to be applauded for his efforts to maintain the Zambian link (Forty Years On, The Zambian Link, Looking Back and Slowly, Slowly, Comes The Water.) A diocese is always more Christ-like for being more aware of its world-wide mission. Those who say, “let’s fix the holes in our own ship before we go to the rescue of others” should be resisted, they are not thinking in God’s way but man’s. Bishop Patrick is sounding a surer note, the very same note sounded by Bishop Foley and his friend Bishop Corboy all those years ago.

TRUSTING THE TRUSTEES

Of its own nature, the church does not require Trustees. They are not mentioned in Canon law. It is only because of English Charity law that our diocese requires Trustees and then ONLY to see that the terms of our Trust status are adhered to. Neither God’s law, nor Church law, requires us to ask the Trustees to formulate, or even influence, our PASTORAL PRACTICE at diocesan, deanery or parochial level. To do so now would not only be a novelty but would also be downright unfair. Individual Trustees would thereby be made answerable for their decisions not just to the Charity Comissioners, but before God himself.