ESBVM Congress - Woldingham, Surrey 1997 |
The theme of the Ecumenical
Conference of the ESBVM at Woldingham School, Surrey, Sunday 13 - Thursday 17
July 1997 was: The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus: A sign of Hope
on the Way to Christian Unity: The Wedding at Cana (John 2).
This ESBVM gathering of 53 participants, though fewer in number than at other
conferences, experienced a richness of fare that led not a few to say it was
one of our finest conferences yet. That is always gratifying for the organisers
but more importantly it assures our Society that the need for its contribution
to this area of ecumenism continues to be justified and demanded. Having just
come from our Thirtieth Anniversary thanksgiving service the day before in the
Little Oratory of Brompton Oratory and the publisher`s book launch of our
long-awaited collection of previous congress/conference papers, Mary is for Everyone, and our other celebrations
that day, there was a definite feel of strength and joy as we began our time
together. Perhaps the presence of long-standing members and contributors who
have borne the heat of the day together with welcome newcomers helped us to
realise our need to move on with the confidence that comes from a sound past
and an openness to what lies ahead. After periods of illness, spells in
hospital and surgery, it was very good to have some of our hitherto hors de
combat officials back in action, most especially it was good to have with
us once again, Fr Edward Yarnold SJ, after a much-troubling illness earlier in
the year. The conference was greatly honoured and enriched by the presence and
participation of H.E.Cardinal Cahal Daly, a faithful friend and active member
of the ESBVM. Taking as inspirational documents the encyclical letters of Pope
John Paul II Ut Unum Sint and Orientale Lumen and the Churches
Together in England document Called to be One, the conference unfolded
on the lines of our usual format, with time for our task of advancing the
`study at various levels of the place of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Church,
under Christ, and related theological questions', with time to pray together
with a faithfulness to our agreed task of `in the light of such study to
promote ecumenical devotion', and rich opportunities to relax and have time
together. Our Hon Associate General Secretary, Mr Joe Farrelly, had worked
tremendously hard in preparing this conference and we wish to thank him
here.
We were ably served once again in the distinguished range of speakers who came
to be with us and we received interesting and stimulating papers. Most of the
speakers were good enough to provide a text of their paper at the Conference or
have sent them since, though not all. There is a determination on the part of
the publishing committee of the ESBVM not to allow undue delay between papers
being delivered at conference/congress and their publication. We know that this
is a vital dimension of the Society`s contribution.
Dr Mary Remnant, no stranger to our ESBVM and one whose artistry as both
a scholar and performer of medieval music is renowned, brought us to our
opening session with The Way to Walsingham bringing us richly into the medieval
pilgrimage way through music on instruments of the period and through slides
that let us glimpse the beauty of that way. One of our company declined to blow
his own horn, when Dr Remnant asked for an assistant to demonstrate, but then
Mr Peter Blake was prevailed upon and impressed us with his resounding blast,
and this was followed by a medieval Quartet performing a finale led by Dr
Remnant.
On the evening of 15 July, Fr Paul Addison OSM presented a sumptuous
range of glimpses of medieval art on Mary`s Assumption into Heaven. He showed
slides of familiar works but also of surviving English medieval glass that he
has photographed in recent years in churches and collections around the
country, and which were new discoveries for most of us. Fr Yarnold`s
arrangement of Stabat Mater Music on the night of 16 July brought another
dimension to our reflections together.
Canon John McHugh opened our series of papers with The Cana Story of
the Gospel of John, reminding us that his first paper to the Society was
given 26 years ago at the Coloma Congress, since when he felt he had learnt
much in this area of studies. As always, the ESBVM benefited from this learning
worn so lightly.
Cardinal Daly followed this presentation with Mary, Mother of Jesus
and Help of Christians; he advanced the view that the growing understanding
of each Christian tradition about itself offers the hope of greater
understanding stemming from a humility in asking for grace that strengthens
unity and makes it grow. Should we ask if all this is possible, the answer will
always be yes - the same answer which Mary of Nazareth heard: with God nothing
is impossible.
Bishop Edward Knapp-Fisher, The ESBVM: yesterday, today and
tomorrow skilfully reviewed where we find ourselves in the ecumenical
climate of today and stressed that dialogue must continue, for there is no
future in ecumenical apartheid, and here the ESBVM has a vital role. All is not
gloom for Ecumenism, for Ut Unum Sint is a striking affirmation of Vatican II`s
Decree on Ecumenism.
The Revd Bernard Longley, Secretary to the Department of Mission and
Unity (Catholic Bishops' Conference) spoke on Mary, Mother of the Church
and offered us a very accessible paper rich with insights, with the cautionary
reminder that Roman Catholics do well to remember that they have no proprietary
rights to Mary.
Dr Edward Yarnold's Mary and the Ordination of Women was not an
endeavour to reopen the issue after churches have made a mature decision, or to
question the discipline of his own church, but a reflection on gender symbolism
as applied to ordination. As always, good value was given in Fr Yarnold`s
paper, and it will certainly be read with appreciation when available.
Mr Neville Kyrke-Smith, Director of Aid to the Church in Need, updated
us on the Catholic-Orthodox Dialogue as experienced in Russia. Clearly
recent difficulties between the two communions might well have reduced this
presentation to a short slot, but Aid to the Church in Need's work of true
concern for the nourishment of Christian life has disarmed to a great degree
the distrust that is disabling and seeks through its practical charity and love
to bring a hope that will not have been misplaced.
Dr Sarah Boss, Director of the Marian Study Centre, spoke on The
Virginal Conception as Pledge of Reconciliation, in which she proposed a
reconciliation not by conformity but by finding underlying unity.
Mr David Carter's Called to be One/Ut Unum Sint/Orientale Lumen - An
analysis of the statement made in those publications in refocusing the old
question as to what structures safeguard communion, offered us, from the point
of view of a Methodist, a helpful review of the difficulties we face with
`reconciled diversity' in Ecumenism.
The Revd Keith Riglin, URC Minister and Chaplain in Cambridge, offered
us The Virgin Mary and The Saints and Everlasting Rest, and in so doing
told us that what he had to say was novel to himself, as he sought to answer
what is the Reformed position. His reflection on faith as a journey and the
rediscovery of pilgrimage in the Reformed tradition enabled him, he felt, to
dialogue in a fresh way as a Reformed pastor.
Among our interesting visits was one on 15 July to the restored 13th-century
priory of the shrine of Our Lady of Aylesford, where we had our Conventual
Eucharist according to the Roman Catholic tradition, anticipating the feast of
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which falls on 16 July, and at which Fr Yarnold was
principal concelebrant and Canon John McHugh preached. After Holy Mass, the
Prior, the Very Revd Fr Edward Okon, came to welcome us as we took lunch in the
Pilgrims' Hall refectory which is one of the original medieval buildings, and
after lunch one of the Carmelite Friars, Br Laurence gave a guided tour. We
were blessed with most beautiful weather for this visit. On 16 July our outing
took us to another shrine of sorts in Chartwell House, which was the home of
Sir Winston Churchill from 1924 until his death.
As always, we give thanks to the Lord for the efforts of all who helped to make
the conference a happy and profitable time together, and we pray that the
benefit of our time at Woldingham may reach others through the speedy
publication of the collected papers of this and perhaps next year's '98
Congress, DV. May the Blessed Virgin Mary watch over us with her Holy
Child.
Fr William McLoughlin OSM
