United in diversity, the challenges of the Church of England: the Queen opens the eleventh Synod
On Tuesday 16 November the work of the eleventh General Synod of the Church of England officially began, opened by the usual intervention of the Sovereign, as well as Supreme Governor of the C of E. Although this time the Queen has entrusted her writing to her younger son, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, due to the health problems that have afflicted her in recent times, she did not want to miss the important event, during which the fundamental points of the work of the Church in the near future will have to be outlined. The Synod is the self-governing and deliberative body of the Church itself, founded in 1970, as recalled by the Queen in her declaration, as the successor of the Assembly. It is an institution that reflects very well the very peculiar nature of this Church, still established today, and therefore invested with official functions, in England. It has an incredibly complex structure, just like the Church itself, and brings together bishops, priests and laity, with the aim of discussing and approving measures concerning everything from organization to doctrine, from positions on social issues to the liturgy.
Essentially, as His Majesty reminds us, he tries to keep the tiller on a middle path, as the Church of England has always done, between renewal and continuity, keeping away from any extreme position, without however severing any ties with those who are barricades on harder positions. The task seems particularly difficult today: there will certainly be very distant points of view on certain issues, the Queen admonishes – indubitable, if we think that there will be topics such as the approach to climate change and the position of homosexuals within the community. Church. Many Churches, even in the Anglican Communion, have not withstood these pressures, splitting and dividing, and the Supreme Governor , without mentioning this possibility, clearly prays that the Synod find wisdom in deciding and above all unity in existing.
After all, the Church of England still has an important function to play in society, even if things aren't what they used to be. Elizabeth II is keen to remember that she has many subjects of every faith – or none -, and that all of them have a role in society; yet, the existence of an official Church still makes sense, there is still a need for a national Church. And this need has been more evident than ever in the last two years: the pandemic, the Queen recalls, has hit the nation very hard, and the blow has made itself felt even more among the weakest sections of the population. And the C of E promptly responded to the need: it gave birth to many initiatives of support, both spiritual and material, it brought hope and help, and in a certain sense it reinvented its own liturgy – a fundamental aspect – by bringing services to homes. of the faithful with Sunday appointments, registered every week in a different diocese, with the participation of bishops, priests and laity, always trying to make room for all the different traditions and nuances that make up the Anglican community.
But the Church of England is not only a comforting institution and a cornerstone of the nation: it is also the bearer of the message of the Gospel of Christ and his commandments – in the words of the Queen – and has always remained faithful to them. And it is still in charge of disseminating them today, in a surprisingly vital way for a mainstream institution, and this too is something that has never changed.
Of course, the C of E that opened its eleventh Synod may be very different from the one that Prince Philip had known – always remembered by the sovereign – at the opening of the first, 50 years ago. The data released in recent days on the approximately 500 people who are going to the priesthood in the next year speak of 11 per cent belonging to minority ethnic groups, 24 per cent of young people and 54 per cent of women – who in a few years seem destined to form the absolute majority of the clergy. It is a Church that no longer represents the majority of the population, a Church that has to face the particular cultural phase that we are experiencing without tearing itself apart and without denying itself.
But the old Church of England still remains, despite everything firmly in its role, and is preparing to face its future with the air of an Archbishop who does not hesitate to define cancel culture as a very serious danger for the West, and with a participation that had rarely been seen in the recent past: the reaction of the Church to the pandemic brought to light in a visible way the many young people who revive parish life, and it is precisely by thinking of them that His Majesty concludes by praying for a united Church and cohesive, an active part of English society, and British society in general, with his finally cordial collaboration with the Church of Scotland – of Calvinist inspiration, with which relations have always been lukewarm to say the least. An essential presence, with its parishes, scholastic and educational institutions, assistance centers, canteens, hospitals.
Will it still be a home for everyone, for evangelicals and Anglo-Catholics, for traditionalists and liberals , to combine online functions and high mass chants? His Majesty believes so, and for this he prays and works, so that the centuries-old institution can stand united in diversity, like England itself, still today and tomorrow a Church for and for England – and so that the English may still call it our Church. .
The complete translation of the Queen's declaration follows.
Your Graces, the Convocations of Canterbury and York, duly convened in obedience to Our Royal Scriptures, are united on this day, and the Chamber of the Laity is added to them in accordance with the 1969 Synodal Government Measure , so as to constitute the Eleventh General Synod of the Church of England.
Archbishops and all members, the opening of a new Synod offers all of us the opportunity to give thanks for the testimony of those who preceded us, and to pray for the necessary wisdom, as you prepare to seek balance change and continuity in the decisions that await you. It is hard to believe that it has been more than 50 years since Prince Philip and I attended the first meeting of the General Synod.
None of us can slow down the passage of time; and while we often focus on all that has changed in the past few years, much remains unchanged — including the gospel of Christ and its teachings.
The list of tasks to be faced in that first General Synod may sound familiar to many of you: Christian education; the unity of Christians; the best distribution of priests and other ministers according to the needs of the population. But one stands out, supreme: "to bring the people of this country to the knowledge and love of God".
Of course, in our richly diverse modern society, the well-being of the nation depends on the contribution of people of all faiths — or none at all.
But for people of faith, the past few years have been particularly tough, with their unprecedented restrictions on access to the comfort and reassurance of public worship.
For many, it was a time of anxiety, pain and fatigue.
Yet the gospel has brought hope, as it has through the centuries; and the Church has adapted and continued its ministry, often in new ways — such as digital forms of worship.
St. Paul reminds us that all Christians are entrusted with the ministry of reconciliation, and making relations between the great Christian traditions more solid and profound has been a constant priority, since the first General Synod in 1970. And so, I am pleased to note greater cooperation between the Church of England and the Church of Scotland, as well as the constant ecumenical relations and ties between many Churches, in the pursuit of Christian unity.
Your Graces and members of the Synod, the next five years will not always be simple. Like any new Synod, you have inherited heavy responsibilities and many issues to address, reports to discuss and difficult decisions to make. You may have to consider various proposals on governance, conduct, use of resources, and other issues — as well as a vision for the future of the Church.
In some areas, of course, there will be differing views, but my hope is that you will be strengthened by the assurance of God's love, and that you will be able to work together by drawing on the Church's tradition of unity in fellowship for the tasks ahead.
At the beginning of this new Synod, my prayer is that the blessing of the Lord be upon you as you undertake your tasks of discussion and deliberation; and may you find inspiration in the joyful words of the hymn you sang this morning:
O Comforter, draw near,
you appear in my heart,
and light it, giving it your holy flame.
Elizabeth R.
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This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Atlantico Quotidiano at the URL http://www.atlanticoquotidiano.it/quotidiano/unita-nella-diversita-le-sfide-della-chiesa-dinghilterra-la-regina-apre-lundicesimo-sinodo/ on Fri, 19 Nov 2021 03:46:00 +0000.