9 in attendance [note: first time names provided of meeting attendees]
Walsingham Pilgrimage - programme awaited; coach to be booked; Mr Smith to do posters
Quiet Day - contact Fr Elias; November date
Ecumenical Centre - churches to be viewed on 20 April at 3pm
AOB - Statue to be made of oak and be hollow; letter of thanks to Mr Mellamphy; Ecumenical Society of BVM requested a talk about the Guild - July 4 at Tolleshunt Knight.

14 members in attendance (mainly committee members). Officers reports; subscription increase approved; discussion on approach to the Shrine in an Ecumenical Centre.

to David Norris: Regarding the request from Father John Coventry. The NCF has limited funds for such applications. Possibly provide a token of £250 but need to make sure from Bishop Clark that the Theological Commission is backing this seminar. So, as a grant from the Bishop's Conference may be taken as approbation this should be cleared with Alan Clark.

Covering letter from Charles Wookey (Assistant for public Affairs) regarding a Catholic member for a proposed Ecumenical Centre

Share the sadness that these negotiations have fallen through, but can understand why. Can Bishop Clark comment on whether he'd have taken a different view if things had been different? The transfer of St Mary's in Thetford is going ahead satisfactorily on the basis of a lease.
manuscript ps: hoped Bishop Clark had a happy time at Ely Cathedral for the ecumenical service.

BCC [British Council of Churches) Working Party's work is independent of the Pope's visit. Its constitution [composition?] to be an Archbishop, diocesan Bishop and an Auxiliary. We are committed to exploring a way ahead with the BCC. WP needs to listen with integrity to measured arguments. Clark suggests himself as secretariat to the group of three - names he suggests are Archbishop Worlock, Bishop Lindsay, Bishop Henderson.

Personal: thanking the Cardinal for presiding over the debate. Concerned about the ability of colleagues to rise to the occasion and avoid the charge of "Fortress Catholicism", otherwise "we'll dwindle (yes, we)". Perhaps Bishop Clark's remarks were a spill over form the days of ARCIC in the 70s; but, need to those with imagination and initiative to pursue the aims and objectives of ARCIC and unity as a whole.

Acknowledges receipt of the "aide mémoire" - clear and outlined the problem perfectly. Accepted the Cardinal's point to Canterbury regarding the differences between ourselves on the approach to Anglican Orders. Reconciliation of the respective churches first, then easy to make good any defect in present Anglican Orders.

Attached letter - Bishop bemused about an apparent omission in which Bishop Donze appears not to be saying Mass . Also, "ruffled" that, if he was involved in the arrangements, Cardinal Hume has not been in touch with Bishop Clark.

Acknowledges that Fr Birch is disappointed and irritated, and, the correction to his history. However, there are [outlined] sensitivities in ecumenism, which the bishop as a seasoned ecumenist is aware of, but he cannot agreed to "institutionalise this in the way you wished". Need to trust one another and find joy in that.
Bishop has drafted a preliminary paper for the Standing Committee of the Episcopal Conference (who decide on the agenda for the Low Week Conference)
p.s. Would Fr Birch serve on the Liturgical Commission's Music Committee?

Cannot find it easy to accept your letter. The Student Cross has become a problem child if it provokes the difficult situation at Walsingham. The previous letter was close to Good Friday and he had to reply quickly but he would have thought that the Shrine Director would have given warning of his support for your solution. The Bishop argues that he is sensitive about anything that touches the Eucharist and that Fr Hibbert's liturgy could be misinterpreted: there are times when one has to stand within the disciplines of one's own church. Bishop does not remember being informed of a "trial" liturgy in 1982 after which event Fr Hibbert could have approached the Bishop. The Student Cross shows that in coming to Walsingham apparent incompatibilities can be resolved with good will. No need for a meeting until the Bishop has spoken to the Parish priest and the Director of Walsingham Shrine.

Acknowledging that Fr Marmion is "right on beam". The basic spiritual theme of reconciliation has yet to be fully exploited; the two shrine communities co-operate, work and pray together. However, the "idea of in some way making it from the start a Chapel of Reconciliation is as yet untimely".

Rev K V Ensor's letter touched the Bishop deeply and precious to receive especially from an Evangelical Anglican. Shares the need not to tamper with doctrine under the rubric of spurious ecumenism. The doctrine of the RC Church is embodies in the New Order of Mass which is shared substantially with the Anglican Communion. The Church is not an abstraction; it is for the episcopate to discern what is to be done in the development of the Catholic faith.

Three days in Rome as Co-Moderator of the Joint Working Group (between the Holy See and the World Council of Churches [WCC]). Summary of discussion with Bishop Duprey: Cardinal Hume handled the matter admirably; not to support the "Papua New Guinea Solution" (Archivist would not let Bishop Clark look at the Papua New Guinea file); hostile to Conditional Ordination; explore Supplemental Ordination?; As CDF [The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Curia, Vatican] did not accept ARCIC approach to Apostolic Succession there may be a problem.

Nashdom: appeals for support by the Abbot to Archbishop Cardinale, then himself, were refused for reasons given. Though the request might go to the Abbot of Bec next - this is an awkward situation but the appeal which brackets us with Canterbury or York for a widely circulated appeal may be misconstrued - leave it to your judgment.
Gillingham Church: Fr Little of Beccles has written about Gillingham Church (which John Todhunter is in charge of). There is an issue relating to its maintenance and ownership which is highlighted by the new Charities Act. The title deeds are missing - can only find one letter about the cemetery dated 19 July 1929 [see related descriptions link]. Bishop had stopped the holding of the Blessed sacrament at the Chapel and the parish priest offering mass there - quite unauthorised. Now Fr Little doubts the wisdom of offering Sunday Mass. If this stops then what becomes of the Chapel? Need to discuss - in August will be in Norfolk and will see Fr Little and John [Todhunter] then.

Thanks for the kind and generous letter. A delight to hear of Canon William Sayers help - such excellent ecumenical co-operation.

Anglican / Roman Catholic Relations
pg 0: Contents
pg 1-2: General Situation; Five Problems; Suggested action
pg 3: Appendix A - Anglican Orders
Pg 4-5: Appendix B - Women Priests
Pg 6: Appendix C - Nature of the Church

A brief report on the visit to the Holy Father on 5th May 1979. Memorandum for the visit complied and copy provided to Archbishop Coggan. Lists documents which express the RC church;'s stance on the ordination of women. Hume did put four question to the Pope about ordination of women and requested the Pope's answers as being helpful to both Hume and Coggan. Discussed at length the attitude towards Anglican Orders, Hume said "... the resolution of the problem of Orders should proceed with our attempts to reach agreement on the nature of the Church and the content of the Faith."

Cardinal (to Mrs Walker) unable to commit additional time to new projects. Suggest that Bishop Clark be contacted with a view to joining the proposed Council of Reference.

Meeting of the Diocesan Pastoral Council [200 individuals from across the diocese] on 19 November "to move from co-operation to commitment" with all other Christians. The Bishop says that the pursuit of unity is not an option but a command.