[undated, unsigned]
Tridentine Mass Centre - Burstall Village Hall (Parish of St Mark's, Ipswich)
Mass every fourth week; celebrated by Fr Oswald Baker; approx 2 dozen attend
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.
Worlock, Derek John Harford Rev (1920-1996)Cardinal unable to grant an interview with Le Figaro (weight of numbers). Asking Bishop Clark to help draft responses which the Cardinal can make his own.
Archbishop's OfficePat Browne, Westminster. Details enclosed for the 30 day vigil as it has taken place so far. Each Diocese is doing it its own way (examples enclosed). Middlesborough are ending on 17 March, would it be possible for East Anglia to take it up from then until end of April?
Archbishop's OfficeConfirming that the fee due for the year ending 31 December 1978 is £3227-30. Since the withdrawal of Brentwood from the arrangement, these losses are spread over the remaining dioceses. Westminster now has to bear £33,656-17.
manuscript annotation: "Original sent to Peter Wilson for payment 30.8.79"
David Norris (General Secretary) acknowledging the application for East Anglia - to be pout to the Finance Advisory Committee
Archbishop's OfficeDavid Norris about John Coventry asking for additional finance for the running of the British/Irish Theological Seminar in Cambridge next September. Archbishop Worlock suggests asking for Bishop Clark's advice.
manuscript annotation: "Settled by phone 1/2/82"
Confirming the dinner party being given in honour of Cardinal O'Fee on 5 July - overnight accommodation available.
Archbishop's OfficeMgr G R Leonard (PA to Cardinal Hume) writing to ask if Bishop Clark will be able to meet with a delegation from Catholic University of Lublin on 14th May 1983. Denis Corbishley and Cormac Murphy-O'Connor have been asked too. Lists the delegation members; 2 speak English most speak French & German.
Archbishop's OfficeMgr David Norris sending reimbursement (£404.40) of expenditure - Rome with British Church leaders.
Archbishop's OfficeCovering letter from Charles Wookey (Assistant for public Affairs) regarding a Catholic member for a proposed Ecumenical Centre
Archbishop's OfficeDavid Norris (General Secretary) is advising that a Standing Committee is meeting and asking for Bishop Clark's papers so they can be included with the rest. Says that CCLEPE [Consultative Committee for Local Ecumenical Projects in England?] has been left out by Bishop Clark.
Archbishop's OfficeFaxed extracts for Bishop Clark: manuscript note: "I congratulate you on putting together the scrappy notes I dared to send you. The final result isn't "bad". Alan C Clark"
Extracts from the homily preached by Bishop Alan Clark on Sunday, 22nd January 1995 in the week of prayer for Christian Unity
This celebration is an annual recognition that Jesus Christ bestowed the gift of unity on his church from the very beginning This unity, we believe, subsists in the Catholic church as something she can never lose. Let us pray that it will continue to grow until the end of time.
Jesus continues to give his church the gift of unity. The church on its part must always pray and work to maintain, reinforce, develop and perfect that unity that Christ plans for her. "That they may all be one as you Father are one in me and I am one in you,".
The gift of unity is given but not received in full. The desire of all Christians must be to recover that unity which is the closest to Christ's heart. It is a gift of Christ. It is a call of the Holy Spirit.
The purpose of this gift and call is the reconciliation of all Christians: Unity of mind and heart conformed to the will of Christ. This unity transcends merely human power and gifts and abilities. That is why the other Christian virtue of hope in the prayer of Christ for his church is important. The awareness of the love that the Father has for us, the power of the Holy Spirit to find us, all are part and parcel of our search for unity.
Where are we on this journey towards unity? We are certainly on a road of reconciliation, even though that reconciliation is beyond human power to achieve. We are on a road of hope because our effort is embedded in the prayer of Christ for his church. We are rooted in the love the Father Has for every one of his children. We are sustained on our tourney by the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes, the enterprise is dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit which transcends all human effort.
Our effort requires constant formation of mind and heart. We need to continually rediscover, remake, rebuild our understanding of God's plan for as as individuals and for his church. This is not a question so much about knowing every doctrine but about allowing the conviction born of the spirit to seize and possess us. This endeavour is a way of behaving, bearing witness to Christian values in every circumstance. Note the need of a changing witness in the changing patterns of behaviour in these last fifty years. Attitudes, outreach pastoral endeavour have had to change as human circumstances have changed. The search for unity demands an openness of mind a capacity to listen at a deep level to the firmly held convictions of others. It demands a desire to enter into dialogue with a vital and humble trust that God is at work in the midst of our endeavours.
We are committed to Christian unity, a visible unity. Not just a longing or a yearning but a specific building up of a community of faith sharing life based on the gospels and the witness to the revelation of God for the sake of our fragmented world. The immense complexity of this enterprise is sustained by the conviction that the underlying purpose and goal of all our endeavours are union with God which is the gift of Christ.
And so we all walk a common path in our search for unit with God. We need only to find in our resting in the heart of God that we discover him through unfolding prayer. Unfolding prayer is the writing of the ecumenical story whether in the lives of people as they rest in the heart of God or in the theological exploration which is essential to a common mind and respond to God's revelation.
Why is the ecumenical question so complex? Because it is fundamentally a human question and nothing is more intractable than human organisation and relationships. It is complex because we forget that God has already given us the answer. The gift of unity is given in the revelation of Jesus Christ his Son. We attempt to construct a human version of God's revelation. We need as churches to rediscover the authenticity of the clear message of revelation, salvation, and communion in the love of God for the whole of his creation.
Archbishop's OfficeThanks Bishop Clark for his kind letter. They will be working closely together and Hume will listen to what he says. Still puzzled and bemused by recent events and not had time to consider the implications.
Hume, George Basil Rev (1923-1999)Clark's BCC [British Council of Churches] document seems good - joining BCC will cost much more than a thousand pounds per annum. Diocesan deaneries favour joining.
Butler, Basil Edward Christopher Rev OSB (1902-1986)Suggests several potential publications in which to place the pamphlet. The three Tablet articles are to be sent to members of ARCIC.
Butler, Basil Edward Christopher Rev OSB (1902-1986)"... it is not strictly necessary for Our Lord to be born of a virgin. I am not sure that St Thomas doesn't make the point."
Read Laurentin before you finish the pamphlet.
manuscript ps: "I have now read your paper on Argument [? Agreement] in Faith. It is excellent and should have wider circulation. Many thanks."
Brother Reinhold Zielinski, a Dominican student at Cambridge, recently ordained to the Diaconate has asked if Bishop Clark would ordain him as a priest at Trinity College.
Butler, Basil Edward Christopher Rev OSB (1902-1986)Copies of articles sent to all ARCIC members. Like to see Tillard's paper on Priesthood and Ministry.
R [René] Lourentine's great study of the first two chapters of St Luke's Gospel hints that St Luke's information may have come to him, via the circle of which St John was the centre, from Our Lady. Impressed that while St Luke presents information representing her point of view, the infancy narratives of St Matthew is through the eyes of St Joseph.
Information passed between St Luke and St John. St Matthew's presentation is through the eyes of St Joseph. Odd that some consider St Luke to be quite independent of St Matthew
Butler, Basil Edward Christopher Rev OSB (1902-1986)