pg 1: Bishop Clark to lead 40 delegates to Congress in Liverpool May 2-6 pg 2: Aims of the Congress; The Agenda pg 3: The Seven sectores; The East Anglia Priority; Sector Presidents Pg 4-6: Deanery delegates listing Pg 7: A message from the Bishop; The Diocesan Banner [made by Mrs Cicely Green, description of banner] Pg 8: Congress Coach; Information Contacts (Fr Emmanuel Sullivan SA, Fr Anthony Rogers)
Signed "A Christian". Takes Bishop Clark to task for the attacks on Fr Baker. Suggest that, as the Anglican Church does, the Catholic Church should tolerate two rites contemporaneously. Such intolerance is a grave disservice to Christian Unity and those who love their tradition.
Sides 1-3: Alan Smithies (author & poet) writes following hearing the Bishop on the radio discussing the Tridentine Mass, its discontinuation by Rome and the subsequent mass protests. As an Anglo Catholic author he holds no brief for the Tridentine Mass; discusses the 1549 prayer book (a wholly Catholic Mass). Anglicans are in more disarray with their various services, with Series III replacing good English with journalese (as with your English mass). Discusses the nature of the language and its uses, the Bishops of earlier ages; modern bishops too influenced by the popular. People do want good but simple everyday English. Appends some hymns if the Bishop would like to use any of them then he'd be delighted. Sides 5, 7, 9: "Office for Saint Bede" 5 four-line verses; "For Saint Clare" [written for the nuns of Lynton, on the Feast of St Care, 1975] 8 six-line verses; "Hymn for Saint Nicholas" 6 four-line verses; "Office Hymn for Saint Andrew" 6 four-line verses "These hymns are written with the intention that they should be sung, wherever possible, in plainchant."
Parishioners from around the Diocese will converge on St John's Cathedral for a Mass of Thanksgiving for Bishop Clark's 49 years in the priesthood. Mention of his role as co-chair of the Anglican/Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC).
"In a hardback book published today (Tuesday Nov. 29th), the Roman Catholic Bishop of East Anglia presents a five-year diocesan plan which foresees a growing role for lay people in the mission of the Church." Deepening and Widening our Faith, Price £2.25, from Catholic Presbytery, Geneva Street, Peterborough.
"Redouble your efforts to aid the poor and oppressed in the Third Wold, the Bishop of East Anglia (Rt Rev Alan Clark) tells the 79,000 Roman Catholics of his diocese in a Lenten message released today."
Bishop Clark 's pastoral letter for Sunday 2 March 1986 appeals for men to offer themselves for the priesthood. Currently, 125 priests serve in the diocese with 11 in training. More priests are needed as numbers of priests decline and the Catholic congregation increases - from 65,000 ten years ago to 80,000 now.
"Nearly 80 priests and 500 young people will join the Roman Catholic Bishop of East Anglia, Rt Rev Alan Clark, at St John's Cathedral, Norwich, on Monday, February 11th to celebrate his 40 years in the priesthood." Short biography of Bishop Alan Clark. Fr Philpot to give the address.
Announcing a pastoral letter: "The Roman Catholic Bishop of East Anglia, Rt Rev Alan C Clark, urges the nation this weekend 'to take out the word enemy from our conversation and substitute brother or sister'." Other quotations from the pastoral letter which was enclosed [not present] with this press release.
Page 1: Statement by Bishop Clark made to the editor of The Catholic Herald (instead of the answers given in page 2). Page 2: Written questions for Bishop Clark - manuscript answers
Suggest Canons Burditt and Frost and Frs Philpot and Wace for Commission on the division of the [Northampton] Diocese. Downham Market is an issue on which we must stand - "whatever the personal holiness of Ossie (and God alone is the Judge here), he is corrupting a holy thing - and this is the hidden evil." Unwavering leadership is required. Confront Ossie with the obedience he owes, and, that the Pope has formally specified the circumstances in which the rite may be celebrated. Tony Sketch should be given Downham market as his charge and say a publicised Mass there. PPs (Aldeburgh, Wymondham, Felixstowe and Ipswich) make change-over on October 7th.
Fr baker had issued detailed directives about what women could wear. The Bishop thought that a general directive might be more adequate - he had no idea of the lead up which horrifies him. "In many ways this miserable affair has only just begun" but your bishops are trying to find a solution compatible with Catholic faith - likely to be firm action.
Massive incoming post causes delay. Can debate the central point of the letter: the inadequacy of the New Order Mass compared to the Tridentine Mass. Vatican II debated extensively and profoundly and from there was promulgated the "Constitution of the Sacred Piturgy" in 1963 from which came the April 1969 Apostolic letter of Pope Paul. Fr Baker has known of the1970 Hierarchy directive and has deliberately put his Bishop in an impossible position but is following Canon Law; he could have acted summarily.
Responding to a correspondent about situation at Downham Market. "I share your anxiety about Downham Market, and for some time now I have been endeavouring to find a viable solution to this unhappy problem." People with cars can drive to Oxburgh or Swaffham - but this is far from a happy solution.
To Douglas [Brown, Catholic Herald] - told Harold Hood how much he appreciated the article - got the equation so right and thinks Clifford Longley in the Times gave a good overview of what is at stake.
Acknowledges that he had read the Downham Market article and advised others to read it. The holiness of Fr Baker is for God to judge but his ministry leaves a lot to be desired; have tried to contain this because of the hurt and scandal its disclosure would cause; this assumption of holiness hurts other priests in the area. "It is appalling that Downham Market has associated itself with the Abbe of Nantes." Short discussion of Apostolicae Curae; leave off the offensive "final decision" from the front cover. The proceedings of Oxford was kept completely confidential but the last sentence of the press release is a "humble and abiding confidence in what we are doing."
Thanking the EDP editor, Stewart Garner, for the positive coverage in the EDP regarding the Pro-Nuncio's (Archbishop Barbarito) visit. He quotes a positive comment received from the Pro-Nuncio.
Receiving letters pleading for a change in diocesan decision - recently an extremely insulting one. No able to reply to all, asks Fr Baker to announce on Sunday that all letters received are not ignored but courtesy and Christian Charity should be reflected in letters
"..It is only just to you to hear from me the extent of the reasons why this change in the status of Downham Market has been judged imperative by both the Bishop and myself."
A considerable reorganisation of parishes and pastoral responsibilities in the area of Dereham and Swaffham. Downham Market will become part of the Swaffham parish with Fr Peter Marsh as its first parish priest; it may be re-established as a parish in the future. Fr Baker must be living on a pittance now that RAF Marham has its own chaplain. Providing him with an overview of intentions which will not happen until arrangements have been made for Fr Baker.
