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May 2008
A few months ago I was present for the fist time at a performance of
Edward Elgar's oratorio 'The Dream of Gerontius'. It is based on a poem
by John Henry Newman and tells of the journey of Christian soul through
death to judgement. I must say I found it an incredibly emotional
experience and wondered how anyone could not be moved by the truths of
the catholic faith. In the first half of the performance Gerontius is
dying. Like most of us, I suspect, he approaches death with both fear
and hope. The second part is in the afterlife where he travels towards
the awesome presence of God. As he comes before God he cannot bear the
holiness of his presence and sings:
'Take me away, and in the lowest deep
There let me be,
And there in hope the lone night-watches keep,
Told out for me.
There, motionless and happy in my pain
Lone, not forlorn, -
There will I sing my sad perpetual strain,
Until the morn,
There will I sing, and soothe my stricken breast,
Which ne'er can cease
To throb, and pine, and languish, till possest
Of its Sole Peace.
There will I sing my absent Lord and Love: -
Take me away,
That sooner I may rise, and go above,
And see Him in the truth of everlasting day.
Take me away, and in the lowest deep
There let me be.'
But the angel leads him from God's presence to purgatory and sings:
'And Masses on the earth, and prayers in heaven,
Shall aid thee at the Throne of the Most Highest.
Farewell, but not for ever! brother dear,
Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow;
Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here,
And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.
Farewell! Farewell!'
There is the catholic doctrine of purgatory. It is a doctrine that is
rich and comforting. I have heard far too many clergy at funerals either
simply rehearsed a potted biography or worse give the impression that
the deceased was so virtuous that he or she is already in heaven. No
doubt this is all for the benefit of the mourners but it completely
ignores the fact that most of us die as believing sinners. We know we
need preparation for our hoped for destination with God. As catholic
Christians we should ask nothing more than the prayers of our fellow
Christians when we die. Why bother to pray for the departed if you think
they have already reached their heavenly destination?
Archbishop Michael Ramsey put it succinctly in his splendid little book
'Introducing the Christian Faith' when he wrote:
'The fact of God's holiness, and the need for us to become holy like
him, precludes the idea that the mere event of death enables a sort of
moral jump from our present imperfection to a final perfection. Hence we
believe in a growth, a purgation, a movement onwards, a being made
perfect, after death; and if there is any pain of purgation there is
(can we doubt?) the joy of growing fellowship with Christ.'
It is our Christian duty to pray for the Holy Souls in purgatory, that
is why the Guild was founded in 1873 and it continues to be the reason
for our existence.
May the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace.
+Keith Richborough
May 2007
It is a huge privilege to have been elected President of the Guild of All Souls at the last AGM in November. I follow in the footsteps of many illustrious predecessors, not least the last president Bishop Edwin Barnes. Our gratitude for all Bishop Edwin has done was expressed at that meeting though he will, of course, continue to be closely associated with the work of the Guild as a former President.
Since its foundation in 1873 the Guild has achieved a great deal; Requiem Masses and prayers for the departed are now a common part of the life of the Church of England. However, attendance at many funerals makes one realise how much teaching is still necessary. Often they seem little more than an opportunity to rehearse the perceived virtues of the deceased or play a selection of their favourite records instead of calling the congregation to pray for the repose of their soul and commending them to God's mercy.
This year your Council agreed to support financially the work of Pusey House in Oxford. In return the priests resident there have agreed to produce a number of substantial tracts over the next five years in furtherance of the objects of the Guild in encouraging prayer for the departed and promoting the two great doctrines of the Creed: 'The Communion of Saints' and 'The Resurrection of the Dead'. Each year an essay will be produced which initially will be printed as a pamphlet but with the hope that finally all the tracts will be published by the Guild in book form. This is an exciting and important project for us. We hope this first essay will be available by All Souls Day. Father William Davage, the Librarian at Pusey House, will be preaching at the Annual Requiem at St Stephen's Gloucester Road, which this year will be on Thursday 3rd November at 7.00 pm. Please put the date in your diary; it would be encouraging to have a larger number of members with us.
The Right Revd. Keith Newton SSC
Bishop of Richborough and President of the Guild of All Souls
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