|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
Following the news of the Pope's death, the Bishop of Worcester, the Rt Revd Dr Peter Selby (who is on leave at present) issued this statement:
“This is a time of great loss to the world, to all Christians, and to the Roman Catholic Church in particular. Pope John Paul has been a towering figure, a person who really did affect the course of world history, and believed in the possibility of peace through some of the world's darkest days. I extend my sympathy particularly to the members of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Birmingham in their grief, and join them also in thanksgiving for all that the Holy Father meant to us all. May he rest in peace and rise in glory.”
The Bishop of Dudley, the Rt Revd David Walker said:
“Today is a day for condolences. The Roman Catholic Church has lost its leader. The worldwide Christian community has lost an amazing champion of the faith. Peoples all around the globe have lost a tireless campaigner for human rights.
“I was training for the priesthood in the West Midlands when Pope John Paul visited this region in 1982. I can still recall the excitement that his coming so close engendered. It was just one of his many international visits which became the single most obvious hallmark of his ministry. It was also memorable for the occasion on that same visit to England when he and Dr. Robert Runcie, the then Archbishop of Canterbury, knelt and prayed side by side together. That single action spurred Anglicans and Roman Catholics to seek to work closer and better together.
“Relationships between the Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church here in the West Midlands continue to be cordial at both local and regional level. As bishops we meet regularly both to discuss matters of mutual concern and to pray together. I am writing formally today to the Archbishop of Birmingham to express the condolences of the Diocese of Worcester to him and his people at this sad time.”
ends
The Bishop of Worcester is not available to give interviews but the Bishop of Dudley can be contacted via the Diocesan Communications Officer on 01905 454768 or direct on 0121 550 3407.
The Diocese of Worcester is one of 44 dioceses in the Church of England. It covers an area of 671 square miles and includes parishes in the County of Worcestershire, the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, and a few parishes in northern Gloucestershire, south east Wolverhampton and Sandwell.
© Copyright The Diocese of Worcester
