Dear people of Arundel & Brighton
Most of the children I have talked to in our schools have read the Harry Potter books. Many of them have seen the films as well. When I ask them which they prefer, many say they actually prefer the book. Some say it’s because the book has more detail in, but others say that the way Harry Potter and the other characters are portrayed on the screen isn’t the way they imagined it. In other words, they didn’t want Harry Potter interpreted for them.
In the week leading up to Easter Sunday, BBC1 televised a major production called The Passion, depicting the last week of Christ’s life. I was able to see a preview of the first episode, and it certainly looked very good – faithful to the gospel text, visually stunning and sympathetically portrayed. No doubt it will not please everybody, because, like Harry Potter, it will not correspond to the image of Christ that some people hold. It raises questions, then, about where our image of Christ comes from, and who has interpreted it for us already.
But, apart from that, I think that the BBC, along with HBO (Home Box Office) should be congratulated on a very courageous initiative. It clearly cost a lot of money, shot on location in Morocco and with lots of costume and props, and it goes against current social trends that seem to want to marginalise religion: here we have the religious event that is at the root of our European history and culture being shown on BBC1 at prime time. I am sure that it will be a great encouragement to many Christians.
It is beyond doubt that many of our conceptions are shaped by the media; it is probably true that even a lot of what we learn about the Church is filtered through the media. And if that is the case, then many people may have had their confidence shaken the past few years. Religion has taken a bit of a battering in the media, and we may be feeling less confident about it. Even the gospel today reflects a lack of confidence, this time on the part even of one of Jesus’ own followers, Thomas.
But what is confidence? At one time, confidence in the Church might also have gone alongside a certain arrogance: the Church was a very powerful institution, easily able to stand up against its critics. In some places, this has changed dramatically. So can we be confident now?
The root of the word ‘confidence’ is in Latin. The second part of the word comes from the Latin fides, meaning ‘faith’, and the prefix ‘con’ comes from the Latin cum, meaning ‘with’. The root of the word, and therefore the original concept, is to do with having faith not just in but with others. It is a believing alongside, a sense of being supported in what I believe. It is very important to be part of a group that shares a conviction: it is sometimes difficult to carry that conviction alone. The first reading today, from the Acts of the Apostles, speaks of the way in which the early disciples lived together, holding everything in common, praying and worshipping together, and in this way strengthening one another’s faith.
And so it is very important that you are here in church today. There are many reasons why we join the celebration of Mass. One is that the Church asks us to, and it does that because it believes that this is the will of the Lord himself – "Do this in memory of me." Some will come out of that sense of obligation, others for all sorts of other reasons. But one very important reason is that we encourage one another’s belief and faith by coming together. We give witness to one another, especially to the young. We are about to enter the Confirmation season, when hundreds and hundreds of our young people celebrate the sacrament in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are strengthened or confirmed in them. In doing this they give important witness and support to one another, as well as great encouragement to all who see what they do.
The gospel of Mark ends with the command, "Go out to the whole world, proclaim the good news." Our personal witness is not going to reach the whole world. But it will reach other individuals. Last weekend many people in our diocese and throughout the world were received into full communion with the Catholic Church. If you ask them where their journey started, many will say that it was because of another person that influenced them. It would be interesting to speak to those we call ‘lapsed’ and find out what made them feel that they were not supported.
There are many other things you could be doing right now, and many other places you could be. I know that for many people it has been a considerable effort to be at Mass, especially if you have young families or if you are not so mobile. But I hope you feel that you are with a good group of people, that you are in the presence of the Risen Lord himself, and that this is the right place to be. I hope that being here gives you confidence.
With my good wishes for a happy and holy Eastertide.
Bishop of Arundel & Brighton
Download an audiofile of Bishop Kierans pastoral here
