The Rectory, St. James-the-Least

My dear Nephew Darren,

Remembrance Sunday falls on the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice at the end of World War One - 11th November 1918-2018.

There will be a Remembrance Service in Chapelle St. Roch at 10.30am. The following day, Monday 12th November, there will be a Remembrance Service in the British War Graves Cemetery, Bordighera, starting at 10.45am. This Cemetery holds military who died returning from the WWI campaign in the NE of Italy on the border with Austria.

 07 October - Eucharist Service, St Roch

What is 'Animal Welfare Sunday'

Animal Welfare Sunday is a day in the Church's calendar on which we take time to think more deeply about our fellow creatures, to address issues of the well-being of non-human animals. Animal Welfare Sunday provides an opportunity to think and pray about the suffering that human activity causes to our fellow creatures, and our responsibility as Christians to alleviate suffering and promote the welfare of all of God's creatures.

Animal Welfare - the facts

Human beings impact the welfare of other animal species in myriad, often negative, ways: we hunt, fish and farm animals to provide food and clothing; we keep animals as pets and companions; animals work for us, some doing dangerous work (animals used by the police and military, in particular); we use animals for sport, often violent or dangerous sport; we use animals for experimentation and research; we degrade the environment and damage or destroy vital habitats needed by our fellow creatures for their survival.

There is a long Christian tradition of concern for animal welfare – many saints are credited with caring for animals, and the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (later the RSPCA), the first of what could be many SPCAs in countries all over the world, was founded by Arthur Broome, an Anglican priest, and other concerned Christians (William Wilberforce being a founding member).

Despite the Christian tradition of involvement with animal welfare, today's Christians rarely, if ever, hear the subject preached or prayed about in church, and few include it regularly in their own private prayers or regularly support animal welfare charities.

What does the Bible say?

'And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive. Also take with you every sort of food that is eaten, and store it up; and it shall serve as food for you and for them' (Genesis 6. 19-21).

and St. Basil the Great?

O God, enlarge with us the sense of fellowship with all living things, our brothers the animals to whom thou hast given the earth as their home in common with us. We remember with shame that in the past we have exercised the high dominion of man with ruthless cruelty, so that the voice of the earth, which should have gone up to thee in song, has been a groan of travail. May we realise that they live, not for us alone, but for themselves and for thee and that they have the sweetness of life.

The teaching of Jesus encourages us to believe in guardian angels. He once said, “see that you do not look down on one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 18.10)

The existence of angels was suggested in many Old Testament texts. Jesus mentioned them explicitly, and the early Christians accepted their existence and work (Acts 12.15).

In England, devotion to the angels, both in Anglo-Saxon times and later, was strong. In modern times, the great American evangelist Billy Graham, has written an entire book on the existence and work of angels.

Alcuin described them as intercessors (in the 11th century Leofric Missal); Herbet of Losinga, bishop of Norwich (d. 1119) specially praised them, and his contemporary, Reginald of Canterbury, wrote prayers in their honour.

Honorius Augustodunenis (d.1151) clarified the existing belief of the time by asserting that each human soul, when infused into the body, is entrusted to the particular care of a single angel, who protects both body and soul and offers prayers to God.

For many centuries Christendom was satisfied with the feast of St Michael (and all Angels), but the special feast of the Guardian Angels was introduced in Austria, Spain and Portugal in the 15th - 16th centuries. Guardian Angels were there seen as guardians of particular towns or regions, or of each individual. Pope Clement X made the feast day universal in 1607, fixing its date to 2 October.

In Assisi we came a step closer to this ideal! I was privileged to be in Assisi, Italy for the 1st Ecumenical Prayer Meeting for Creation marking the start of the Season of Creation. Privileged, too, to be there as the only ordained woman in what, to the eye, looked still very much like a man's world!

St Francis of Assisi – a man for our times? Eight hundred years ago St Francis renounced all wealth and earthly goods in response to Jesus' call to radical discipleship. (Mark 8:34-37). He lived a life of simplicity and in relationship, not only with God but also with his fellow human beings and all of nature. Using the Shrine dedicated to Francis' renunciation as the starting point, leaders and representatives of churches worldwide came together in Assisi at the start of the Season of Creation, to pray for our common home, Planet Earth. When the Shrine was dedicated in 2017, Pope Francis talked of the need to renounce our egoism, which prevents us seeing and caring for the world around us. He said: 'In a world of so much 'individualistic sadness' the Sanctuary of the Renunciation will hopefully nourish in the Church and in society – evangelical joy, simplicity and solidarity.'

On 31st August 2018 this solidarity became visible as the leaders met together. We met in a mood of contemplation and penitence as we reflected in various ways on the 'tears of the earth and peoples.' Repentance of our individual and collective mistakes, feeling for the pain of that sin and grieving for its consequences.

Rev. Christian Krieger said, 'Care for Creation is an unequivocal task for all Christians and all churches. It is the task which goes hand in hand with another principal task of churches, efforts for unity. Care for Creation is the task on which all churches can work together without raising any other issues needed to be resolved before.' And so we prayed together, reflected together, talked together and on the Saturday presented a united face as the representatives of the churches jointly read the Ecumenical Declaration on Creation from a dais in front of the Basilica of St Francis. No amount of wind was going to stop us, even though the floral decorations succumbed repeatedly to its force! It was a public declaration of our unity and invitation to all Christians and people of good faith to not just celebrate the Season of Creation but also call for international action on climate justice, a new global solidarity with the affected people and communities, to take bold acdtion for the climate, not forgetting a personal evaluation of our own lifestyle and its effect on the world we live in. For as Pope Francis says, like peace, protecting creation is something “handcrafted” that begins with ourselves. As the declaration says, 'With the hope born of the gift of grace, we look forward to the day when humanity will rediscover its love for Creator, its reverence for creation, and iots love for all the creatures who share this, our common home.'

(Rev Elizabeth Bussmann, Environment Officer for the Anglican Diocese in Europe) President of the Conference of European Churches

'Walking together in Faith' is our diocesan strapline. A synod is literally a walking together. Over the last week I have attended two archdeaconry synods: Italy and Malta archdeaconry and Eastern archdeaconry. Both synods gather people from a wide area for a few days of community building, fellowship, teaching and learning. People leave encouraged and built up in faith.

The Italy and Malta Synod convened in the large former monastery, Villa Sacro Cuore, one hour's drive from Milan.

Visiting Italy I am always struck by the quantity of artwork. They say 60% of the world's art treasures are located in Italy – if you can estimate that! Villa Sacro Cuore certainly has more than its fair share of icons, sculptures and mosaics liberally decorating the walls of its chapels.

The theme of our synod was: 'powered by prayer'. The imaginative Bible studies were given by The Revd. April Almass, Assistant Chaplain in Trondheim – shown in a photograph on the diocesan website with Archdeacon Vickie Sims and me. There was further input from Vickie and from Archdeacon Meurig Williams.

The social highlight of the Synod was a lively bar quiz, covering a wide range of subjects. There was some considerable debate over which Israelite king had a sundial ..... The clear winners, led by The Revd. Tony Dickinson, Chaplain of Genova, can also be seen in a photograph on the diocesan website. Click HERE for the website.