Bishop Alan has encouraged people across the Diocese to engage with both the Jubilee Year and Synodality in an interview with Paul Samuels, a videographer and pastoral assistant at St Peter and St Paul, Ilford.
In the interview Bishop Alan explained the history and significance of Jubilee years, which occur every 25 years, and indulgences, which are a guaranteed aspect of grace given by the Church to encourage people to be reconciled with God.
“Indulgence is a lovely word. I remember my grandparents being more indulgent to me than my parents. During a Holy Year, the Church is particularly indulgent to all its members, encouraging us to celebrate the mercy and forgiveness of God, particularly if we have been struggling to get back on line.” We must always remember that grace abounds, he says, and should never underestimate the mercy of Almighty God.
So how should people act in this Jubilee Year? Bishop Alan suggests all of us should go on pilgrimage or visit one of the designated holy places in the diocese or even our own church, and start with the sacrament of reconciliation. “It is a great start – and as easy as going through a door. Sometimes, people are a bit reluctant because they haven’t been for a long time, but God is there, full of mercy – and priests are there to always help us in reconciliation.”
Next comes participating in the Eucharist. “The most wonderful sacrament of all, through which we are united fully with Christ.”
Lastly, he says, we should pray for the Holy Father’s intentions as an expression of gratitude for the indulgence.
While many may choose to go to Lourdes, Rome or elsewhere, within the Diocese there are three designated churches to visit – the Cathedral, the Shrine of Our Lady of Light at Clacton and the Shrine of St Antony at Forest Gate. Bishop Alan is keen that parish groups, schools and others will visit these designated sites, and encourages parishes to support the Diocesan Walsingham pilgrimage too.
“The symbol of that celebration, that passing from sadness or difficulty, or too much awareness of sin into something more merciful, more joyful, is a door. And doors were always at the heart of Holy Years. Pope Francis opened a Holy Door in Rome on Christmas Eve to begin the Jubilee Year. We have one in the Cathedral – and some schools have already made their own. It’s as easy as walking through a door in terms of engaging with and accepting the mercy and salvation of Almighty God.”
Luke’s gospel is all about the lost and found, he said, the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son. “But it is always, always about joy. In other words, I really hope that during this holy year, in parishes, schools and across the Diocese we will join with the rest of the Church in expressing the joy of salvation and experiencing the joy of salvation.”
Synod and synodality
Moving on to the Synod and synodality, Bishop Alan was similarly clear in his views. “This is about how the Church discerns,” he said, adding that this is a topic on which he has said much since he arrived in the Diocese. “The core of our Catholic Christian faith is that we have a God who is active and involved in what we do. If we can be open to God’s grace we can also engage with God and discern what is right, what is God’s will and discern how to move forward.”
The discernment which took place some time ago in parishes, schools and dioceses here, he says, ultimately fed into the Synod in Rome. The very word may be puzzling to some, he says, but a quote from the Synod document can help: “It’s about a spirituality of listening, leading to discernment and action.” There may need to be some formation to help people discern, he admits, but says: “It is up to us to welcome and receive the fruits of the Synod. So we are hoping that at every level we will become more participatory in decisions. It is not just up to the Bishop, the priests. All of us need to take our responsibility to be part of the diocese, to speak up, to share with each other and fully engage with the process of listening, of dialogue and of discernment.”
Having the humility, the openness to listen will be necessary, he warns, as human nature can mean that we are sometimes better at telling others what to do than listening to them.
And alongside that, the Church’s missionary purpose presents another challenge. “How can we evangelize our youngsters? We’ve got to engage with the modern world in a different way to enable everyone to have access to the faith in Jesus Christ.”
Bishop Alan ended by giving a reminder of the supreme importance of prayer. “All of us are called to be missionary disciples. ‘Disciple’ means learner – principally, we learn to pray. So, I do encourage you to pray for each other, to pray for me, the Church and the Holy Father, particularly in this Jubilee Year.”
All of us need to take our responsibility to be part of the diocese, to speak up, to share with each other and fully engage with the process of listening, of dialogue and of discernment.