This is my last journal entry regarding my sabbatical in Britain. In past entries, I wrote of the various places that I visited with some tongue-in-cheek musings on the food, vocabulary, media as well as my own reflections on the nature of my sabbatical.
The one area that I should address is religion. As you may know from your study of history, Britain was heavily influenced in its ancient history by the religion of the Celts. The coming of the Roman Empire introduced mythological gods which were adapted by the Celtic people to some degree. The greatest impact came from Christian evangelization of Britain with St. Patrick, St. Columba and other notable missionaries. By medieval times, numerous abbeys were already established--each wielding considerable political and religious power. Under the Tudor dynasty, Christianity was furthered until the conflict with Henry VIII over his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Failing to secure an annulment from Rome, Henry severed ties with Rome, and proclaimed himself the head of the Church in England. He then confiscated most of the abbeys and church property throughout Britain. Both the Catholic and Protestant faith were favored depending on which monarch was in power. At different times, both Protestants and Catholics were persecuted and many were martyred on both sides.
It was not until the mid 1800's that Parliament allowed the re-establishment of the Catholic hierarchy in Britain. Prior to that time, there were still Catholic parishes in and around Britain but they were very much autonomous without any leadership to speak of. In the last 100 years, many dioceses and bishops have been established. To some degree, the bishops of Britain remain vocal about moral issues and are occasionally criticized by the powers that be. Of course, we all know that the Church of England itself is conflicted over various issues and has experienced recent schism as a result.
England appears to be one of the most secularized societies in Europe. No doubt, this is due, in part, to the various religious conflicts of the past. Church membership here is the lowest in Europe and most people don't seem to be very interested in the practice of religion. There are many wonderful church buildings--Anglican cathedrals dot the English landscape-- but they are little more, it seems, than nice places to hold flower shows or musical performances. The fact that most of the well known Anglican cathedrals charge admission to tourists reveals the lack of support that comes from having solid congregations. At no time did I find a Catholic cathedral or parish that asked for an admission fee.
The English media also appears to be very much anti-religion. Criticizing and even making light of both the Anglican and Catholic hierarchies is in vogue. When the former Prime Minister, Tony Blair, indicated his desire to become Roman Catholic, the media had a field day. Caricatures of him and the Pope were common fare in the morning newspapers. When the Vatican issues a statement or teaching about a moral issue, the negative response is quick. Recently, a prominent self-proclaimed atheist wrote an editorial criticizing the Church for being backwards and irrelevant. There is also a strong push to make abortion legal on demand without any restrictions whatsoever. England has the highest abortion rate in Europe. The decline in personal morality is directly proportional to the decline in religious belief.
That aside, there is very much a Christian spirituality that is still evident here. There are numerous retreat centers such as the one I have resided in these past three months. There is an ecumenical movement here which shows Anglicans and Roman Catholics coming together to deal with social concerns. There are thousands of priests and religious from Ireland who make England their home and are busy spreading the Gospel. There are faithful clergy and religious in Scotland, England and Wales. The Catholic hierarchy of Britain is not afraid to speak out and is slowly reestablishing its identity. While the persecution of Christianity continues in various ways, the faith is alive and well--making strides as it always has even in times of difficulty.
I am grateful to have experienced the opportunity for my own spiritual renewal here in England. As I take leave of Hawkstone Hall, I pray for the spread of the Gospel in Britain and for a revitalization of the Gospel in a land that boasts many ancient saints and holy people.
Fr. Perry
