‘From this day forward all generations will call me blessed!’

Looking down a hole in the ground may seem a strange way to spend a day off. But at least I wasn’t alone. In fact the Turbine Room of the Tate Modern Gallery was packed with thousands of people of all ages doing just exactly that. You see this was no ordinary hole. This was an Art Installation.

The artist behind it all is Doris Salcedo who has dug a huge crack or crevice along the full length of the massive Turbine Room as if an earthquake had struck. It is fascinating to watch people’s reactions. Children jump from side to side or attempt to push their mothers down the hole. Some people walk the full length of the crevice with one foot either side as if trying to bridge the gap. Others simply stroll along having intense conversations about the power of the symbol.

But what’s it all about? The meaning of the piece lies in its title: ‘Shibboleth.’ It is a Hebrew word which originally meant either wheat or a stream of water. However in Judges Chapter 12 the meaning of the word changes. The Gileadites and the Ephraimites have had a massive battle, and in order to determine who is on which side the Gileadites ask all the fleeing soldiers to pronounce the word ‘Shibboleth.’ If they say the word in an Ephraimite accent, they are at once put to the sword. So the word Shibboleth came to mean a practice that is intended to divide one group of people from another; a way of identifying people in order to exclude them.

So for Doris Salcedo, that split in the fabric of the ground is a study in human division. It is a symbol of all the Shibboleths we have created in order to divide people up one from another, be that racism or religious hatred or colonialism or unthinking nationalism.

It is impossible for Christians to visit the Turbine Room without seeing that mighty gash as a symbol of what we have done to God’s Church. The original meaning of Shibboleth was wheat and water, the signs of Eucharist and Baptism. Yet we have changed the meaning of those Sacraments to make them not focii of unity but Shibboleths dividing one group of Christians from another. And saddest of all for those who love Walsingham, Mary the Mother of God has been turned into another Shibboleth. For so many years Christians have divided themselves around her and what they see to be her role in the Church. For some she is the Godbearer, the model disciple who points to her son. For others she is a false idol, leading people away from the worship of the one true God.

‘All generations will call me blessed.’ So sang Mary in her Magnificat. It is Mary’s ‘yes’ that has brought salvation into the world and shown us what it means to be human. In honouring Mary we celebrate all that God has done in Christ, and it is in Christ alone that we can overcome our Shibboleths and discover the common purpose that God has for the whole of humanity. And maybe that is beginning to happen. The truly exciting aspect of much of the ecumenical thinking of the past few decades is that, by returning to the Bible, Christians are increasingly able to see through the divisions of the past and can begin to see Mary as the one who might bring us to a closer degree of unity. The ARCIC document, ‘Mary: Grace and Hope in Christ’ finds a remarkable degree of common ground in an area that has traditionally divided Catholic from Protestant.

In our pilgrimage season this year, we rejoice because Mary is not a gift for the few. She is not there to be honoured by one denomination over and against another. She is not restricted to those for whom Marian devotion is ‘their cup of tea.’ Mary is for everyone. When we join her in prayer and honour her example of Christian living we can capture a fresh vision of what it means to be redeemed through her Son.

And just as Mary is for everyone, so Walsingham is for everyone. The most exciting development in 2008 will be the opening of the Milner Wing, constructed through the hard work and generosity of our pilgrims. The Welcome Centre in the new wing will enable all who pass by to find in Mary one who points to the true purpose of humanity. The improved facilities will ensure that all can find welcome and hospitality here in her Shrine, regardless of age or disability.

So welcome to the new pilgrimage season. I look forward to seeing you all at the Shrine during the course of 2008. Let us rejoice together as, with all generations, we delight to call Mary ‘Blessed.’

Fr Philip North (Priest Administrator)

RESPONSE TO THE SYNOD DEBATE

The Master of the Guardians and the Priest Administrator respond to the Synod debate on Women Bishops

11^th July, 2008

To: Priests Associate (UK) and members of - the Order of OLW, the Walsingham Partnership and the Society of OLW

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

THE SYNOD DEBATE ON WOMEN BISHOPS

Walsingham is God’s gift to the people of this land.  Its history is marked by beauty and hope as much as it is marked by division and destruction.

The reports of this week’s Synod in York have reminded us that the times in which we live are no different from the past.  Reports that tell us women will be bishops with no provision for those who out of theological conviction cannot follow this path have raised fears and anxieties for many.  What some in York see as the hope of radical courage others see as a destructive lack of generosity.

What is the position of the Shrine?

Firstly, the Shrine is a place where we are at home, invited to be part of a family that is characterised by the qualities of Mary in attentiveness to the Word of God, and a joyful pondering on its costly meaning and transformative power. It is therefore not primarily about politics.

Secondly, the Shrine is a place that welcomes all people.  If it has been a spiritual home to you in the past, it is now, and will be in the future. Whatever may take place in the months to come, please be assured that Walsingham is here for you.

Thirdly, the Guardians of the Shrine remain committed to a policy that maintains a discipline that the Church of England articulates by the passing of resolution A.  Women priests do not minister sacramentally at the Shrine, though they are welcome as pilgrims, as are all those who accept their ministry. The painfulness that this causes on either side of this divide within our communion is fully evident to Guardians and those who minister at the Shrine.  That is not a matter that any Guardian or priest ministering at the Shrine takes lightly – quite the reverse.

However, the best in the Synod’s debate on Women Bishops indicated the potency of generosity.  Among those who spoke most powerfully for generosity towards traditionalists (for want of a better term) were bishops who have supported the ordination of women.   The Bishops of Winchester, Exeter, and Ripon and Leeds were foremost in putting amendments that called for generous provision for traditionalists.  The Archbishop of Canterbury spoke with clarity and passion to support that generosity, as did the Archbishop of York and, at great personal cost, the Bishop of Dover.

This spirit of generosity may not have commanded the voting traditionalists needed in Synod.  But we believe it is a generosity that does exist among our pilgrimage constituency and we trust is evident in the welcome all receive at the Shrine.   Both of us are grateful for the many messages of support this week that have indicated this may be so. 

As for the future, we believe that Walsingham has an invaluable part to play in the re-evangelisation of this nation.  It is not a political role.  That belongs to others.  But it is a role that in turbulent times must reflect and foster Mary’s capacity to ponder and wait on God. 

Now is not the moment to be making rash decisions, identifying enemies, or seeking scapegoats.  It is the moment for patience and listening.  The mind of the Synod is not yet clear.  The drafting group has much work to do, and the Synod has required that they do it “in consultation with the House of Bishops.”  We pray that in that House the voice of generosity heard at Synod will be clearly heard again, and heeded. 

The Guardians of the Shrine and those who minister here take seriously the decision-making processes of the Church of England.  These processes affect us all.  But we must not let them lead us into panic or despair.  Nothing irrevocable has yet been done. 

Here at the Shrine the process of appointing a new Priest Administrator is proceeding apace.  There was a very positive response to the advertisements and Guardians hope to make an announcement sometime before the autumn. 

This summer offers us again the opportunity to do what lies at the heart of our vocation; to share and celebrate our faith with young people at the Youth Pilgrimage; to converge as Anglicans and Roman Catholics in the Assumption festivities that honour the mystery of redemption in Mary’s life; and to learn from the frail, the vulnerable and those with special needs in the Pilgrimage for Healing and Renewal.

And in the meantime let us be attentive to the demands of daily life, of Christian vocation, and the very best enjoyment of the summer holidays.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev’d Canon Martin Warner                                       The Rev’d Philip North