Dear Archbishop,
It is a great shame that you were not present at the talk that an old and frail Bishop Peter Walker gave in Chichester cathedral some years ago as part of the commemorative celebrations of the late Bishop Bell’s life and work.
He spoke with such genuine warmth and admiration for his guide and mentor and his joy at being ordained by Bishop Bell that it made an indelible impression on me.
When Archbishop Rowan Williams came down to preach the closing sermon of these celebrations I had the opportunity to mention the deep impression this talk had made on me and particularly the mention of his ordination by Bishop Bell. In reply the Archbishop gave me the most wonderful smile and said: “And I was ordained by Peter Walker.” We both seemed to sense this link was something very special.
I feel sure that Bishop Bell was a man great enough to find forgiveness for the church’s clumsy handling of this whole affair and their continuing refusal to admit the mistakes they made. Whether lesser mortals like myself and the congregation of the cathedral are able to forgive and forget is a different matter, I regret to say. I would urge you to build bridges as soon as possible.
Yours sincerely,
Yvonne Graham
| Author(s) | |
|---|---|
| Anne A Dawson | Click to open this page |
| Alan Gadd | Click to open this page |
| Vasantha Gnanadoss | Click to open this page |
| Yvonne Graham | Click to open this page |
| Ruth Hildebrandt Grayson | Click to open this page |
| Christopher Hoare | Click to open this page |
| David Jasper | Click to open this page |
| David Jasper & Ann Loades | Click to open this page |