Homily at the Mass given by Bishop Howard

Tuesday, 10th April 2007
Saint George's Cathedral, Southwark

Archbishop Kevin enters the Cathedral with Bishop Howard and Canon James Cronin

Any day is a good day to die; but it must surely be counted a blessing to die either during Holy Week or Easter Week, when the whole Church is focusing on the death and resurrection of our Saviour Jesus Christ, although such a timing is inconvenient to those arranging a funeral. Now it is comforting and encouraging for us to mark the anniversary of Bishop Charles Joseph Henderson's death against the backdrop of the Easter celebration of the Resurrection of Christ. As we who are members of his Mystical Body die, so as members of his Mystical Body we expect to rise again.

It is right and proper that we offer this Mass for Bishop Charles on this anniversary because our prayer for him "is capable not only of helping (them) him, but also of making (their) his intercession for us effective". We are fully conscious that we all belong to the one body of Christ, the Church that is the communion of all God's holy people.

In his recent Post-Synodal Exhortation Pope Benedict XVI along with the Synod Fathers has reminded "the faithful of the importance of prayers for the dead, especially the offering of Mass for them, so that, once purified, they can come to the beatific vision of God."

May I briefly recall three aspects of the life of Bishop Charles for which we should give thanks and from which we can learn. By the way, the Cathedral Dean has reminded me that I must be brief as this is a Parish Mass attended regularly by some who are taking time out of their lunch break to attend. Brevity however is not a word we readily associate with Bishop Charles. I do remember however that he took us by surprise when he preached very briefly at his own Golden Jubilee celebration here in this Cathedral.

First, the life of Bishop Charles coincides with the last third of the 150 year history of this diocese. His name will always be associated with Southwark from 1950 to 2000 AD. He came to this diocese in 1948 and dedicated his life to the diocese from the time of Archbishop Amigo who accepted him for the diocese. Even while being assistant priest at Welling and Streatham he began to serve within the Curia and continued to do so throughout the lives of Archbishop Cowderoy and Archbishop Bowen. It is indeed right that he has been accorded the privilege of burial within this Cathedral. However, never let it be forgotten that when the diocese gave birth to the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton, he was first the Vicar General of that diocese before becoming Vicar General in Southwark. He is part of our history and therefore contributes to our continuing history as we move towards a vision for the future of the diocese. We must not throw away our history as we build our future. The people of the past have made us the builders of the future.

Secondly, Bishop Charles brought us something from outside the diocese and so enriched us with new blood. From the time of Augustine this country has been blessed with missionary priests coming to help establish Christ's Kingdom here. At its beginning this diocese was blessed with émigré clergy from across the English Channel. Then it was blessed with Irish priests from across the Irish Sea. Now it is blessed with priests coming from across the oceans from Africa and Asia. It seems good that in acknowledging the blessings we have received from Bishop Charles we should remember that wonderful service that has been given to Southwark by priests from Ireland. A few years ago, more than half the parish priests in the South Western area of the diocese had been born in Ireland. Bishop Charles, a freeman of Waterford and an alumnus of St John's Waterford, has been a leader among them in this diocese.

Finally and briefly, may I remind you of the commitment of our late Auxiliary Bishop to the work of ecumenism and relations with other faiths, demonstrated not only in this diocese but within the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales and recognised in Rome by his appointment in 1990 to the Pontifical Council of Inter-Religious Dialogue. Bishop Charles worked tirelessly for Christian Unity and taught the importance of spiritual ecumenism. He will be remembered for the leaflets outlining the principal doctrines of other faiths - leaflets that ought to be more widely known and frequently studied, as we progress towards social cohesion. At the end of his life Bishop Charles was deeply moved when he was awarded the Gold Medallion of the International Council of Christians and Jews.

In today's Gospel, Mary Magdalen recognised Jesus when Jesus called her "Mary", may Charles now recognise Jesus when He calls him "Charles".

Some of the priests who concelebrated the Mass on the First Anniversary of the death of Bishop Charles