BISHOP CRISPIN HOLLIS REFLECTS ON IRAN VISIT
Independent Catholic News, UK
Nov 11 2007
‘Although I was ordained a bishop some twenty years ago with a specific
mandate within a particular diocese at that time, the diocese of
Birmingham and only subsequently, eighteen months later, the diocese
of Portsmouth, it was impressed on me by the rite of ordination,
that I was being ordained for the whole church. The question was put:
"Are you resolved to build up the Church as the body of Christ and
remain united to it within the order of bishops under the authority
of the successor of the Apostle Peter". I answered ‘yes’ and one of
the consequences of that response has been that I have been involved
with Catholic communities in different ways all over the world. My
current role in the Bishops’ Conference as chairman of the department
for International Affairs has added new dimensions to that vowed
commitment to the support of the life of the world-wide Church.
Just one week ago, I was celebrating Mass for the English speaking
community in the church of the Sacred Heart in Tehran in Iran. We
have had links with the Catholic community in Iran for a number of
years and this was my second visit to the Archbishop of Isfahan and
to his diocese, which encompasses the whole of the country. I was
spending a few days there with no particular purpose other than to
provide solidarity and support to a community of Catholics who find
themselves in a unique and demanding situation.
There are all sorts of stories in the press about life in Iran but
I have to say that the greatest danger that I found to life and limb
was in coping with the chaotic traffic in the city. There is no way
that I would ever dare to touch the steering wheel of a car there!
There is a small community of Iranian Catholics who are Latins,
Chaldeans and Armenians. There are also orthodox Armenians, a few
Anglicans and Pentecostals. There is quite a considerable community
of expatriates too who are Christians. I celebrated, for instance,
a Mass on All Souls Day which culminated in a visit to the Christian
cemetery to bless the graves of the French, Italian, English and Polish
communities. It is a big occasion which is attended by representatives
of all those nationalities and there are, as it happens, hundreds of
Poles buried there who were refugees from Siberia during the Second
World War.
In Itsfahan, which is the most beautiful of cities about 5 hours
drive from Tehran and one of the former capitals of Iran, I said
Mass in French for a sister and a few other Catholic Christians,
for whom the celebration of Mass is a rare luxury.
I also met with Sisters in Tehran who look after Christian old
people. On a previous visit, I went to a leper colony in the north
of the country which is a community of men and women suffering from
that terrible disease and in which a small number of religious have
helped for many years.
The Archbishop, who is an Italian Salesian, has about a dozen priests
working with him. The work is hard and often the results are hard to
assess but, as he says and he’s been there for forty years it is
keeping alive the presence of the Church and the Gospel in Iran. I
hope our visit was some comfort and encouragement for them and I ask
you all to keep the Iranian people and the Christian community in
the forefront of your prayers.’
Bishop Crispian Hollis Bishop of Portsmouth
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