A Fortnight at the FrontWakefield, Henry Russell (Bishop of Birmingham)
History
A Fortnight at the Front
Wakefield, Henry Russell (Bishop of Birmingham)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Personal narratives
One little matter which should endear Abbé Lemire to the English
people is the care which he takes himself, and makes his people take,
of the graves of our British soldiers. When flowers are placed upon
the French dead the Allies from the other side of the Straits of
Dover are not neglected. The religion of Christ will never suffer
loss so long as such men as the saint just sketched out exist to
prove by sacrifice their devotion to their Master.
Another beautiful character is the present Archbishop of Rouen.
Carrying well his seventy-six years, thanks in no small measure to
the loving care of his secretary, the great dignitary has passed
through the recent critical time for his Church, retaining throughout
his breadth of view and his sweetness of nature. Turned out of his
official residence, he has built himself another, beautifully
situated, in the grounds of which may to-day be seen English doctors
and nurses, and even wounded, resting and gaining health. The
morning upon which I saw him I had been celebrating the Holy
Communion in the chapel of what once was his palace. When I asked
him whether he felt any objection to this being done by our English
clergy, he answered, "Certainly not." And then, after a moment's
thought, he went on: "After all, what does it matter whether one
celebrates in one vestment and another in a different one, if at the
root of things we are the same? Of course, at the root there must be
union of belief." I do not claim that every Archbishop in France
would go so far as he does of Rouen, but when sometimes we accuse
others of narrowness we must bear in mind, first, that we are guilty
very often ourselves, and, secondly, that there are great instances
of breadth to be found within the ranks of Rome. I feel, honestly,
that out of this war should come a possibility of a better
understanding between the various religious bodies, whose men are
fighting for the Allies.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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