Archbishop of Dublin Addresses Porvoo Primates, Urges New Energy of Engagement

The Rt Revd Peter Skov–Jakobsen and Archbishop Michael Jackson in Christ Church Cathedral in 2016.

The Primates and Presiding Bishops of the Porvoo Communion of Churches, of which the Church of Ireland is a member, are currently meeting in Copenhagen (October 12–14). The theme of this year’s meeting is ‘The Presence, Role and Mission of the Church in a Secular or Post–Secular Society’.

Archbishop Michael Jackson is the Anglican Co–Chair of Porvoo and preached at the opening Eucharistic Service in Copehhagen Cathedral yesterday evening (Thursday 12 October). The Rt Revd Peter Skov–Jakobsen of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Denmark presided.

In his sermon, the Archbishop looked at the world they live in and sought out a new energy of engagement. The intense individualisation of Western and Northern Hemisphere societies together with the culture of the self as celebrity meant that while criteria may be agreed, protocols published and due diligence adhered to, there was little scope for facilitating compliance and actually getting anything done.

“What is missing from this way of working is spontaneous celebration and this absence is a significant human diminishment. Worthiness is not often joyfulness. Worthiness rarely inspires others or nurtures them without the addition of another dimension. The Spirit of God is waiting for us to receive this dimension and to use it as we repeatedly hear the rugby referee saying at the base of the loose scrum,” the Archbishop said.

He focussed on the pairing of two sets of words: ‘courage and complexity’ and ‘consequence with compassion’ which he suggested captured the energy of engagement.

“Courage in complexity and consequence with compassion can take us into a realm beyond negotiation as an end in itself. The complexities do not go away but we have the satisfaction – and Primates are entitled to satisfaction every bit as much as is anyone else – of showing courage in the heart of the complexity. Courage rarely brings popularity but popularity, I expect, is something that never enters our heads – and rightly so. However clear we are about the rightness of our decisions and our subsequent actions, courage has consequences for us and for the other parties involved and we are called to step up to the call of compassion as one such consequence. As difficulties become impacted and congealed, we are called to make compassion happen and often to our personal despite and disadvantage. This is the call of restoration and of justice at the heart of reconciliation,” he explained.

Archbishop Jackson said that today’s Europe is asking itself many questions and as Primates in Europe they needed to ask: what is the narrative of faith on the large canvas of politics and policy? He urged the Primates to consider the new way of energy of ‘courage in complexity’ and ‘consequence with compassion’.

You can read the Archbishop’s sermon in full here.