Page 8 - The Portal magazine - March 2025

THE P RTAL March 2025 Page 8

Bishop Robert Barron

in the UK

Jackie Ottaway and Ronald Crane report

HEN WE heard that Bishop Robert Barron would be speaking at the Word on Fire Evangelism
Wand Culture Conference to be held at the Excel Arena in East London, we booked up early to take
advantage of the early booking discount.

The Excel Arena is an excellent venue, with easy
access from the Docklands Light Railway. As well as
the auditorium, there are many places to eat and drink.
However, there could be more seats provided for those
who just want to sit and chat.

As well as the conference, which was over two days,
we were able to enjoy the Jubilee Expo. This was a
market of stalls representing many aspects of the
Catholic Faith. They ranged from ‘Catholic Mothers’
to ‘Mary’s Meals’ taking in a couple of dozen others
photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain
on the way. Perhaps, in future, the Ordinariate could phot o: W ik imedia C ommons / P ublic D omain
consider running a stall? covered many topics, but all biblically related. Once
again the importance of the Bible in the liturgy was
Everything was well organised and well run, as stressed.
one would expect from Word on Fire. Some sixteen
thousand people had booked and turned up. The Tom Wright said that many thought bible reading
auditorium was full for the introduction and the was like eating vegetables, good for you, but a bit of
opening talk by the Abbot of Ampleforth. He took as a chore! He was at pains to distance himself from this
his text Mark 10 verses 17 to 22, and encouraged us view. Together with Bishop Barron he would have us
to take Mark’s message seriously and ‘re-energise our read the Bible, but in context. One of the problems
tired church’. with reading the Bible in the liturgy is that we get a
small snippet that is often taken out of context. It is
Then it was time for Bishop Barron to take to the important that the preacher places the biblical text in
stage, which he did to a tremendous round of applause. context, something both Wright and Barron always do.

He spoke at length that first evening, taking as his
theme four Old Testament points: Creation, the God One small niggle is that Bishops Wright and Barron
of Israel, Right Praise and Kingship. He expanded on discussed ecumenism but without any mention of the
these themes in turn and at length. He never fails to Ordinariate, the one example of realised ecumenism
inspire, encourage, and deepen one’s faith, and this was involving the Catholic Church in the UK.
not an exception. He then showed us how these four
themes all found their fulfilment in Our Blessed Lord. Other presentations included ‘The Bible and the
He was particularly keen to stress the importance of Common Good’ with Professors Francis Davies and
the Bible in the Liturgy. Jenny Sinclair and an absorbing one on ‘The Bible
and Beauty’ with Fr Marcus Holden, Jo Boyce and Fr
The next day began with Tracy Rowlands who would Patrick van de Vorst.
have us ‘take the Bible to pieces and put it together
with faith’. We were encouraged to read the Bible with The conference closed with Exposition of the
the horizon of faith. Blessed Sacrament and an address by the Archbishop
of Southwark, His Grace John Wilson. This was a
Next up was a three way discussion between Justin worthwhile conference and we encourage readers
Brierley, Bishop Tom Wright and Bishop Robert to look out for the next one; it will be well worth
Barron. This was a wide ranging discussion that attending.