From 10 to 12 July, the Chaplain-President accompanied Mgr Luc Terlinden, Archbishop of Mechelen and Brussels, and Deacon Koen Jacobs, Mgr Terlinden's ecumenical officer, to the July sessions of the General Synod of the Church of England, traditionally held in the University of York and hosted by the Archbishop of York. Mgr Terlinden had been invited to General Synod by Archbishop Stephen following the Centenary Conference of the Malines Conversations last year, where it was Archbishop Stephen who was invited to Mechelen by Mgr Terlinden. Mgr Terlinden gave a well-received address to General Synod (56m25s) celebrating the Malines Conversations. Mgr Terlinden and Deacon Koen spent the whole weekend in York, meeting Archbishop Sarah, Bishop Robert and several of the staff at Lambeth and Bishopthorpe Palaces, having breakfast with Archbishop Stephen at Bishopthorpe Palace and attending the magnificent Sunday Eucharist in York Minster. We are delighted that Mgr Terlinden received such a warm welcome in York and that he was able to tell the story to an English audience of the Belgian origins of the modern Anglican-Catholic dialogue which is so precious to us and a sign of hope to the worldwide Church.

Here is a link to a blog in Flemish by Archbishop Terlinden’s Ecumenical Officer, Koen Jacobs.