Hope for peace
The Rev Angela A BernersWilson searches for calm in the home of Silent Night
I’ve always loved Silent Night. This year of all years, when the world is so un-silent and there are dreadful things going on in the Middle East, Ukraine and elsewhere, the words “Silent night, Holy night, all is calm, all is bright” will be particularly poignant.
So, I feel genuinely blessed to have the opportunity to join other worshippers this Christmas Eve and sing Silent Night in Oberndorf, the Austrian village where the carol was first performed in 1818. I’m hopeful that the snow will fall around the chapel as we sing. But, if not, I will be happy enough with Franz Xaver Gruber’s timeless melody and Joseph Mohr’s beautiful words, in English and German, with their promise of peace – something I have not always known.
It’s nearly 30 years since I was caught in public controversy when I became the first female priest in the UK. Actually, that title isn’t quite accurate; 32 of us were ordained at the same service but, because my name begins with B, I became, technically at least, the first by two seconds.
I always believed that when God calls someone to serve, it has nothing to do with their gender. I was one of the pioneers. Joining the movement for the ordination of women when it started in 1978, I became very involved in the cause and found it extraordinarily exciting. It was a special moment when, in 1994, the legislation finally passed and women could be ordained. I shall never forget how wonderful it was – all our prayers really had been answered.
However, I was already at the centre of a storm of publicity. In 1993 The Times wanted to interview me and my husband said, “Oh, don’t worry, it’ll be on page 37, one inch.” I thought, “Yes, of course.” But they put my picture on the front page and after that my life wasn’t really my own. It was a strange time; a picture of my cat even appeared in Paris Match.
Before the ordination service I went into a prayer retreat at a Christian community in Wales to concentrate on what it was really all about, which is my vocation. The whole experience gave me a profound sense of the value of peace, contemplation and prayer. I hope all three of these will come together for me on Christmas Eve.
I have only been to the Alps at Christmas once before. In 1978, I went to Switzerland and discovered that they didn’t put any of their cards up until Christmas Eve. Likewise, the tree was left to the last moment, coming into the home fresh from the mountain, full of sap with real candles on every branch. This was Christmas brought back to its real meaning, to joy and hope.
Back in 1978, the prospect of women priests was a distant wish and we knew there would be an even longer struggle before women could become bishops. But it came to pass, and I was at York Minster in 2015 when Libby Lane was consecrated as Bishop of Stockport, the first Church of England female bishop. I’m sure we will see a female Archbishop of Canterbury at some point. It’s not a job one would envy: all the flak that you get, and having to pacify the different theologies within the Anglican Church, but women priests are really rather good at dealing with those things. Until then, I will remain grateful for what we have achieved and continue to hope, in the words of the carol, for “heavenly peace”.
Angela Berners-Wilson is a Prebendary Emeritus at Wells Cathedral and leads spiritual tours