The Magistral Delegate for Inter-Religious Relations, Anthony Bailey undertook several international visits to religious sites and met with faith leaders figures in Iran, Canada and Bosnia & Herzegovina during 2017.
In March 2017, Anthony Bailey visited Saint Abraham Roman Catholic Church in Tehran and met with the clergy. The Church was built by the Irish Dominicans and continues the tradition of a Dominican presence in Persia dating back to 1300. The Delegate also visited the Saint Sarkis Armenian Cathedral in Tehran and met with community leaders. During a visit to Isfahan, the Delegate paid a visit to The Holy Savior Cathedral, also known as the Church of the Saintly Sisters, and its adjacent museum featuring a collection of illustrated gospels of Bible is dating back to the 10th century. Anthony Bailey also visited the Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque and the Shah Mosque in Isfahan. He addressed each community on the work of the Constantinian Order.
In September, the Delegate, Anthony Bailey, paid a visit to numerous religious sites of different faiths in Canada at the invitation of Constantinian Order chaplain The Most Rev Kenneth Nowakowski, Bishop of the Eparchy of New Westminster of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church.
In Toronto, attended mass at St Michael’s Roman Catholic Cathedral Basilica and seat of the Cardinal Archbishop. The Delegate also visited the St Maria Goretti Parish, built in 1970 where he attended a Sunday mass and met with community leaders. In Quebec City, His Excellency paid a visit to the Basilica of Notre Dame built in 1647 and includes the tomb of the apostle of the Americas Saint François de Laval. To mark the 350th anniversary of the first catholic parish in North America, in 2013 by order of the Pope Francis a Holy Door was installed which is the only one of its kind outside Europe. The Delegate also visited the oldest Anglican Church outside of the British isles, the Holy Trinity Cathedral which first opened in 1804.
The Delegate later travelled to Vancouver and remained at the residence of The Most Rev Kenneth Nowakowski, Bishop of the Eparchy of New Westminster of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, which world-wide is governed internally by the Synod of Ukrainian Catholic Bishops led by Patriarch (Major Archbishop) Sviatoslav Shevchuk. the Constantinian Order enjoyed excellent relations with the church and both Bishop Ken Nowakowski and The Right Reverend Hlib Lonchyna, eparchial Bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Holy Family of London are chaplains. The Delegate accompanied by Bishop Nowakowski also visited the Ukrainian Catholic Church of St Nicholas and met his parishioners and priests as well as several other churches of the city, including the Cathedral of the Most Holy Eucharist in New Westminster and seat of the Bishop and St Mary’s in Vancouver. He also visited the Anglican Cathedral of Christchurch and St Andrew’s Roman Catholic Cathedral in Victoria.
On 29 September 2017, the Delegate paid a visit to the Holy Cross Ukrainian Catholic Church in the town of Surrey – in Canada’s British Columbia province and met with the priest and parishioners. Together with Bishop Ken Nowakowski, the Delegate visited the Holy Dormition of the Mother of God Church and the International Buddhist Temple both located in Richmond, British Colombia.
During a trip to the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, in October 2017, the Delegate met with HE Mr Fadil Novalić, Prime Minister of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Delegate visited the Parliament of Bosnia & Herzegovina and visited numerous Catholic, Orthodox, Muslim and Jewish places of worship.
Anthony Bailey also called on His Eminence Cardinal Vinko Puljić, Archbishop of Vrhbosna (Saravejo) and prominent Constantinian Order chaplain. They discussed the longstanding engagement of the Constantinian Order in the region, inter-faith relations, the papal visits of St John Paul II, Pope Francis and the role of the Catholic Church in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
At the invitation of the Austrian Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, HE Mr Martin Pammer, the Delegate attended a reception to celebrate the Austrian National day in the historic City Hall of Sarajevo.
These visits were funded by the Sir Sigmund Sternberg Charitable Foundation.
For more information on:
Three Faith Forum please visit https://3ff.org.uk
Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of New Westminster please visit https://nweparchy.ca
Saint Abraham Roman Catholic Church in Iran please visit https://www.irandoms.org