Message of Abbot Paul - Tuesday 17th October 2023
Abbot Paul • October 16, 2023
Yesterday was a very special day for the Belmont Community, as Bishop Mark celebrated his 90th birthday and we also gave thanks to God for the 70th anniversary of his Monastic Profession, which took place on 29th September 1953. Cardinal Vincent Nichols, a close friend of Bishop Mark, our own Archbishop Mark O’Toole, retired Archbishop George Stack, the successor to Bishop Mark at Menevia, Bishop Tom Burns, Abbot Nicholas Wetz, and a number of Bishop Mark’s friends came together with oblates and parishioners for the festal Mass of Thanksgiving. It was a wonderfully uplifting celebration, one to remember, and we thank God for the precious gift he has given our community and the Church in this land in the person of Bishop Mark.
Today we keep the feast of one of the most attractive saints in the Church’s calendar, St Ignatius of Antioch, the 2nd century bishop and martyr, who wrote a series of letters to various churches as he journeyed through Asia Minor towards Greece and Rome, where he was martyred for his faith. He is an important link between the age of the Apostles and the Early Church. The content of his letters cannot be underestimated nor his importance as a witness to subapostolic Church life and belief. He is also a saint that all Christians recognise and accept to be a Father of the Faith.
​Today’s short Gospel passage from Luke (Lk 11: 37-41) provides a good example of what needs to change radically in our world. “A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine at his house. He went in and sat down at the table. The Pharisee saw this and was surprised that he had not first washed before the meal.” Jesus did this on purpose for he knew how the Pharisee would react. It wasn’t hygiene that the Pharisee was interested in, but adherence to the Law, to custom or tradition, we might say. Jesus explains, “Oh, you Pharisees! You clean the outside of cup and plate, while inside yourselves you are filled with extortion and wickedness.” Appearances, hypocrisy and corruption are prevalent in our world, even in our own society. “Fools! Did not he who made the outside make the inside too?” says Jesus. None of the world’s problems will be solved unless human beings experience a radical conversion and change of heart and mind, but you have to want that to start with, otherwise things will stay the same or get much worse. Humanity is at the crossroads of life and death. The Covid pandemic, climate change and the wars in Ukraine and in the Holy Land have made that dramatically clear. Will it really have any effect on the way we think or on the way we live? Pope Francis said of the pandemic, and his words are worth repeating, “The pain, uncertainty and fear, and the realisation of our own limitations, brought on by the pandemic have only made it all the more urgent that we rethink our styles of life, our relationships, the organisation of our societies, and, above all, the meaning of our existence.”
From Francis to Leo: A special event with Christopher Lamb of CNN in conversation with Austin Ivereigh who commentated for the BBC on the transition from Pope Francis to Pope Leo.
On 12th June an Ecumenical Service was held at Hereford Cathedral to celebrate the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicea.
Archbishop Mark O'Toole, of Cardiff-Menevia presided at the Requiem Mass for Bishop Mark, while Abbot Brendan conducted his burial. Cardinal Vincent Nichols preached a homily full of warmth and affection for Bishop Mark which is reproduced below.
Bishop Mark Jabalé OSB RIP Given at his funeral by Dom Alexander Kenyon Baby Jean Pierre (Mark) Jabale was born on October 16th, 1933, in Alexandria, Egypt. As he said, himself, his background could be considered “cosmopolitan”: his father was Lebanese / French and his Mother, British / Greek / French. He also reminded people that he wasn’t Egyptian. Through his mother, Arlette, he was related to St. Jean Vianney, so it was, perhaps, no surprise that he followed in his priestly footsteps. His father, Jean, was MD of Fiat and Simca cars Europe and, maybe surprisingly or not, he did love a car – not, however, Italian cars, but German; he loved his Audis. Perhaps we should begin today by remembering his mother and father, his brothers Christian and Paul and his nieces, here today, Aline and Nathalie and Isabelle and their families – they were so dear to him and he to them and I know they miss him enormously. Young Jean wanted to join the Navy and came to England, to Belmont Abbey school but the Lord had other ideas – he ended up joining the rather land locked monastery, our dear, late Fr. Raymund opining that he wouldn’t last a month. After a rather uninspiring course of priestly studies (his words, not mine) he studied for a Licentiate in French literature in Fribourg, then a Dip Ed at Strawberry Hill and played Rugby there – the Papist Witch Doctor as he was affectionately known. Teaching followed, at Belmont, Housemaster, acting Headmaster, then to Alderwasley, our prep school in Derbyshire as Headmaster, and then back to Belmont soon after as Headmaster. In 1983 he went to Peru to build our first monastery there only to realise there was little money. So, he returned to the UK to put in a stint of fundraising with his usual zeal and determination. With his mission accomplished he was asked by Abbot Alan to return to Belmont as his prior in 1986 – Peru remained close to his heart. In 1993 he was elected Abbot. In his time as Abbot, he had to preside over the closure of the school, necessary but no less painful for him. In 2000 he was appointed coadjutor Bishop of Menevia and succeeded Bishop Mullins in 2001. He retired as Ordinary in 2008 and “retired” to Chipping Norton as parish priest, then Hendon, saying Mass for the nuns and helping with confirmations. After a spell at Archbishop’s House, Westminster, living with his great friend Cardinal Nichols, he came home to Belmont – it was as though he had never been away and he loved being back in the monastery, particularly praying the Office with the community. That’s the list, of sorts, but it doesn’t really say “who” he was. I haven’t mentioned his outstanding contribution to rowing – the 1979 coxless, lightweight four gold medal at the world championships in Bled, which almost didn’t happen as, at the last minute, he was told there was no money to send the crew. He begged, cajoled and got them there – the video footage of the final is compelling. He transformed Henley Royal Regatta, writing a computer programme for the race results – he was well ahead of his time. He coached the Oxford Boat, ran the Heads of the River Schools Regatta, and more. What an achievement from someone who had never sat in a boat but learned on the job, as he said, “from books, mainly”. It was his determination, his commitment, his love of people and his drive to share what he had that is, perhaps, one of the key things to celebrate about him. And it was underpinned by his rock-solid faith – nothing overly pious, nothing showy, but a faith and a love of the Lord built on granite. Even his occasional lack of patience (sorry Mark) extended to that faith; ‘why won’t God call me?”. At the risk of being irreverent my response was always “would you want you?”. But God did want him, and he knew it. God had a purpose for his Apostle during his life and he now rests with Him in eternity. His purpose was, simply, to bring the joy of the Lord into the lives of others, in many and varied ways. A few weeks before Mark died, Pope Francis died. When the late Pope was seriously ill the son of friends of mine who entertained Mark and I to lunch regularly, was distraught at overhearing mum and dad say the Pope may die. He couldn’t stop crying. “But darling”, they said, “you don’t know the Pope, why so very sad?”. “We do know him” came the reply, “it’s Mark”. “No, Mark isn’t the Pope”. “Oh, so when the Pope does die will Mark be Pope then?”. Mark loved that one. When Mark himself did die said son would only be pacified by picking flowers from the garden and bringing them to church for him. He wanted to show how much Mark meant to him and wanted to give a little something back. That is the real biography – a man loved, respected, a man who shared what he had, above all his faith, a man who touched so many lives and made them better.  Rest in peace our dear friend.
Our brethren in Peru were delighted with the election of Pope Leo.
