Catholic World News News Feature

First Bishop Of East Anglia Dies July 17, 2002

LONDON, Jul 17, 02 (CWNews.com) - Bishop Alan Clark, the first bishop of East Anglia and a stalwart in the field of ecumenical dialogue, has died aged 82.

Bishop Clark-- who received his early education as a chorister at Westminster Cathedral-- studied for the priesthood at the English College, Rome, until it was evacuated to the Jesuit College, Lancashire, during the Second World War.

As well as serving in several parishes, he returned to the English College as a lecturer and, later, as vice rector.

Returning to England he was appointed auxiliary bishop of Northampton. Around this time Pope Paul VI asked him to become co-chairman of the Anglican/Roman Catholic Commission (ARCIC) which was then being formed.

Bishop Clark played an important part in drawing up the "Agreed Statements" between the two churches on "Ministry and Ordination" (1973) and on "Authority" which have become landmarks in ecumenical dialogue.

In 1976 he was appointed bishop of the new diocese of East Anglia where he served until his retirement in 1994 at the age of 75. East Anglia includes the National Shrine of Our Lady of Walsingham, otherwise known as England's Nazareth, and Bishop Clark was instrumental in the building of the new basilica there.

In a statement issued today, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-Connor said: "Bishop Alan Clark will be remembered for many things but especially his robust and faithful advocacy of the ecumenical endeavor."

He continued, "Bishop Clark exercised his theological and pastoral gifts in many ways both to his own diocese, to the Catholic Bishops' Conference, and to the wider Christian family both nationally and internationally. Truly, he can be termed a good shepherd. May he rest in peace."