Of your charity pray for the soul of Owen Chadwick, priest, recently entered into rest, anno aetatis suae 99 et sacerdotii sui 74.
He was the very epitome of English Anglican scholarship.
He believed, like Gregory Dix, Dorothy Sayers, and others, that the soul of the Church of England was the sober and solid learning, piety, and pastoral care of the parochial (and, particularly, country) clergy.
I think it probably was.
May he, and it, rest in peace.
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May they both rest in peace.
The limitations emerge from a story told me over 30 years ago by a long-serving fellow of Selwyn College. Either he himself, or someone in his hearing, asked Chadwick what he thought of the (pretended) ordination of women. There was a pause, and then the reply "I once thought that admitting women students to the college would have a bad effect, but it has made little difference, and I expect it will be much the same when women can be ordained."
Into thy hands, O merciful Savior, we commend thy servant Owen. Acknowledge, we humbly beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock, a sinner of thine own redeeming. Receive him into the arms of thy mercy, into the blessed rest of everlasting peace, and into the glorious company of the saints in light. Amen.
Owen Chadwick was Master of Selwyn when I was there from 1962-65. When he apprehended me climbing into college late one evening over the gate next to the Master's Lodge his only admonition was that I tiptoed more quietly on the gravel in future. I duly obliged, of course! May he rest in peace.
Owen Chadwick was Master of Selwyn when I was there from 1977-81. I did nothing as adventurous as Doodler, but do remember dear old Woc as the kindest of men, who knew all his undergraduates (and probably postgraduates and college staff, too) by name.
I heard the same story about his views on the ordination of women from a mutual friend of mine and Professor Tighe's whom the learned professor will recall (initials of DP, worshipped with us at LSM).
"(initials of DP, worshipped with us at LSM)"
My memory is that I heard the story from a History fellow at Selwyn (later a professor, now retired), JSM; but perhaps I had it from both of them.
He certainly knew Selwyn post-graduate students, and I believe wrote letters of congratulation to all of them when they obtained their doctorates. Mrs Chadwick included their wives in occasional social events for Fellows' wives. I can remember being vastly amused at the bewilderment of some American students when he greeted me with the words "How is the bishop?", referring not to me but to my subject of study.
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