William BardenFather William Barden OP, who has died aged 96, was a distinguished theologian and teacher. He was also, as Archbishop of Isphahan of the Latins from 1974 to 1982, a central figure in a remarkable Irish involvement in Iran and in Christian-Muslim dialogue.
Kevin Barden was born on June 3rd, 1908, in Rathgar, Dublin, one of the five children of Thomas Garret Barden, who worked in the Irish Independent, and his wife Winifred (née Curran).
Educated by the Christian Brothers at Synge Street, he was given the name William when in September 1924 he entered the Dominican Order at St Mary's Priory, Tallaght. Professed in 1925, he studied philosophy at Tallaght and theology in Rome.
Ordained to the priesthood in February 1931, he completed post-graduate studies at the University of Firbourg, Switzerland, before returning to Tallaght. There, he spent the next 30 years teaching theology to generations of Dominican students.
His teaching style was more contemplative than didactic. At a time when many, if not most, teachers of theology followed a rigid course of theses and manuals, Father William encouraged his students to explore each topic thoroughly, and discover for themselves the riches both of the topic and of the thought of those who, over the generations, had reflected on it; worthy of special attention was the work of Thomas Aquinas.
He described his own theological approach as conservative, yet it could always accommodate fresh insights or approaches. In the 1930s and 1940s he was attracted to the work of Yves Congar, whose thinking later bore fruit in the documents of Vatican II, but who was then held under grave suspicion.
In the early 1960s, he encouraged his students to read Edward Schillebeeckx. His commitment to teaching and theology were recognised when he was awarded the degree of Master in Sacred Theology in 1954.
His personality was essentially contemplative: all his life he enjoyed reading the mystics, especially women, including Catherine of Siena and Teresa of Avila, and he had an interest in Julian of Norwich long before her work became widely known.
The comment "the soul is led to realise the love behind love's expression" would be typical of his spirit, as would the desire that both theology and prayer would "resolve themselves in a great simplicity" (What Happens at the Mass, 1954).
His contemplative approach stood him in good stead when, in 1962, he was sent as leader of a small group of Irish Dominicans to found a new house in Tehran. Their task was to be a Christian presence within an Islamic environment and to minister to the pastoral needs of expatriate Roman Catholics in Iran.
He relished the opportunity to engage with other Christian traditions in the Middle East, particularly, the Armenian and Chaldean Churches. He also rejoiced in coming to know the contemplative element within Islam, spending some time most days sitting quietly at prayer in the local mosque.
When, in May 1966, the foundation, which originally was called Rosary House, was made more formal and a church was built, it was named St Abraham's, a reference to the figure whom Muslims as well as Christians and Jews venerate as their "father in faith".
His spiritual leadership was recognised when he was ordained Archbishop of Isphahan of the Latins in 1974. Never comfortable with titles or pomp, he continued to be known as Father William among his fellow Dominicans and to those to whom he ministered in Iran.
The revolution that overthrew the Shah and brought Ayatollah Khomeini to power heralded a particularly difficult and testing time. Although the local mullah acknowledged his sincere respect for Islam, he was, in due course, deemed to have transgressed the new order.
This came about as a result of his friendship and pastoral co-operation with the local Anglican bishop. In the tumult of the times, Bishop Hasssan Dehgani-Tafti, Episcopal Bishop in Iran, was forced to leave the country. And when, in 1980, the bishop's son, Bahram Dehgani-Tafti, was shot dead, Father William's sense of solidarity with the Anglican community led him to attend the funeral.
This led to his being summoned to a government office in Tehran to be told that his residence permit was withdrawn, and that he should leave the country immediately.
This sudden end to his work in Iran, as well as his sense of the suffering being endured by the people he was forced to leave behind, distressed him greatly.
He subsequently settled at St Mary's Priory, Tallaght, where his gentle presence was greatly valued, and formally resigned as archbishop in 1982. Ill-health and increasing frailty led him in 1991 to move to the Sacred Heart Residence, Sybil Hill, Raheny, Dublin, where he deeply appreciated the care he received from the Little Sisters of the Poor.
His Dominican brothers and sisters, his sister Radegund (Sister Hyacinth of the Loreto Sisters, Nairobi), and his nieces, nephews and their families survive him.
Archbishop William Barden OP: born June 3rd, 1908; died December 4th, 2004.