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| The Archbishops of York and Canterbury during the General Synod Photo: Getty Images |
Twelve months ago at Synod there were no smiles. Today it was different. It is now full steam ahead. It is fast track to women bishops in the Church of England. Reports here and here.
Christ does not come into it. It is all about (some) Women and the Church who are not shy of using half truths for their own gain. From The Tablet: "Canon Rosie Harper, who supports women bishops, said: “Pope Francis has got it – he’s stopped judging people and started loving them, and Catholic church attendance is rising. Stop being weird and vote yes." Not the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, simply economical with the truth and there will be much more to come, including untruths.
The Catholic church along with the Orthodox church has warned the Church of England that what they are doing is wrong because "the church has no authority to ordain women, and this view must be held by all as a definitive belief" Pope John Paul II (Ordinatio Sacerdotalis), a fact confirmed by his successors. Pope Francis went further. He calls church careerism a 'leprosy' on the priesthood.
But bravo Susie Leafe of the conservative group Reform who said that she could not in good conscience support the new legislation because she believed that she and other congregations could not flourish under a woman leader. Integrity is not dead.
The whole of the church now seems to be happy with position of women bishops in the Church of England. They will have to accept that a woman, like her male colleagues, is a bishop and so is in authority - the priests did that by giving due obedience to heirs and successors. Nothing more to be said or done. So the work of Forward in Faith is now complete so I guess it will wind up?
ReplyDeleteIf things go half as well for the CofE as it has for TEc here in the U.S., the soon to be referred to as the "cofE" will be dragged down at an accelerated rate. Forward in Faith, on the other hand, may be free to truly move forward.
ReplyDeleteUnderground Pewster. But where will it go forward to? If you don't know where you are going you are sure to end up somewhere else. Their website says they seek reunion but The Pope has given that already didn't he. Any discussion with the Holy See surely will be handed over to the Ordinariate?
ReplyDeleteI think the only thing to do is to mock them; as Elijah did to the prophets of Baal.
ReplyDeleteThis is what Fr Forrest had to say in the 60/70s when the Church of Sweden decide on them....
O Bishopess, your lipstick doesn't tally with your cassock,
Your sharp stiletto heels are both embedded in your hassock,
Your hair is loose, you really ought to learn to tie it tighter,
Or bind in in a bundle with the ribbons of your Mitre.
(Chapter & Verse -Fr.S.J.Forrest)
Forward in Faith consists of people who don't want to go to Rome, in either the original flavor or the new Raspberry Ripple Ordinariate. So the future for them will have to be a new Anglican province - if they don't want to die out over the next ten years.
ReplyDeleteSpot on again. But isn't there a new province already whose orders are recognised by Canterbury?
DeleteThere is - the Free Church of England - and there are more waiting in the wings.
DeleteYou may be interested to learn that a small number of Welsh speaking laity and clerics, disenchanted with standard of liturgy and teaching in the diocese of Bangor have already met for the breaking of bread.
DeleteFrom what I've seen and read on this lively blog, a Rev Aberficer will be delighted with such news from north of the province. Time now for + Andy to take a collective reality check, and for me to consider employing a carer to taste my tea. Plutonium 3
Thank God the way to Jesus requires neither Canterbury nor Llandaff along the itinerary. That's the beauty of the apostolic church. When the local apostle goes rotten, dump him and find an orthodox replacement.
DeleteBTW Plutonium 3 is too expensive for 39 Cathedral Rd. A stiletto in the back seems more likely. A Kevlar vest might be a good idea for your Christmas wish list.
DeleteWhen it comes to saving his own skin, do not underestimate the might of Babylon, especially Dr Wonga's discretionary funds. They appear not accountable to charity commissioners, and come under 'spread sheet betting'. In any case, Dr Wonga's "Life long friend" down at the bay, dubbed 'Domestos' (thick, strong and hard to get rid of) is a known Nuclear power advocate, and Putin look alike. For him Plutonium 3 would be first choice.
DeleteNeither is the use of 'D' notice unheard of against the stiff neck inhabitants of Anglesey. Have you not heard of 'Anglesey County Council'? Fancy a candle lit dinner tonight darling?
"But isn't there a new province already whose orders are recognised by Canterbury?"
DeleteAssuming you mean the Free Church of England which pre-dates the disestablishment of the Church in Wales does that mean that Wales is within the 'new province'? I've not heard of any parishes. Spike
Well, isn't the "Free Church of England" on the verge of doing a caterpillar-to-butterfly transition, and enter the "Union of Scranton?"
DeleteSurely it is time for the FCE to become the FCEW? With Orders provided by the PNCC.
DeleteAbervicar is not in the slightest delighted to hear of any break in communion in the Church in Wales - formal or otherwise. His aim is that - both here in Abertillery and elsewhere - there should be high standards of worship and preaching, and a real commitment to the Cure of Souls, without fear or favour.
DeleteI can assure you Abervicar that standards have fallen drastically,with more and more communicants are staying in bed on a Sunday morning.
DeleteAs for the preaching, I did hear Dr Wonga preach (if that's what you would call it) in Beaumaris last September. How communicants put up with such shallow stuff - God knows, although he did look a bit pale and under the weather. The sight of me sitting there didn't help I suppose - "Hit me again I can still see him". .
Why do Forward in Faith/ Credo Cymru followers not want to accept the One Holy Catholic Church? It is because ,I suspect, that the idea of Authority is uncomfortable : these organisations consist of people who still wish to make it up as they go along.So although these members who consider themselves Catholic, they are in fact, continuing to declare themselves Protestant . Thought for the day.
DeleteThe problem is not Authority, simple soul, but Popery and all the many errors and heresies which it has imposed on its followers. What sane person would jump from the frying pan into the flames?
DeleteI suppose your headline is quoting from St John's Gospel: but it reminded me of something very similar in the Scottish Play (Act 1 sc 7):" If it were done when t'is done, then 'twere well it were done quickly" - a speech which ends with something about 'vaulting ambition'- no,that wouldn't fit the case at all - would it?
ReplyDeleteSpot on Father, not forgetting the conflict between femininity and masculinity, "ambition, ruthlessness and the single-minded pursuit of power "!
DeleteWhich of course Ancient Briton is 'SIN'. Take away the' S' and the' N' = 'I', the great I am, ego eimi. Pardon the rusty NT Greek.
DeleteThe ears in the walls at Llys Esbob Llandaf have overheard that bully boy Bazza's unaudited 'discretionary' (mission) fund is possibly the means by which he's paying Lucy's 'consultancy' fees but they have yet to overhear the reason for the delay in announcing Hilary as his new diosesan registrar.
ReplyDeleteGood god Anonymous! Discretionary funds for daughter and a job for the wife? Sounds more like the CO-OP Bank than a Christian Church. Are you sure that there isn't a Rev Fowler hiding under a desk in Cathedral Road? Someone call the fraud squad !
Delete