The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby told the BBC's Andrew Marr programme that there was a "good chance" the first woman bishop in the Church of England would be announced by the end of 2015. He added that to the general public, the exclusion of women was "incomprehensible" (see here).
Other matters which the general public find incomprehensible include the Incarnation and the Resurrection.
Not only the general public. But the vote today is not about the Nicene Creed agreed by the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church centuries ago. It is about politics!
Yet, not Three Incomprehensibles but One Incomprehensible.
ReplyDeleteI remember escorting somebody around the General synod election hustings and I planted a question "What part of the Creed would you like to change" of course lo and behold most of the candidates fell for this and guess what, they were the ones who got elected. No wonder this democratic body is a shambles!
ReplyDeleteYes, it's about politics but also about a complete capitulation to the culture which will involve the redesigning of the Church and its beliefs around the concept of 'democratic' relevance and acceptability. Today, of course, that means women bishops, but it will it shortly be necessary to accommodate 'sacramental' same-sex marriage and assisted suicide - and anything else which may form part of society's agenda. There will be no limits because there is now no accepted authority to which to appeal.
ReplyDeleteWatching Justin Welby being interviewed on the BBC Newsnight programme this evening Emily Maitlis tried to draw the Archbishop on gay ordination and same sex marriage. The Archbishop refused to discuss either of these subjects while celebrating his success in getting the women bishops legislation through. Oddly it didn't stop him talking at length about assisted dying following Archbishop Carey's intervention. I had the impression that change is in the air.
DeleteTo the "general public" of his day, a man called Jehoshua the Nazarene was incomprehensible.
ReplyDeleteThat's why he was scourged and crucified.
It is NOT for the Church to reflect the society of the day but for the Church to remain faithful and bring society to God.
Whatever happened to the straight and narrow?
Do Carey and Welby also want to see a gender challenged transsexual bishop in the Church of England?
It will only be a matter of time before the C of E has a pre-Op Bishop John who becomes a post-Op Bishop Jane or a pre-Op Bishop Judy who becomes a post-Op Bishop Jeremy!
It is incomprehensible why women would want to follow in the footsteps of men like this.
ReplyDeleteMaybe worth looking at this cartoon from last year again!
ReplyDeletehttp://evangelical-ed.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/blog-post.html
With reference to the link: I know that the 'city free churches', usually full of students and young families, with no liturgy and an evangelical protestant outlook, are growing. Is the same actually true of the RC's? I know many incomers from Eastern Europe etc are Roman Catholics, but is the RC church in the UK actually growing?
DeleteYes, Fr.Michael Gollop,there is no authority to guide and lead the Anglican Church : a mishmash of activists of the day set the agenda and rule the roost.
ReplyDeleteI am a Roman Catholic so I have no dog in this fight but I have to say, I am profoundly sad for those of you who now find that your church is slowly but surely moving away from the one that you were brought up in and love. Please remember that your Roman Catholic brothers and sisters find no joy in this and we will keep you all in our prayers.
ReplyDeleteThank you Terry ,and I see from the following statement that the Roman Catholic Church empathises with the Catholic Synod group.
ReplyDeleteWomen Bishops: Roman Catholic Statement:
Forward in Faith welcomes the statement issued by the Archbishop of Birmingham on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales.
In the statement, Archbishop Longley comments:
"We note and appreciate the arrangement of pastoral provision, incorporated into the House of Bishops' Declaration and the amending Canon passed by the General Synod, for those members of the Church of England who continue to hold to the historic understanding of the episcopate shared by the Catholic and Orthodox Churches."
The full statement may be found here: http://www.catholic-ew.org.uk/Home/News/Women-Bishops
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Anglo-Catholics perhaps need to recognise in themselves their yearning for 'authority'.