In a previous entry (in May) I gave details of arrangements being made for the Rt Rev'd Geralyn Wolf to be the first woman bishop to celebrate the Eucharist in Llandaff Cathedral, one week before women bishops become legal in the Church in Wales on the 12 September 2014 and while the Code of Practice which is part of the Women bishops legislation remains a closely guarded secret among the Bench of Bishops until it is presented as a fait accompli to the next meeting of their Governing Body - see here.
Unable to control their enthusiasm for seeing a woman bishop at the Altar in the Church in Wales the Bishop of St Asaph has upstaged the Llandaff event by arranging for the Rt Rev Gayle Harris to celebrate in St Asaph Cathedral on Sunday 31 August 2014 when she will become the first Anglican woman bishop to preside and preach at a Welsh cathedral. Story here.
Out-manouvered by St Asaph, apparently Swansea and Brecon could not find a one-legged a**e kicking transgendered Episcopalian woman bishop who was free and so trump the PC Jewish and black guests to make it 'Women bishops 3 : 0 Jesus Christ'.
But 'Crossing the threshold' has little to do with Jesus Christ, other than as a vehicle for political ambition. It is about equality of opportunity in the workplace. As the Rev'd Jan Gould, priest-in-charge of Glan Ely benefice in Cardiff puts it: "This conference is about how we ‘cross the threshold’ to a transformed leadership with the Church in Wales. Anglican women bishops in the USA have a huge amount to share and this is a unique opportunity to engage with their experience and to see together what that might mean for the future of the Church in Wales".
True, the leadership of the Church in Wales needs to be transformed but the Episcopal Church in the United States where 'Integrity' is the current driving force is far from a model of Christian orthodoxy. The Church in Wales, and indeed the Church of England, need to be informed by the tradition of the Holy Catholic Church, not adapt the Catholic faith to reflect the whims of society. That path has done wonders for feminism but at the expense of the Anglican Church as explained by Alice C. Linsley, a former woman priest in the Episcopal Church, in "The Feminization of Anglican Orders"(here).
I read this as 'Women Bishops 3: "O Jesus Christ!"' and thought for a tiny millisecond that you had uttered a profane exclamation; perhaps 'Women Bishops 3 : Jesus Christ 0' would convey your meaning more clearly. As a former Anglican (now Orthodox) I am grieved by the turn events have taken in a community where the dry bones of ordered church structure seemed for just a few decades to be on the point of coming to life with the recovery of Catholic faith and piety, and wonder how long it can now survive. Modern man-centred liturgy has had as destructive effect as the destruction of ministerial integrity -- the two developments have been marching hand in hand, and I bitterly regret my own past enthusiasm for this baneful tendency-- so please TURN YOUR ALTARS BACK TO THE EAST!
ReplyDeleteQuestion: do altars face east? Or towards Jerusalem?
ReplyDeleteWhere possible actual east, celebrating the coming of the 'Dayspring from on high' (St Luke i.78), although in practice 'east' may be any convenient direction, especially in an urban setting where scarcity of available land may force the issue. The important thing is that priest and people should face the same way. While 'Christ in the midst' (of priest and people gathered around a central altar) may theoretically be a valid alternative, experience over recent decades suggests that his presence is discerned more readily in the traditional arrangement.
ReplyDeleteDo you suppose that the Apostles all lined up facing East at the first Lord's Supper? Or that the vast majority of the world's Christians are mistaken in gathering around the Lord's Table when they celebrate the sacrament?
ReplyDeleteNo to the first, yes to the second. Since when has the opinion or practice of a 'vast majority' been a reliable guide to Christian orthodoxy? (You might care to apply this to the question of women in the priesthood and episcopate, where the 'vast majority' of your fellow-Anglicans have plainly parted company with apostolic order.) It's worth bearing in mind that 'westward' celebration is a phenomenon found only among western Christians, and that came into fashion scarcely fifty years ago. And look what it brought with it -- rock masses, clown masses, and all the other sorry signs of the prevalent 'look at me' culture.
DeleteIt was only ever going to be a matter of time before Llandaff Cathedral made it back onto this blog for one reason or another.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone have an explanation for Bazza's glove puppet not being seen around the place from one Sunday to the next over the last two weeks or so? Is another resignation imminent?
One hears that all the talk around The Green concerns one subject only.
ReplyDeleteApparently, members of the Llandaff Cathedral Stewards have felt it necessary to raise with His ++Darkness' golf caddie the issue of inappropriate relationships and crossing boundaries with subordinate members of Cathedral staff. Rumours of a potential scandal have been circulating for months and continue.
The latest 'worst kept secret' in Bazza's little world.
Apparently, the Capon told the Stewards that he does not care who is talking about him or what they might be saying.
DeleteThis suggestion of a delegation of the Cathedral Stewards to the Dean seems to have been invented for the purpose of putting about scurrilous and malicious tittle-tattle.
DeleteIt's a shame that this blog which which has been invaluable in shedding light on His Darkness' misdeeds has allowed itself to be hijacked in this way which can only assist His Darkness' apologists.
I just hope that Here we go again (and 1662) isn't so hypocritical as still to attend the Cathedral and offer to share what would be a false Peace with his or her fellow communicants.
@Here we go again, that's not the only story that's been percolating around The Green.
ReplyDeleteFor several months it appears that His ++Darkness has been having second thoughts about installing his golf caddie in the Llandaff Deanery and has been asking around if he's done the right thing.
It now seems that bully boy Bazza has had his answer and acted accordingly by imposing a new "PA" on the Capon.
Was there a job description?
Was the job advertised?
Was Mrs Hallinan given an opportunity to apply?
Was there a short list and interview process?
Did the glove puppet have a choice in the matter?
You all know the answers.
So there you have it. Llandaff Cathedral is now run by Sootie and Sweep.
One hears that the new "PA" is an ex secretary of Darth ++Insidious so it is self evident to whom she will really be reporting and one wonders how the bankrupt and choirless Cathedral can afford an extra salary?
Perhaps rather like the Organ appeal the £3k reportedly raised for a new kitchen in the Prebendal house has been diverted elsewhere?
In the latest edition of The Bell I notice that the time for midweek Evensong (more commonly known as Evensaid in Llandaff nowadays) has been moved from 6:00pm to 5:30pm.
DeleteIf anyone needed proof that there is no genuine intention to bring back a proper Cathedral Choir you now have it. The timing of Evensongs (and the preceding rehearsals) were arranged after WWII specifically to permit the professional men singing in the back row enough time to get from their places of work to Llandaff and even then it was often a struggle to get there in time.
It will now be impossible.
The absence may simply be holiday (we're all entitled to one). However, the gossip about inappropriate relationships has reached the suburbs on the other side of Cardiff (I was told by two parishioners who have nothing to do with the Cathedral after the 8 O'clock on Sunday morning). As for Byzantine Barry's golf caddy's ability to be Dean of the Metropolitical Cathedral, I predicted what would happen at the time the appointment was announced. And, of course, we all know that Byzantine Barry (unlike the majority of his episcopal colleagues) doesn't advertise vacancies so that there is an even playing field, with an objective assessment of the candidates and a transparent outcome in which the job goes to the best candidate. Capon has been out of his depth from day one and it will not be long before this latest example of Byzantine Barry's dictatorship will turn round and bite him on the a**e for his abysmal leadership. When, oh when, is he going to do the decent thing and clear off into retirement?
ReplyDeleteLP, I am informed that holiday has nothing to do with his unexplained absence and Bazza has not sent him on a retreat with Swan Hellenic.
Delete