Early in May the Anglican Diocese of Liverpool announced the "Historic Appointment of Bishop Susan Goff as Assisting Bishop of Liverpool", an appointment criticised by many as having "crossed a line" for recruiting a pro-same sex marriage bishop.
The above video was recorded three years ago when +Goff visited Liverpool before the Church of England voted in favour of admitting women to the Episcopate. Her message was that people should hold on because it was "going to happen" after seeing a woman in a purple shirt and a mitre!
We now have women bishops in England and approval in Wales where the faithful in the dioceses of St Davids and Llandaff hold their breath in trepidation at the thought of one or other of ++Barry's feminist prodigies being thrust upon them. The campaign driven by WATCH for women deacons, priests and bishops is being mirrored by the LGBT lobby as gay clergy work towards same sex marriage in church.
At the end of May Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans, preached at Liverpool Cathedral on the healing of the centurion’s servant (Luke 7) claiming that there was a likely sexual relationship between the two so Jesus must have approved of it, thus turning the healing of the sick into a case for same sex marriage (SSM). He went so far as to claim that those who oppose SSM are inhumane and un-Christian and should just get on with it as Christ did. His theory has been expertly dissected by Psephizo on his blog.
Advocates of SSM like to claim that it will be accepted in the same way that re-marriage in church after divorce is regarded as normal today. Jeffrey John expects the CofE to offer gays a "half-way dedication service" before fully accepting SSM in the church. He concludes by quoting a gay priest who preached a similar message in the 1970s implying that, given time, SSM in church is inevitable, a line regularly preached by gay clergy led by the bench of bishops in Wales and fed to impressionable young students in a process of secular indoctrination.
The Catholic Church is reported to be on the slippery path trod by Western Anglicanism. Pope Francis has announced he will create a commission to study the possibility of allowing women to serve as deacons in the Catholic church, "signaling an historic openness to the possibility of ending the global institution's practice of an all-male clergy".
This is the thin edge of the wedge. Starting with women deacons, Anglicanism has, drip by drip, resulted in the admission gay and lesbian bishops who are calling for SSM in churches. Giving an inch leads to disaster.
Postscript [13.06.2016]
Sri Lankan Theologian Blasts Jeffrey John's Interpretation of Centurion and Servant Sex
It appears that what they wont give an inch to is the archaic claim of an Anglican bishop, "I, by divine permission", or, that we must "Solemnly swear canonical obedience to the bishop and his successor" . Not necessarily "In all things honest and lawful" but according, so, "It seems to me" (namely a bishop) or, an Archbishop, particularly one who can blabber "Without hesitation" against the likes of Nigel Farrage, or " Gives warning", (stern of course) to -1% of His subjects, or, what may happen to be the sexual orientation, or, grovelling personality of an individual standing before them seeking favour.
ReplyDeleteThere is of course a distinct possibility that I could be mistaken in all this. Whereby you will please forgive me for any offence or sin which might have been caused against your "Irrelevances".for speaking ones mind.
Maybe ++ Barry is 'eyeing up' the Dean of ST. Albans. What a coup !!
ReplyDelete"Eyeing up"? Isn't that what predators do?
DeleteThe centurion's servant/gay lover idea keeps cropping up. There's a good post explaining why it doesn't fly here: http://thebiblicalworld.blogspot.ie/2012/08/did-jesus-heal-centurions-same-sex.html
ReplyDeleteWhere on earth is Spike Millighan when we need him?
ReplyDeleteIt is rumoured that the Archbishop himself is to be the facilitator of the next Episcopal election and the name he prefers is Mr Capon
ReplyDeleteThe infamous Archbishop is obviously wedded to uncharted territory for theologians - "Barry I Am ".
DeleteHowever, given that the Capon of Holyhead looks more like a whipped puppy these days, the job appears to be either his or the boon of St Albans.
The silent majority at Llandaff Cathedral can't wait for the glove puppet's departure and the hope of him taking his favourite Mr Toad with him.
DeleteThe ears in the walls have reported that last week's auditions for a new Director of Music were nothing short of a disaster with the standard of applicants described as "appalling".
So Her Majesty's Director of Music at the Chapel Royal didn't apply after all?
DeleteClever fellow.