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| 'Retiring' Archbishop Barry Morgan Source: Wales Online |
A fawning article in Wales Online "Archbishop Barry Morgan on love, bereavement and Christmas hope" affords the Archbishop more credit than he is due. It conceals the sense of loss experienced by many members of the Church in Wales as the direct result of Dr Morgan's actions and inaction.
The article continues: "Archbishop Barry Morgan is preparing for his last Christmas as leader of the Church in Wales and his first without his beloved wife, Hilary. Throughout his ministry he has sought to comfort people who have faced loss and illness, and now he is sharing his experiences of bereavement in the hope that it will help others."
The story ignores the needless pain Dr Morgan has inflicted on others, a sense of loss that either he fails to understand or chooses to ignore. Many believe the latter. He could have retired years ago but he chose to stay at the helm, leading the Church in Wales into the wilderness as his heretical mentor, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, did for TEC.
Loss is a terrible thing and can be heartbreaking but loss resulting from the deliberate actions of supposed Christian leaders is inexcusable. That is the situation many members of TEC have found themselves in. A situation that is being repeated in the Church in Wales simply because as 'loyal Anglicans', they are unable in conscience to depart from the traditional Apostolic faith of the Holy Catholic Church. As priest and bishop it is Dr Morgan's duty to comfort people who have faced loss so to cause that sense of loss is unforgivable.
The lives of regular churchgoers often revolve around the church. Their religious and social lives are intertwined. When ostracised there is a vacuum. That is the position in which many church members have found themselves. The attitude of the Archbishop and the Bench is one of take it or leave or look elsewhere. Alternative provision as in the Church of England for anyone who does not subscribe to Dr Morgan's liberal agenda would be in his words, over his dead body. There is no comfort in that.
Campaigners for the ordination of women and some gay Christians love to protest that they have been persecuted but little if anything is heard about church members, often cradle Anglicans, who have been excluded for maintaining their historic belief in the Apostolic Church. In my own experience supposedly devout Anglicans have refused to share the Peace and refused to speak because their liberal cause has been rejected. How very liberal!
Some 'traditionalists' have battled on in such circumstances while others have succumbed under the pressure of their harsh treatment and left the church. Although deprived of spiritual support many have found the experience liberating. Little surprise then that regular Sunday attendance in the Church in Wales has dropped to less than 1% of the population and continues to fall.
Will someone please drive the message home to Mr 45% Carwyn Jones (or anyone else of the Welsh Cardiff crachod, 'snobs',) that Lord Morgan of Margam represents only a mere -1% of the population of Wales, before he gives him a none elected fat cat perk in retirement.
ReplyDeleteWell said Ancient Briton.
ReplyDeleteThe evidence of Morgan's "ministry" is all too abundant.
Attendances in Llandaff are at an all time low with the Sunday 9am rarely up to 100, the 11am around 60 plus there's the anniversary of The Bell monthly magazine going curiously silent on Communicant numbers. Add the detritus spouted by Gerwhine from the pulpit (that tried & tested familiar biblical Advent theme concerning a Scotsman about to jump off a bridge who realising he is gay gets ordained instead) and the struggle to find adult singers for the Cathedral choir's Christmas services and you'll get the picture.
There are far more people counting down the days to the impending retirement with relish than there are with regret. Good riddance.
http://stasaph.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2016/12/choose-your-christmas-says-the-bishop-of-st-asaph/
ReplyDeleteWhat a very pompous self righteous message from the future Archbishop! No wonder that nasty tone doesn't bring them flocking in.
This one is much better!
http://swanseaandbrecon.churchinwales.org.uk/news/2016/12/reflecting-on-the-image-of-jesus-bishop-johns-christmas-message/
Having had an Archbishop in denial, what else would you expect in a successor Danny?
DeleteBarry ++ spent most of his time out side parish ministry. He has little experience, as do most bench sitters, in comforting the bereaved, as in "Throughout his ministry", my foot. Same goes for 'Greg the Controller'.
As for healing marriage problems among the ordained, statistics in the Bangor and St David diocese simply speak for themselves. Another -1% success rate would you believe. It doesn't get more grim.
+ Cameron does suggest that people say "let's get rid of the scroungers that hold us back". Does that mean we can at last take the CiW review seriously and get rid of the bloated Senior staff levels and endless Diocesan officers? Bring down parish shares and help the Parishes.............now doesn't that sound like a good idea.
ReplyDeletePeople voted Brexit for many different reasons, and only 10% for xenophobic ones, so stop demonising us all. For myself, it was a vote for democracy and against a failing, corrupt, top heavy system. Sounds familiar hey?
And why does + Cameron believe the Holy Family were abandoned and surrounded by strangers? They actually had money to pay for a hotel and a donkey so were not amongst the poorest. Town was full because of Jewish hospitality, and Jewish hospitality meant that they were welcomed into a fellow Jew's barn, rather than spend the night out doors as many would have done!
What clap trap and self pomposity to say that we choose between a stocking full of presents and a a heart full of love! My dining table will be full this year, as I'm sure all of ours will, and God will be central. Of course He is in the outhouse, but that doesn't mean He can't be in the House too. Just because the entire Bench is left wing, does not mean that God is.
+Cameron’s Christmas letter is really special! The hypocrisy of the glutton – I doubt that his belly will be empty this Christmas.
DeleteOf course it wont be empty-silly. Where do you expect him to derive strength to become a junk food filled archbishop Danny? Its either that or Darth Vader Andy, complete with a serpent tattooed down his back. Now for the next chapter folks. Should keep this blog in business for a long time.
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