"Women In Sheffield Mark International Women's Day With Humorous Protest At Their New Bishop." - Christian Today
Humorous? - I despair. No wonder so many have given up on the Church.
Louise Haigh, the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley, wrote in an open letter to Bishop Philip North:
"As you will be more than aware, more than a third of Sheffield's clergy are women. I was born, baptised and confirmed in Sheffield, I have felt fortunate to have been Ministered to by two women priests and I am proud that the Church in Sheffield is a progressive actor not only on equality but on issues of economic injustice and poverty also."
A "proud trade unionist", Louise Haigh served as a shop steward for the Unite Union representing workers where they faced "discrimination, harassment, the threat of redundancy or unfair dismissal and organising to help bring about change in the workplace".
Clearly there is no difference between Church and workplace for some people but even if there were, discrimination, harassment and unfair dismissal are not universally applied by feminists. Ms Haigh expresses everything that is wrong with Women and the Church (WATCH) and their sympathisers. Feminists and the Church would be more more appropriate and respectful to women at large.
A commentator wrote in response to my previous entry, "The decline predates liberalisation. Liberalising was thought (by people including myself I confess) to be the answer but it is not. The real problem today is that society just does not believe in God whether explained by conservatives or liberals."
The tragedy today is that many who do still believe in God find themselves unchurched by political groups entering the Church, urging the adoption of secular standards, such as they are, in place of spirituality and worship.
If Bishop North decides against Sheffield, there is still Llandaff!
Postscript
Statement from the Bishop of Burnley, The Rt Revd Philip North
"It is with regret and sadness that I have decided that I am unable to take up the nomination as Bishop of Sheffield." Statement here.
Postscript [10.03.2017]
The fall out following Bishop Philip North's decision not to take up the nomination as Bishop of Sheffield continues. Two excellent blog entries from 'ignatius his conclave' and 'Archbishop Cranmer':
Sheffield formula and
Those who attacked +Philip North have made same-sex blessing compromise impossible
See also the BBC's Church of England at war after Bishop Philip North's U-turn and
The Conservative Woman Feminism is corrupting the heart of the Church
Emma Percy, Chair of WATCH, attempts to defend her position in a radio interview here.
Suffice to say that I and other traditionalists have long been criticised as being misogynistic and homophobic, the two main weapons in the progressives' armoury, simply because it was possible to see this coming. Progressives have used every trick in the book, complaining about persecution, harassment, lack of equality, etc, etc, etc. Women and the Church (WATCH) deserves to be banished from any further dialogue. No hope of that but any more complaints about unfairness from these women and the LGBT+ campaigners can be taken with a pinch of salt.
Postscript [10.03.2017] (2)
The Rev Mike Jones, one of the starlets of 'All One in Christ', the Changing Attitude Iris film farce commended by the bishop of St Asaph, appeared on BBC Wales Television News this evening in an item speculating on a leak from the Llandaff Electoral College.
Yet another well placed item after 'Captain Underpants' asked a question in the House of Commons pleading the cause of the Dean of St Albans who failed to secure the necessary votes to become Bishop of Llandaff.
The influence of the LGBT+ lobby appears to have no bounds but most of us have had enough of LGBT+ and WATCH turning the Church to their own advantage. The Church in Wales does not need a divisive character in Llandaff, or elsewhere. Progressives have failed the Church. It is time to begin anew.
Postscript
Statement from the Bishop of Burnley, The Rt Revd Philip North
"It is with regret and sadness that I have decided that I am unable to take up the nomination as Bishop of Sheffield." Statement here.
Postscript [10.03.2017]
The fall out following Bishop Philip North's decision not to take up the nomination as Bishop of Sheffield continues. Two excellent blog entries from 'ignatius his conclave' and 'Archbishop Cranmer':
Sheffield formula and
Those who attacked +Philip North have made same-sex blessing compromise impossible
See also the BBC's Church of England at war after Bishop Philip North's U-turn and
The Conservative Woman Feminism is corrupting the heart of the Church
Emma Percy, Chair of WATCH, attempts to defend her position in a radio interview here.
Suffice to say that I and other traditionalists have long been criticised as being misogynistic and homophobic, the two main weapons in the progressives' armoury, simply because it was possible to see this coming. Progressives have used every trick in the book, complaining about persecution, harassment, lack of equality, etc, etc, etc. Women and the Church (WATCH) deserves to be banished from any further dialogue. No hope of that but any more complaints about unfairness from these women and the LGBT+ campaigners can be taken with a pinch of salt.
Postscript [10.03.2017] (2)
The Rev Mike Jones, one of the starlets of 'All One in Christ', the Changing Attitude Iris film farce commended by the bishop of St Asaph, appeared on BBC Wales Television News this evening in an item speculating on a leak from the Llandaff Electoral College.
Yet another well placed item after 'Captain Underpants' asked a question in the House of Commons pleading the cause of the Dean of St Albans who failed to secure the necessary votes to become Bishop of Llandaff.
The influence of the LGBT+ lobby appears to have no bounds but most of us have had enough of LGBT+ and WATCH turning the Church to their own advantage. The Church in Wales does not need a divisive character in Llandaff, or elsewhere. Progressives have failed the Church. It is time to begin anew.
Let us hope the Holy Ghost is listening to our prayers, Bishop North would certainly receive the very warmest welcome from the silent majority.
ReplyDeleteLet us hope the Holy Ghost is listening to our quiet prayers Ancient Briton, Bishop North would receive only the warmest welcome from the silent majority in Llandaff.
ReplyDeleteAmen to that!
Delete+Philip passed on Whitby because he felt he could not be a "focus of unity". I suspect that his enemies - I use the term advisedly - see this as a sign of weakness. I hope that he does not decline translation to Sheffield. If he does, the five principles aren't worth the paper they're written on. If he can't be a focus of unity, how can Rachel Treweek, whom traddies can only regard as an heretical laywoman.
ReplyDeleteAt the risk of sounding schizophrenic replying to my namesake ...
ReplyDelete+Philip withdrew in Whitby because he was the subject of a vindicative campaign orchestrated by the husband of one of the local women clergy. If he is on extended leave now, it is likely because he has suffered very real upset and distress at the endless stream of nasty attacks that he mentions in his statement. No doubt at Christ Church Deanery Oxford the Dean and his wife, the Chair of WATCH, will be celebrating tonight the successful completion of their joint campaign. If they could at least spare us their crocodile tears & fake statements saying how much "they appreciate +Philip as a person, but ..", that would help just a little for now.
However it does look very clearly as if the 5 Principles are not worth the paper they are printed on, as Alan wrote.
The Liberal Thinking Anglicans site has been running several threads on the Sheffield saga. Generally any commentator who has supported +Philip's proposed translation to Sheffield has been heavily drowned out by sneering comments suggesting that at best, it might just be tolerable to have a traditionalist suffragan bishop (if you hold your nose and ignore him as much as possible) but never again a diocesan bishop. If this attitude is allowed to go unchallenged, then the CofE will be de facto instituting 'Second Class Christianity' for traditionalists - they should be seen (keep the numbers up and keep paying) but not heard.
This wreaks of hypocrisy for all those droan on endlessly about 'Inclusiviness'.
Readers of this blog may also be interested to read the statement from the chairman of the council of bishops of the Society (SSWSH) concerning Bishop Philip's withdrawal.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.sswsh.com/fullposts.php?id=217
I am so very sorry for Bishop North, and pray that he will turn the ashes heaped upon him into garlands. As I have said before, I have personally felt the pain of duplicity and rejection both in priestly and secular life. This should not be so in the Church of Christ. But, Bishop Philip's prophetic actions and voice in his suffragan episcopacy, and the reaction to his potential translation to Sheffield must have shown him, and others, that you cannot have your cake and eat it. I've never believed that God allows confusion to prevail. Over principles, God is as clear as He ever was. The main breach we are seeing in the struggle for the soul of the Church is one of authority: do we accept that the truth that God became Man meant exactly that, and that there is particularity in the incarnation. 'Sacrament is not a projected illusion of religious niceness' but is to do with the stuff of incarnation. Much follows from this: the Word became Flesh, Scripture involves history not just myth, Apostolicity was invested in men, the mind of Christ leads his followers to be in charity of heart and mind (homothumadon) etc.
ReplyDeleteAll we get from modernisers is extract of chicory.
So, Bishop Philip, be uplifted, not downhearted. It had to come to a crunch: a reality check. If the Shekinah left the Temple because of apostasy, perhaps you should make a move too? People both inside the Church, and without, need clarity and a bit of courage. If you are not happy to go to the Ordinariate; then churches of the St Louis Affirmation (e.g. the Anglican Catholic Church) need you. Don't get drawn into the bog of another failing institution. Let not one stone stand on another. Let's build a new house of God on the Rock.
So the feminazis and gay lobbies have had their way in Sheffield.
ReplyDeleteSheffield's loss might be Llandaff's gain.
Jeffrey John is free to go to Sheffield.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/gay-cleric-rejected-bishop-llandaff-12715726
May it please God and the Holy Spirit let Bishop North come to Llandaff.
One problem is that many agitators and lobbyists have been promoting John's interests and career for years.
Deletehttps://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jan/05/gay-dean-jeffrey-john-bishop
Let us pray that indeed the Holy Ghost will be putting some stick around next week.
What a fantastic idea Ruth. For Count Von Morgan and 'Worshipfull Master' Kyser it will be like showing the cross to Dracula.
DeleteGoing back to what I wrote last night (Llandaff's choice of bishop is, sad to say, irrelevant now), I've just read the blog 'Ignatius in his conclave', which revisits what Dr Kirk said a while ago, before he retired to life in the ordinariate. https://ignatiushisconclave.org/2017/03/10/sheffield-formula/
ReplyDeleteThere he cites a former lecturer of mine Dr Daphne Hampson (post-Christian feminist, nice, sincere, wouldn't brook my misunderstanding her!), she talks about the REAL problem behind all this debacle about Bishop North, and vacant LLandaff. She says it is the scandal of particularity. In short (and she'd correct even this shorthand, as she did my use of commas etc, which I thought were grammatical, but she did not)... in short, God became a Man in real time.
Sorry if that sounds theological, but, we have been too concerned about ecclesiology to understand that big picture. It is not about trying to sew a new patch on an old garment, and pretending Bp North can decorate Sheffield, nor Dean John could decorate Llandaff. It is about Christians acknowledging that we owe allegiance to an historic intervention that changed human history. Namely, God was in Man reconciling the world to himself. It wasn't an idea, it was an intervention for our sake. Now, for His Sake, let us be bold and join forces with those who have never contradicted the historic facts so that there will be a clear message to those who look on this debate as if it is simply about human choices.
So the Church of England now has it's own little Civil War.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39227033
The entirely predictable outcome of pandering to politically correct inclusivity, secular theories of equality and populism.
The house built on sand is tottering.
You think that the Diocese of Sheffield has problems?
ReplyDeletehttp://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2017/03/09/sex-orgies-prostitution-porn-claims-shake-catholic-church-italy/98962674/
Ref: Six Labour MP's writing to +John SwanBrec.
ReplyDeleteThis interference should mean they cannot appoint Dean John. Members of Parliament have no say in a disestablished church - unless they want to return the pre 1662 endowments stolen off the Church in Wales nearly a century ago (with interest).
This now becomes a issue of independence and the Bench now have to show that politicians cannot put their oar in on these matters.
Precisely, Whamab.
DeleteThe Bishops need also to demonstrate Barry Morgan neither wields influence nor holds sway nor do his minions acting at his behest.
The MPs information and questions have been lifted from Masson's email.
God willing, these are the last desperate gasps of the corrupt Morgan regime, the end of a dreadful era for Llandaff and the Church in Wales.
The response to Masson's Parish Facebook campaign on the Parish-of-Newton-Nottage-Porthcawl page of 3 'likes' and 2 'shares' sums it up.
Episcopal chastisement required.
Another press article.
Deletehttp://jomec.co.uk/thecardiffian/2017/03/10/bishops-decide-will-become-next-bishop-llandaff/
MPs critical of Bishop of Llandaff appointment controversy
Those listening to Radio 4 early this Sunday will have heard the Very Reverend Mr Percy's slimy confirmation that those who share his views - I.e. the likes of WATCH chaired by his wife, will never accept a traditionalist being appointed again as a diocesan bishop and will disregard the compromise which enabled the appointment of women bishops in the C of E.
DeleteSounds familiar? Just like His Darkness in refusing to allow a replacement for Bishop David Thomas. Deceit to trick people you despise is acceptable if it gets you your objective?
In recent posts about the abortive election, it is notable and very sad that no contributor has been able to uphold anything good as a pastor or teacher in ++ Barry's time in office, (unless you count Dean Capon's comments)
It's rumoured he reads this blog. Too much to hope for any shame or remorse for his legacy?
"Insiders believe 55-year-old Dr John is highly likely to be chosen, because he is a Welsh speaker as well as being a respected theologian."
ReplyDeletehttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/2663278/Gay-cleric-Jeffrey-John-could-become-Britains-first-openly-homosexual-bishop.html
Sounds familiar? Nine years ago, Jeffrey John was in the running for the bishopric of Bangor. He had a high profile supporter who just happened to be the Archbishop of Wales and many thought he was a shoe-in. However there's many a slip 'twixt cup and lip...
"The conflict had threatened to move to the UK after the Dean of St Albans, Dr Jeffrey John, was one of the names nominated for the vacant see of Bangor at a preliminary meeting earlier this month. But sources in Wales told The Times that the Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, had made it clear to electors in Bangor that he would not be prepared to consecrate a bishop who is in a civil partnership out of concern for the unity of the Church."
[Ruth Gledhill writing in The Times, quoted in the comments to http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/16295 ]
What's this? An about-face by Barry in his old diocese? And why, if he was unprepared to support Jeffrey john in 2008, would he now be willing to offer him Llandaff in 2017?
After all, Dean Jeffrey is 9 years closer to retirement. A consolation prize perhaps, or some kind of guilt over the previous promise?
Either way, the people of Llandaff Diocese deserve a wider choice than what they were offered at the electoral college.
Thank you Bjorn Again.
DeleteI don't remember http://www.standfirminfaith.com/?/sf/page/16295 article but it confirms my hazy recollections from that time.