Jill Duff to be new bishop of Monmouth?

In response to a previous post about the election of the new Bishop of Monmouth a commentator wrote, "Its an open secret that this will be Jill Duff."

If Jill joins Joanna and June it will be reminiscent of the appointment of the first woman bishop in Wales after it had been widely rumoured that Canon Joanna Penberthy would be the next bishop of St Davids following the retirement of the Rt Rev Wyn Evans.

Initially the rumour seemed absurd, designed to wind up orthodox Anglicans until the grubby manipulation of the electoral process for political purposes became obvious.

Archbishop Barry Morgan stage managed his announcement of the 'election' by lining up nine adults on the bank overlooking the Afon Alun outside St Davids Cathedral as if parading before a firing squad. On the archbishop's command they were to applaud the announcement but eager to please their master, some jumped the gun like nervous squaddies.

The archbishop went on to justify Penberthy's appointment saying that it was "really important" to stress that "Joanna wasn’t elected because she was a woman but because she was deemed to be the best person to be a bishop. She has considerable gifts – she is an excellent preacher and communicator, can relate to all sections of the community, is a warm, charismatic, caring priest and someone who is full of joy."

I doubt that recipients of her Dear John letter would agree with that description but, then, Morgan always was opinionated if nothing else.

By contrast fellow feminists will be delighted with Joanna's policy of parity although overkill would be a better description when in comes to St Davids Cathedral which is being turned into a feminist paradise with a token male priest to do most of the work.

There is more than enough evidence of the dismal failure of the first two women bishops to turn things around. There has also been experimentation and there has been profligacy. Evidence enough that the bench needs the inclusion of a man of God inspired by the Holy Spirit not by the spirit of the age.

Postscript [11.06.2019]

The Electoral College will meet on 17 September 2019 with the chance of electing the 11th, and possibly the last, bishop of Monmouth. Assuming Dr Duff has not already been chosen in the manner of the bishop of St Davids, given the divisions caused by a few disgruntled clergy favoured by the retiring bishop, the decision may have to pass to the bench to impose their own nominee. The flavour of the bench indicates that would be another disaster waiting to happen.