Petertide ordinations in Wales

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby welcomed female priests at St Paul's Cathedral in 2014                                                                               Source: BBC

For the first time since women were accepted for ordination, most deacons ordained in the Church of England in 2019 were women, only 44% of whom were aged under 40.

It can be only a matter of time before Anglicanism in this country is dominated by women who feel free to do as they please.

In 2020 the Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in churches being closed, only now re-opening for private prayer but that has not prevented the Church in Wales from carrying out some ordinations.

The diocese of Monmouth has been asked by bishop Cherry openly to pray for a new female deacon who will be ordained in Newport Cathedral today.

Of more concern is the rumoured secretive ordination behind Llandaff Cathedral's closed doors today of a man reportedly in a same sex marriage.

Some observations from a concerned commentator:

The regulations forbidding clergy holding public services in their churches have been the cause of deep anxiety and concern.  Even when our churches are permitted to be open for private prayer they will not be allowed to vocalise any form of worship.  Grotesque?  Yes.  You may only go into a church if you promise not to utter aloud any praise of God or articulate intercession!

However – one rule for the lower clergy, another for the hierarchy – there is a rumour doing the rounds that Mrs Goulding (alias the bishop of Llandaff) is intent on secretly holding a ‘private’ ordination service behind the locked doors of Llandaff Cathedral in the presence of only a few members of the Chapter.  ‘A private ordination behind locked doors’ is no more possible than a ‘private marriage behind locked doors’.  Ordination is the concern and action of the whole people of God.  The service makes this clear at various points when the congregation is asked questions about the suitability of the candidates and whether it is the wish of the people that they be ordained.

Furthermore, there is apparently to be no Communion.  The 1662 Prayer Book, and Wales 1984 – and indeed all ordination services – are within the context of the Eucharist.  ‘ . . . all they that receive Orders shall take together, and remain in the same place where hands were laid upon them, until such time as they have received the Communion.”

If the bishop and the priest do not receive the Holy Communion together then one may justifiably question whether it is a legal or valid ordination.

Postscript

Social distancing being ignored:

Deaconing in Newport Cathedral 27 June 2020                         Source: YouTube

RE-OPENING CHURCHES UPDATE Monmouth news Posted: 19 June 2020

Postscripts [28.06.2020]

Episcopal double standards in evidence?

Following the report of a secretive ordination service in Llandaff Cathedral a tweet from Llandaff diocese has been posted in response to a tweet in which it was queried whether or not churches can now hold worship providing it is behind closed doors:

"Llandaff Diocese #StaySafe

@LlandaffDio

Morning Rachel. Yes, ordinations  took place in the cathedral yesterday. Doors were closed because public were unable to attend due to strict social distancing rules. No family or friends could attend. 

Unusual circumstances this but safety must come first. ✝️❤️"

There was no announcement of the service that I can find and no prayers invited for the ordinand(s) - more than one is now indicated.

In view of the serious observations contained in the main post, above, a fuller explanation should be made instead of a Covid-19 safety brush off.  

PS 2 [28.06.2020]

A further tweet shows five candidates were ordained as deacons to serve in the diocese plus another four presumably to serve in other dioceses.

Postscript [29.06.2020]

Source: CinW Twitter

The latest Petertide ordinations reported on Twitter:

"Ordinations Covid-style in St David's Church Abergwili - congratulations to Heulwen Evans, Jordan Spencer and Lorna Jones, the first of our Deacons to be ordained yesterday (Sunday 28th). All duly socially distanced..."

So should one assume there was no laying on of hands in Abergwili?

Postscript [01.07.2020]

From Twitter: Next, St Asaph

"ORDINATIONS

It should have been the ordination of priests last Saturday, and I am currently working towards the provisional date of Saturday, 3rd October, for the ordination of our seven priest candidates (Gareth Erlandson, Sally Harper, Simon Piercy, Chris Spencer, Sue Storey, Carol Thomas and James Tout), hoping that it will be possible to hold the ordination in the Cathedral as usual.  Do please hold all these individuals in your thoughts and prayers.

By agreement with the Welsh Government, however, we will be able to proceed with the ordination of our deacon candidates, and this is because the government has accepted the argument that it is a necessary step to their assuming ministry and their work as Assistant Curates.  In line with government regulations, the ordination service will be online live streamed and recorded, and socially distanced, or with PPE precautions.  Ordinations are joyful occasions when we give thanks to God for the calling of men and women to ordained service, but on this occasion, the absence of supporters and a congregation will be keenly felt.  It is my hope, therefore, that many of us can hold them in prayer at the time, and support them from a distance.  Please remember George Bearwood, Luke Bristowe, Helen Dawson, Toby Jones, Gregory Lachlann-Waddell, Ben Lines, Jo MacKriell, Jim Thompson and Gail Woodward in your prayers." - AD CLERUM - JULY 2020

If there was 'agreement with the Welsh Government' as stated it makes the secrecy surrounding the ordination, Monmouth excluded, all the more surprising

The bench should come clean and explain to the faithful how the ordinations were conducted with social distancing and whether they took part in the context of the Eucharist.

Postscript [05.07.2020]

Source: Church in Wales

St Asaph coming clean at their Petertide ordination service yesterday. Oodles of photos here. Clearly much thought of safeguarding is in evidence.

No contest!

The question implies another option. Any offers?

"Good solid British common sense"

After camp                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Source: Twitter

"Today RSPB #Haweswater and @unitedutilities staff, and dedicated RSPB volunteers, spent 4 hours clearing more mess from groups camping on our reserve." - Twitter

"Boris Johnson told MPs that 'good solid British common sense' had worked throughout phase one [of the lockdown rules to combat coronavirus] and he had 'no doubt' it would work in the second phase of fighting the disease."

Despite the sterling efforts of the many, there are always a few who can be relied on to undo the good work done by those keeping to the rules.

Health leaders have warned that UK must prepare for a second Coronavirus virus wave.

Not only will there will be more litter for others to clear up but more people will have their lives put in danger adding more strain on weary NHS staff unless the thoughtless minority start showing the common sense referred to by the Prime Minister.

Postscript [25.06.2020]

Bournemouth beach: Major incident declared as thousands flock to coast

Source: BBC/REUTERS/TOBY MELVILLE                                      Bournemouth beach                                                                Source: BBC/MATT PINNER

Take-a-knee tyranny

Liverpool players take a knee in memory of George Floyd.                                                                                                                                          Source: CNN

Soccer players are doing it. Bishops are doing it. Senior police officers are doing it. All following the latest import from the US, taking a knee.

Even the Holy See has endorsed it with dire consequences.

Black lives matter. White lives matter. The sanctity of life matters. The manner in which George Floyd lost his life was deplorable but he was no saint. Watch this video by US commentator Candace Owens to learn what it means to be 'going with popular opinion'. 

The BLM mission is to 'eradicate white supremacy'. 

They "affirm the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, undocumented folks, folks with records, women, and all Black lives along the gender spectrum. Our network centers those who have been marginalized within Black liberation movements" but it is difficult to take the BLM slogan seriously when hoards of people congregate in breach of coronavirus lockdown rules designed to save lives.

With 'Black Lives Matter' on the back of their shirts, social distancing was quickly forgotten in the Brighton - Arsenal soccer game having taken a knee before kicking off.

The problem with special interest groups nowadays is that if you do not affirm them you are deemed to be against, harbouring some sort of phobia. Holding another opinion is simply not tolerated.

Full marks, then, to Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab who refused to be intimidated for holding an opinion of his own about taking a knee.

As statues are toppled and apologies for past associations with slavery increase, modern slavery continues but strangely it does not attract the same level of criticism.

Some lives do not appear to matter so long as you take a knee.

Making a difference!

Church of England women bishops                                                                                                                                                               Source: Church Militant

When the Church of England formally approved plans for women bishops the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said: "Today we can begin to embrace a new way of being the church and moving forward together. We will also continue to seek the flourishing of the church of those who disagree."

Hilary Cotton, the then chairwoman of Women and the Church (WATCH), said she would like to see women ultimately make up a third of bishops, around 40 posts, "in order to make a difference".

They certainly have.

Mutual flourishing of those who disagree soon flew out of the church window.

Now Church Militant reports that "Nineteen prelates, including five women bishops, abstained from a pro-life vote as Britain's House of Lords voted 355–77 to approve the government's extreme abortion regime in Northern Ireland.

"Bishops Sarah Mullally (London), Rachel Treweek (Gloucester), Vivienne Faull (Bristol), Christine Hardman (Newcastle) and Elizabeth Lane (Derby) belong to the cohort of 26 Church of England bishops who sit in the House of Lords as Lords Spiritual.

"Seven male bishops, shamed by a previous Church Militant exposé, voted against the Abortion (Northern Ireland) (No 2) Regulations statutory instrument on Monday. 

"Even though the House of Bishops at the Church of England's General Synod stated in February that 98.3% of abortions in the United Kingdom are immoral, only Apb. Justin Welby (Canterbury) and Bps. Paul Butler (Durham), Christopher Cocksworth (Coventry), Timothy Dakin (Winchester), Julian Henderson (Blackburn), Donald Allister (Peterborough) and James Newcome (Carlisle) voted pro-life in Parliament.

"'Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?' asks the prophet Isaiah. The answer appears to be yes, if she happens to be a bishop in the Church of England," lamented Dave Brennan, director of pro-life Brephos.

""One argument for having bishops with 'real-life experience' is that they can apparently bring their insights to bear on 'real-life' issues," Brennan noted. "But that hasn't happened with bishop of London Sarah Mullally who, despite having been a midwife and the U.K.'s chief nursing officer, is mum on abortion." 

"One argument for having these 'Lords Spiritual' — and indeed an established church — is that they can be the moral conscience of the nation. If this is the caliber of our 'conscience' as a nation, it is no wonder we are plunging into such dissipation," he added. "

Not a difference one might have expected!

Caption corner 13 June 2020

The Archbishop of Canterbury                                                                                                                                                                  Source: churchmilitant.com

Publishable captions will appear under comments.

Fashionable minorities

Source: Church in Wales

Not to be left behind, the trendy Church in Wales has published their support for the #BlackLivesMatter campaign with an International Group statement released by their Chairperson, Joanna Penberthy, 129th bishop of St Davids, in which the Church in Wales' commitment to combating racism is affirmed in its response to the murder of George Floyd in the USA:

"Current events in the USA have brought to the attention of the world the extreme injustice of white supremacy and racism. In challenging racism the Church has much to learn and to repent of."

What has escaped the Church in Wales is that Islam is a supremacist ideology which uses the Quran as its authority for subjugating non-Muslims who they regard as infidels yet the Church in Wales is happy to fraternise with Muslims bringing into sharp focus the double standards of the bench of bishops.

Islam is not a race but the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims claimed that "Islamophobia is a type of racism", thus offering further protection to an ideology that has problems with the truth and denies the basic tenets of Christianity.

In its reign of terror against infidels and the wrong sort of Muslims ISIS damaged and destroyed many ancient sites in their war on cultural heritage, attacking archaeological sites with bulldozers and explosives.

Less severe, a similar attempt to blot out history has been mounted by the 'Topple The Racists' website which has named 78 statues and monuments that 'celebrate slavery and racism' it wants torn down in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests. It will not stop there.

With more foresight they would recognise that these statues are reminders of the past when standards were very different. If 'black history' is to be taught as demanded by protestors they have ready made examples to point to, for now.

Slavery is abhorrent but rather than trying to erase history, symbols of the evils of the past should be used to inform society. The past cannot be changed. The future can.

Voices need to be raised to stop modern slavery in the UK but few are.

Previous minority movements have led to undreamt of consequences. The campaign to pardon WW2 'enigma' hero Alan Turing developed into a tide of protests ultimately resulting in gender confusion, same sex marriage and, in the Church in Wales, a transgender priest and an openly lesbian bishop while orthodox Anglicanism has been jettisoned along with orthodox Anglicans.

The LGBT movement is now deeply embedded in Church, State and media. Constant efforts are made to spread LGBT propaganda in our schools.

Hand in hand with the LGBT campaign, the feminist movement previously used victimhood  and sympathy to invade the Anglican Church by stealth, inching their way forward from deaconess to deacon, priest and bishop after protesting that they had no ambitions beyond being ordained deacon.

After the success of the unscrupulous WATCH campaign the Roman Catholic Church is now being similarly targeted.

Fashionable minorities have a habit of taking over resulting in confusion as exhibited by the ignorant, intolerant mob culture that has developed, often encouraged by trendy, leftist bishops.

The Church in Wales has indeed much to learn and to repent of.

Postscript [12.06.2020]

That it should come to this

Outrage as Sadiq Khan BOARDS UP the Cenotaph, Churchill's statue and other 'at risk' monuments to protect them from attack ahead of a weekend of Black Lives Matter protests in London

Lives matter

Source: Twitter

Of course black lives matter, all lives matter. Not that one would think so after Thousands join Black Lives Matter protests around the UK, ignoring restrictions on gatherings and warnings about social distancing to avoid spreading the Covid-19 virus. 

Demonstrations have spread like a rash, invaded by various groups regardless of the facts as articulated by this courageous lady.

On the 80th Anniversary of the evacuation of Dunkirk, Winston Churchill's statue in Parliament Square was defaced as thousands took part in a Black Lives Matter rally. Police and police horses were attacked. The Cenotaph was vandalised.

This has nothing to do with the death of George Floyd, just one of many appalling incidents throughout the world, most of which go unreported.

Protect the NHS has been a Government cry from the start of the pandemic. Their strategy avoided the NHS being overwhelmed but tragically many lives have been lost among NHS staff and carers. There has been growing concern about the disproportionate deaths among BAME people.

If the demonstrations results in another spike in Covid-19 cases, the NHS will have to pick up the pieces with many more Black, Asian, and minority ethnic people in the front line.

For the demonstrators it seems that black lives do not matter.   

Postscript

Tweet from Toby Young: "I was in Minneapolis last year. Loved it. Such a beautiful city. It now looks like Aleppo." Footage here.

From Jack Montgomery: "Lincoln's statue vandalised even worse than Churchill's at the #BlackLivesMatter protest in London. Lincoln, of course, is the President who freed the slaves – and got an assassin's bullet in the back of the head for doing it. That still wasn't enough?" Image here.

Utter madness.

Postscript [08.06.2020]

London police 'on the run' from 'peaceful' protestors here.

The ultimate disgrace, police officers having to move in with riot gear to defend the Cenotaph as rioters attempt to set fire to our flag. The day after we commemorated D-Day, when our troops, those the Cenotaph honours, liberated Europe from *actual* fascists. Scumbags. Here.

No doubt these demonstrators will be first in the queue for treatment by the NHS if they become infected with Covid-19, demanding their rights as victims.

Postscript [15.06.2020]

Channel 4 News: "It turns out that the Leader of the Independent Police Advisory Group, who we must assume has a degree, doesn't know that Winston Churchill is dead. Why interview someone without knowledge? What do universities teach?"

Diocese of Portsmouth plants in Llandaff

Church in Wales parish church of SS Andrew and Teilo, Woodville Road, Cathays, Cardiff.                                                                              Source: Wikipedia

Not much has been coming out of the Church in Wales during the Covid-19 lock down but there is news of the diocese of Portsmouth moving in.

I have seen nothing about the event in Llandaff News flashes but there is confirmation that Portsmouth's largest church is 'looking West to plant a new church in Cardiff'.

Inspire Magazine reported on 1 June: a "team will be commissioned for its new role at a digital service on Sunday (Sun 24 May). The Bishop of Portsmouth, the Rt Rev Christopher Foster, has recorded a video message to be played as part of the service, expressing his joy at the move."

There is no mention of the bishop of Llandaff.

In March last year I reported that the bishop of Llandaff had sacrificed parishioners in the university church of St Teilo, Cathays, Cardiff in an initiative "to give their church away to an evangelical church called Holy Trinity Brompton. The decision was made with no consultation with the clergy or members of the congregation and wider community and she says the decision is final."

The Living Church commented at the time that plans for a church-planting partnership between the Church in Wales and London’s Holy Trinity Brompton had drawn resistance...The project will receive funding from the new Church in Wales Evangelism Fund, which has £10 million available for six dioceses and is similar to the Church of England’s Strategic Development Grants fund.

According to a statement from the diocese of Portsmouth, their Harbour Church began in September 2016 with just 20 people, and now welcomes 700 worshippers every Sunday to three different locations. It now plans to send a team of 40 people to Cardiff to set up a brand new church there from September.

"It will be called Citizen Church and will be based at St Teilo’s Church in the Cathays area of Cardiff. The 40-strong team includes 10 worshippers who already live there, a family moving from Brazil, some moving from London, and 17 worshippers who will relocate from Harbour Church in Portsmouth. It will be led by the Rev Ryan Forey, currently curate at Harbour Church."

When the project was unveiled in 2019 the Church in Wales suggested that the project would “seek to attract young people who are currently outside the church, eventually planting more church communities in the diocese", displacing existing congregations in the process.

Displacing regular worshippers has a familiar ring for traditionalist Anglicans who were forced out because they sought to keep the Apostolic faith against a tide of secularism.