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| The Archbishop, the Deanery, the Archdeacon of Llandaff and a can of worms. |
Saturday, 4 October 2014, Church in Wales: The Llandaff dimension.
That entry attracted 83 comments. In November 2013 Morgan's organ had attracted 66 comments. A month later in First things first! when I listed the 'All time' top 10 posts I wrote:
" When I started this blog I had no idea where it would lead but four years later of the 677 entries the most hits have, with a couple of exceptions, centred on the tribulations of the Church of Wales and the Diocese of Llandaff in particular.
The publication of the Llandaff Cathedral Annual Report and Financial Statements for the Year Ended 31 December 2020 has caused a similar reaction with many comments already posted under the previous entry. In particular in response to the revelation on page 22 under Related party transactions and trustees' remuneration, expenses and benefits:
to prepare the statement of accounts in accordance with the Charities SORP, which requires trustees to
disclose certain information about the remuneration and other benefits received by trustees. The
Charities SORP states that all transactions with a trustee must be regarded as material regardless of
size.
"As to remuneration, none of the trustees received any remuneration from the charity in 2020. The Dean
and canons residentiary are ecclesiastical office holders remunerated by the Church in Wales.
The Church in Wales sets out the rules under which clergy can claim for expenses of their office. In
2020 the clergy claimed £3,211 in utility costs which they are specifically entitled to under the Church in Wales rules in respect of their office, and were reimbursed £1,065 for equipment and consumables
used in the Cathedral itself, from budgets approved by Chapter.
and canons residentiary are ecclesiastical office holders remunerated by the Church in Wales.
The Church in Wales sets out the rules under which clergy can claim for expenses of their office. In
2020 the clergy claimed £3,211 in utility costs which they are specifically entitled to under the Church in Wales rules in respect of their office, and were reimbursed £1,065 for equipment and consumables
used in the Cathedral itself, from budgets approved by Chapter.
"In 2021, Chapter has been investigating expenditure totalling £69,350 between 2016 and 2020 of which
at least £35,551 it does not believe was approved by the trustees, as required in law. As a result of a
report commissioned by Chapter (and shared with the Charity Commission) from a Queen’s Counsel
independent of the trustees, Chapter has concluded that the following amounts were apparently
authorised by The Very Reverend Gerwyn Capon which benefited him personally, directly or indirectly,
but were not approved by the trustees of the charity:
• for work at the Deanery (not owned or maintained by the charity), including the purchase of an
Aga cooker and wood-burning stove: £22,173
• Furniture, artwork and other items: £4,789
• Entertaining, travel and other costs: £5,325
at least £35,551 it does not believe was approved by the trustees, as required in law. As a result of a
report commissioned by Chapter (and shared with the Charity Commission) from a Queen’s Counsel
independent of the trustees, Chapter has concluded that the following amounts were apparently
authorised by The Very Reverend Gerwyn Capon which benefited him personally, directly or indirectly,
but were not approved by the trustees of the charity:
• for work at the Deanery (not owned or maintained by the charity), including the purchase of an
Aga cooker and wood-burning stove: £22,173
• Furniture, artwork and other items: £4,789
• Entertaining, travel and other costs: £5,325
"A further £3,264 was apparently authorised by The Very Reverend Gerwyn Capon for payment to an
employee in addition to salary, without the authority of the trustees.
The QC’s report recommends that the trustees seek restitution of these amounts, and the trustees are
taking steps accordingly."
employee in addition to salary, without the authority of the trustees.
The QC’s report recommends that the trustees seek restitution of these amounts, and the trustees are
taking steps accordingly."
Cover up and secrecy have become far too common in the Church in Wales. The Llandaff dimension has rumbled on for years. The former bishop of Monmouth's absence and subsequent retirement have yet to be properly explained while the bishop of St Davids keeps her head down hoping everything will blow over so she can carry on where she left off.
The people are the Church not the bishops and their appointees. They need to know the truth. Instead they are treated as pew fodder to keep the bench in the style they have become accustomed too.
It is no wonder that outside their tiny Province the Church in Wales is regarded as finished.
Postscript [05.11.2021]
The Dean's response:
"The Dean responded with a statement saying: “I am deeply shocked the Cathedral Chapter has taken a decision to defame me in this way.
“In May 2020, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and needed some time off work, whereupon the Chapter made a series of unfounded allegations against me to the bishop [Rt Rev June Osborne].
“She referred them immediately to the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Church in Wales, before which I was invited to appear in order to answer their complaints.
“The tribunal reviewed my detailed evidence and concluded there was no case to answer. I was completely exonerated.
“For Chapter now to renew them, knowing of the tribunal’s decision, is entirely malicious, and people will properly question their action.
“Needless to say, I refute the allegations completely, and refer, again, to the decision of the Church in Wales Tribunal who rejected them at the very first hurdle.
“I have written formally to the Chapter asking them to retract these defamatory remarks and remove them from the cathedral website.”
The dean shared the report of the disciplinary tribunal with the Western Mail.
It states that a committee of the tribunal met in October 2020 to consider a referral from the bishop relating to the dean.
A complaint made by Gerald Elias QC as vice-chair of the Chapter obliged the committee to decide “whether [the dean] was responsible for neglect of duties of office, or persistent carelessness or gross inefficiency in the discharge of his duties and / or that his conduct had given just cause for scandal or offence”.
The committee found no evidence of claims incurred by or authorised by the dean that were improper, but said there was a “somewhat antiquated accounting system which oversaw a lack of a proper framework for the claim and payment of expenses”.
There had been no complaints from the external auditors.
The committee concluded: “While we find that the dean might have been more proactive in addressing the difficulties that the system he inherited posed, that responsibility was not his alone and we do not find that any failings were such as to enable us to find that he has a case to answer on the basis of neglect of duties of office, or persistent carelessness or gross inefficiency in the discharge of such duties.
“Accordingly we find that the dean does not have a case to answer.”
A spokeswoman for the Church in Wales said: “The dean remains off work due to illness.
“I have checked with the Cathedral Chapter and they are not commenting further.”
The Very Rev Capon, 56, was appointed Dean of Llandaff in 2014 by the former Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, whose chaplain he had been.
There are plenty within the Province who believe the Church in Wales is finished.
ReplyDeleteBy now it is probably 99.99%of the population who couldn't give a damn.
Let Llandaff Cathedral go broke,after all, it has been morally bankrupt for at least a decade.
Now all we want is a big juicy full page spread in the Western Mail and South Wales Echo, followed by more of the same in the Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian, Express, Mail, Mirror and Sun the following day.
ReplyDeleteA couple of minutes on BBC Wales news wouldn't go amiss either. 😂
The BBC would call the whole story "misogynistic bullying by a hate-filled homophobic male church against the brave pioneering women" . . .
DeleteWhilst I accept Bazza's golf caddie is a big girl's blouse I doubt even the BBC would describe him as a "brave pioneering woman" unless the other £35k was spent on a sex change operation?
DeleteDo you know something we don't Ed?
In light of the new information available this week, those who signed the letter that was read out from the lectern during the meeting in the Cathedral nave a few months ago must be feeling very foolish.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone out there in the Blogosphere have a copy of the letter and a list of the signatories?
I wonder how many of them benefitted from the Capon's hospitality at the pink gin soirées in the Deanery, heated by the AGA and entertained by the dud's stories of how he'd picked up his latest bargain at the antiques auction?
One wonders if Mrs Hallinan was paid to do the catering?
DeleteOne understands she was one of the regulars at the soirées.
@Gabriel
DeletePhilipa Hallinan was one of the signatories to the letter.
No surprises there as readers will recall her Cathedral salary being paid out of the organ appeal funds.
I also recall the names of Chris and Pippa Clarke being read out from the lectern.
I can confirm that Peggy the Pilate (of "the taxman will never know" school of accountancy) found out about Hallinan's salary being paid out of the organ appeal funds during a Chapter meeting. She was informed by Bonaparte.
DeleteShe then did absolutely nothing about it, despite being a Trustee.
Never never never trust an Archdeaconesse.
@Gabriel
DeleteWhile you're at it I would also like to to see the reply given by Gérard Elias.
As I recall, it was a very eloquent 'you don't know what you're talking about so go forth and multiply'.
Now I think of it, Gerard Elias QC will have copies of both letters.
DeleteHow about it Mr Elias, since both letters were read out from the lectern, they're already in the public domain so how about posting them here?
C'mon, you know you want to.
Pretty please?
@Gabriel and Cymru'r Groes
DeleteOne imagines that both letters in their entirety, including the names of all signatories, should be attached to the minutes of the said meeting in order to provide a complete and accurate record of the proceedings.
Therefore, perhaps the question is when, if ever, the minutes of the meeting will be published?
Another test of openness and transparency for the new lay Chapter.
The gossip on The Green this afternoon is that a state of civil war now officially exists between Caiaphas and the Capon.
ReplyDeleteThe ears in the walls report that Caiaphas is also furious with His --Darkness because byzantine Barry is supporting his golf caddie and has made representations of support on his behalf in response to moves to get rid of the dud.
The nest of vipers have turned on each other.
One hopes most sincerely that Martin Shipton is going to make hay.
DeleteIt couldn't possibly happen to a nicer bunch nor could it be more deserved.
The SPAR in Llandaff High Street has ordered double the usual number of copies of the Western Mail as demand is expected to be extraordinary.
DeleteOf course Darth --Insidious would support the Capon, no surprises there.
DeleteAfter the Janet Henderson debacle he needs to keep the Capon in post to keep the skeletons in the cupboards from rattling and the lid on Ancient Briton's can of worms.
If indeed a state of civil war now exists then the best possible outcome for Llandaff (Cathedral AND Dioces) is for both Caiaphas and Capon to disappear into the sunset and join Barry Morgan on his retirement cruise ship.
DeleteHave you forgotten this little gem of yours AB?
ReplyDeletehttps://ancientbritonpetros.blogspot.com/2020/07/another-change-at-llandaffs-deanery.html?m=1
https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/cardiff-landmarks-really-rubbish-according-22045179
ReplyDeleteLlandaff Cathedral "a waste of time".
Who'd have guessed?
Prof Eleri Jones recommended the Cathedral should do more to attract tourists Peggy the Pilate knew better, here's the result.
Today's Western Mail.
ReplyDeletePage 15.
Full page spread.
Gerard Elias can look forward to a poison pen letter calling him subversive. 😂
Rather annoyingly, I can't find the article on WallesOnline, do you have a link please?
DeleteI've just found the page in the online paper edition of Western Mail and copied page 15. Half the page is a large photo of the dean! As for the text, if AB permits, here are extracts:
DeleteA MAJOR row has broken out within the Church in Wales, with allegations of financial irregularities made against the Dean of Llandaff that he strongly denies.
Llandaff Cathedral’s newly published annual report and financial statements for 2020, published on its website, contains a section which states: “In 2021, Chapter has been investigating expenditure totalling £69,350 between 2016 and 2020 of which at least £35,551 it does not believe was approved by the trustees, as required in law...
For work at the deanery (not owned or maintained by the charity), including the purchase of an Aga cooker and wood-burning stove: £22,173;
Furniture, artwork and other items: £4,789;
Entertaining, travel and other costs: £5,325;
A further £3,264 was apparently authorised by the Very Reverend Gerwyn Capon for payment to an employee in addition to salary, without the authority of the trustees.
The QC’s report recommends that the trustees seek restitution of these amounts, and the trustees are taking steps accordingly.
The Dean responded with a statement saying: “I am deeply shocked the Cathedral Chapter has taken a decision to defame me in this way.
In May 2020, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and needed some time off work, whereupon the Chapter made a series of unfounded allegations against me to the bishop...
I refute the allegations completely, and refer, again, to the decision of the Church in Wales Tribunal who rejected them at the very first hurdle.
I have written formally to the Chapter asking them to retract these defamatory remarks and remove them from the cathedral website..."
A complaint made by Gerald Elias QC as vice-chair of the Chapter obliged the committee to decide “whether [the dean] was responsible for neglect of duties of office, or persistent carelessness or gross inefficiency in the discharge of his duties and / or that his conduct had given just cause for scandal or offence”.
The committee found no evidence of claims incurred by or authorised by the dean that were improper, but said there was a “somewhat antiquated accounting system which oversaw a lack of a proper framework for the claim and payment of expenses”.
The committee concluded: “While we find that the dean might have been more proactive in addressing the difficulties that the system he inherited posed, that responsibility was not his alone and we do not find that any failings were such as to enable us to find that he has a case to answer on the basis of neglect of duties of office, or persistent carelessness or gross inefficiency in the discharge of such duties.
[My questions - the dean knew the accounting system was antiquated so did he take advantage and is now squirming? How can the Committee find that the payments were not improper when they were clearly not authorised by the trustees, a legal requirement?! Who is on that Committee? Cymraes yn Lloegr]
Could you please post the link?
DeleteI can't seem to find it.
Thank you.
The golf caddie has made the text book error of answering questions that have not been posed.
DeleteHow could a tribunal in October 2020 possibly have considered the latest allegations, much less rejected them, when they were only unearthed as the result of an investigation begun sometime in 2021 by the independent QC?
The only questions that matter are:
Is there an AGA in the Deanery?
Did the Diocesan Parsonage Board put it there?
If not, who did?
Was permission obtained prior to the installation?
Who authorised it?
Who paid for it?
I've found this Press Reader link 1662
Deletehttps://www.pressreader.com/uk/western-mail/20211104/281736977678648
Ignore Gerwhine's smoke and mirrors.
DeleteFollow the money.
Always follow the money.
"White collar crime"
Delete🤣
@LEV
DeleteSpot on.
But I don't understand why it has taken some 18+ months to get absolutely nowhere in dismissing the dud.
If I worked in Tesco and got caught with my hands in the till or pilfering, I'd be suspended on full pay for a week or so pending investigation, invited to a meeting to be presented with the evidence against me, allowed to place on record my own evidence in defence along with any mitigation and then dealt with. An appeal might take a further week or two.
A QC wouldn't be required to investigate nor would it take more than a month at most.
They all seem to be equally grossly inefficient.
What mitigation could the antiques dealing dud possibly have to offer?
Delete"Terribly sorry June, I was feeling depressed and suffering from low self-esteem so I thought I should treat myself to an AGA"?
Question 1, Mr Dean.
DeleteOn what did you spend the missing £33,799.00?
Thank you AB.
DeleteI had only searched the WalesOnline website rather than the wider internet, DOH.
As for Gerwhine, he doth protest too much.
Seven years in the post and all he's got to show for it is a victim mentality and a "somewhat antiquated accounting system which oversaw a lack of a proper framework for the claim and payment of expenses"?
Expenses for what?
He hasn't done anything!
What cronies of Darth --Insidious sit on the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Church in Wales?
DeleteSurely, Capon's well documented series of poison pen letters to widows and long-serving Parishioners alone were sufficient to meet the criterion of conduct giving just cause for scandal or offence, never mind anything else?
I can't help think this story "has legs and is going to run and run".
DeleteThe Deansyte Saga.
The October 2020 disciplinary tribunal is clearly only the first.
I doubt the poison dwarf will survive a second, especially if a certain QC's report and recommendations are presented.
The smart money on The Green says bully boy --Bazza has already blocked Gerwhine's phone number and decided to throw him under a bus.
Above all else, His --Darkness looks after number 1.
Is there a Cathedral anywhere in the UK more cursed than Llandaff?
DeleteWhat have the good people of Llandaff done to deserve this?
One set of bungling, inept, crooked fools after another.
Having read the article and the pathetic insipid response from the accused, I say guilty as charged and good riddance.
DeleteHas there ever been a more pitiful Dean of Llandaff?
Sadly, this has been a long time coming and was all too predictable. One only has to re-read all the various threads on Ancient Briton's blog for the last ten years, and if it was predictable it was avoidable.
DeleteUltimately, it all comes down to the hubris of Barry bloody Morgan.
May he reap what he has sown.
It has been mentioned before but I will say it again.
DeleteAncient Briton and (most of) his contributors deserve a massive round of applause and a huge pat on the back.
For a decade or more, the Church authorities, the hangers on, the gay cabal, the coven, the fag hags and even Diocesan officers (take a bow Peter) have attempted to slate, undermine, diminish, pillory and generally criticise.
The skullduggery of Darth --Insidious, Bonaparte, Captain Peacock, Mr Toad, Gerwhine and Caiaphas has been covered in considerable detail but the official responses have been denial and covers up.
As the sole source of truth this blog deserves a Purlitzer.
Never never never trust the Church in Wales.
There are lots of very good reasons that AB's blog has almost 3.5 million views and the Church in Wales attracts less than 15,000 congregants on a Sunday.
DeleteThe numbers speak for themselves.
Surely, The Dean can't still be on sick leave? Is this another lie ? I should imagine, given the circumstances, he is actually suspended from duty, on full stipend, until he is either sacked or resigns. Whatever happens, it's the pew sitters that will pick up the very expensive tab, again !
ReplyDeleteThe pew sitters can limit their losses by stopping their giving.
DeleteIf the Cathedral goes broke then who knows, maybe Caiaphas and her new lay Chapter would have to resign in shame.
Let the house of cards collapse and the swamp be drained entirely.
The notion that Gerard Elias QC, chapter vice Chairman, would be stupid enough to defame anyone is risible.
ReplyDeleteOne imagines his response - "See you in Court".
The local expert in defamation is the dud in the Deanery with his declarations from the pulpit of "subversives".
PP. Could it get any worse?
ReplyDeleteChurch times newsfeed, who popped up? Peggy on giving in the Pandemic!
Link
https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2021/29-october/features/features/legacies-cash-cure-for-the-covid-crash?utm_campaign=Church%20Times%20RSS%20Daily%20bulletin%202.0&utm_source=emailCampaign&utm_content=&utm_medium=email
AB you can choose to publish my comments, but they might prove better in your forensic analysis of this breaking saga.
Could not be a worse time to put Peggy on the back foot!
Is the Pilate flashing Gerwhine's Llandaff Cathedral corporate credit card now we all know he's suspended for having been caught with his hand in the till?
DeleteIt really is quite staggering that not one single comment in the last week is defending the Capon.
ReplyDeleteEven the odious "Fart" is nowhere to be seen, but then again he might have been the one receiving the illicit salary boost.
Even the duck 🦆 feeders of Roath Park and untRuthy arestrangely silent on the Capon's revealed thievery.
Perhaps the gay Cabal are finally accepting the futility of seeking to defend the indefensible?
Hopefully they will now bugger off and start their own queered Church.
There's much that unRuthy could say, let me tell you. More to this for sure - much more. Glad the Dean has come out fighting and has not been bullied into silence. All this has been poorly handled and at great personal cost.
DeleteRuthy
This Christmas, the traditional Llandaff carol will be sung on the Green:
DeleteOn the first day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
An Aga for the Deanery.
On the second day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the third day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the fourth day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the fifth day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Five brass rings, Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the sixth day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Six cooked geese, Five brass rings, Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the seventh day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Seven swan songs, Six cooked geese, Five brass rings, Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the eighth day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Eight virgers virging, Seven swan songs, Six cooked geese, Five brass rings, Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the ninth day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Nine fat ladies singing, Eight virgers virging, Seven swan songs, Six cooked geese, Five brass rings, Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the tenth day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Ten lords leaping gaily, Nine fat ladies singing, Eight virgers virging, Seven swan songs, Six cooked geese, Five brass rings, Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the eleventh day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Eleven organ pipes, Ten lords leaping gaily, Nine fat ladies singing, Eight virgers virging, Seven swan songs, Six cooked geese, Five brass rings, Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
On the twelfth day of Christmas, the Capon bought for me...
Twelve drummings out, Eleven organ pipes, Ten lords leaping gaily, Nine fat ladies singing, Eight virgers virging, Seven swan songs, Six cooked geese, Five brass rings, Four Spodes from Toad, Three French steaks, Two ducks a-quacking, and an Aga for the Deanery
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
DeleteOh please stop, I can't bear any more of your tickling.
Come out fighting?
He's queered his own pitch and Gerwhine vs the QCs will be the world's shortest game of Quidditch.
In the court of public opinion he's already buggered.
@untRuthy
DeleteMore to say, have you?
Say more, you must.
But reveal more foolishness you will!
I think you're spot on there LG.
DeleteThe average reader of the Western Mail in Queen Street won't be a Church-goer and will see 'Cathedral Dean swindles an AGA for himself at congregation's expense'.
Their only question will be 'How's he still in a job?'.
Unless Caiaphas and Elias QC can get rid of him, Joe and Joanna Public will think it's just another establishment cover up like the MP's expenses and the organ appeal scandals.
The Church in Wales Disciplinary Tribunal might be very lenient but the court of public opinion will be ruthless.
@Simon Stylites
DeleteBravo Sir.
That certainly puts Bonaparte's ditty "God rest ye merry people" in the shade.
Gerwhine doesn't seem to need you or anyone else to speak up for him untRuthy, since he obviously has Martin Shipton's phone number and has not been bullied into silence.
DeleteThe strange thing is that if Gerwhine is so sure of his own position, I don't understand why he didn't go to Martin Shipton much sooner?
If indeed, as he suggests, he was cleared on all counts in October 2020, why didn't he go public in November 2020, why delay 13 months?
Why hasn't he initiated a case for bullying, harassment, intimidation and constructive dismissal?
More to tell? Then tell us all, publish and be damned,let's have it all out in the open rather than Chapter meetings and Tribunal hearings behind closed doors. The Capon has decided to go public and no doubt will welcome your support, all the more so if you have dirt on Caiaphas and her new lay Chapter.
@Ancient Briton
DeleteInstead of your usual caption competition, how about a Carol competition for a change?
There's that favourite Advent Antiphon.
"O come, O come, my lovely AGA come,
and freely heat my tat-filled Llandaff home".
"O come, thou Gerard, come and cheer_
DeleteOur Pink Gins by thine advent here;
Disperse the gloomy clouds of sh*te,
And Caiaphas' dark shadow put to flight".
What's happened to Jesse's rod?
DeleteCome thou long-expected Aga,
Deleteborn to heat the Deanery;
From our peers and Gins release us;
Let us warm our feet on thee.
On Jordan's bank, the Capon's cry
DeleteAnnounces that Gerard is nigh,
Awake and hearken, for he brings
Dread tidings of his dismissings.
They came upon a midnight drear,
DeleteThose fine antiques of old.
Bought at a sale for prices dear
With the Cathedral's gold.
The Dean he stashed them in his shed
So they would not be seen;
But several folks who were not a-bed
Saw the white vans on the Green.
For lo the days are hastening on
By Ancient Briton foretold.
When chickens coming home to roost
Shall break old Bazza's hold.
For nothing lasts forever,
Not even Barry M.
And all of us shall laugh and gloat
At the Capon's sticky end.
Might I respectfully request you change "sticky" for "timely" please Midnight Mass?
DeleteThe thought of Capon's sticky end has put me right off my afternoon slice of Battenberg.
I almost feel sorry (almost) for the preachers at today's Cathedral services. Nobody will be paying any attention to them.
DeleteAll the chit chat will be about the AGA Saga, how the Deanery is nice and toasty while the little old ladies and widows who have been giving their mites sit shivering in the Nave because the boiler is knackered but the Chapter can't afford to replace it.
"Our first Hymn this morning, A great and mighty blunder"
DeleteHere's not the place. I'd sooner be part of a process that is just, not trial by blog (and certainly not this one).
ReplyDeleteRuthy
Can't meet the challenge of put up or shut up?
DeleteHow typical of the Capon's supporters.
If it's too hot in the kitchen it must be the heat from the AGA.
Unkind Ruth. Unkind.
DeleteRuthy
The truth often hurts untRuthy.
DeleteOf sympathy I have none.
You big melt, untRuthy.
DeleteThe Capon is currently involved in case for bullying, harassment, intimidation and constructive dismissal against Offred. The mills of the Disciplinary Tribunal grind slowly and the Dean is currently on sick leave without stipend.
ReplyDeleteSaggyoldclothcatpuss.
The Dean has never been slow to bully, harass and intimidate people (or get Toad to do it for him).
DeleteTo see him squirming in the limelight for his entitled use of charity funds is a real pleasure. All those who were publicly attacked by him will be savouring the schadenfreude.
What is sauce for the goose is certainly sauce for the Capon.
Hear hear, it couldn't possibly happen to a nicer berk. All possibility of any sympathy from me evaporated with the revelations of the poison pen letters and his spite.
DeleteAssuming they haven't already done so, it would serve him right if each and every recipient of his toxic writings sent copies of them to Gerard Elias to be included in his dossier of evidence.
As for the suggestion of him still being on sick leave but without stipend, most of us would count ourselves fortunate to be part of any scheme that provides six months full pay and six months half pay, never mind one that continues to provide free housing.
I don't know how he's got the brass neck to show his smarmy greasy face on The Green.
The amount of time being wasted on this farce is in stark contrast to the speed with which the still unexplained dissappearance of the little Catholic Curate Ceirion Gilbert occurred.
It really is quite remarkable how many careers have ended in the Llandaff swamp.
One is increasingly interested to note that not one single comment has been posted denying that Mr Toad was the recipient of Gerwhine's largesse in the form of additional salary payments. How telling.
DeleteOne also remains convinced of the possibility cash disappeard from the plate in the manner described on this site a couple of years ago. What other possible motive would there have been behind Linda Quinn's suggestion to engage G4S?
I agree with the Subversive Canon, follow the money but also suggest following the antiques.
It would come as no surprise to learn that an antiques buying and selling operation was being run from the Deanery and cash being laundered by such means.
The to-ing and fro-ing of white vans at the Deanery was a regular occurrence.
Gerard Elias QC lives virtually opposite the Deanery so any such shenanigans would have been taking place quite literally under his nose.
DeleteThat's a good point.
DeleteHow does an Aga cooker get delivered, installed and commissioned without being seen?
Not to mention the old cooker being removed and disposed of?
Ditto the wood burning stove.
The one useful bit of information yet to come to light is when all this took place?
If it was 2016, why has it taken five years to come to light?
There's a lot more to come out yet and matters will almost certainly get much worse before they get any better.
So let's consider the facts for a moment.
DeleteGerard Elias lives no more than 80 yards from the Deanery front door.
In addition, Caiaphas lives no more than 300 yards from the Deanery front door.
On The Green.
In the land of the moving curtain.
And no-one spotted an Aga being delivered under the radar?
Did Scotty beam it in from the USS Enterprise in the middle of the night?
@LEV
DeleteDo you happen to know or remember exactly when the curate Ceirion Gilbert disappeared and was excommunicated by Darth --Insidious?
At the time I remember thinking to myself that even by byzantine Barry's standards, that bore all the hallmarks of a massive overreaction.
Is it possible that Gilbert saw the arrival of the Aga, realised it has essentially been nicked and reported it to the then Bishop?
He could hardly have taken any such concerns to his immediate boss, the Dean of Llandaff.
Ceirion Gilbert's name appears regularly in comments following my 2016 entry https://ancientbritonpetros.blogspot.com/2016/04/mission-llandaff.html
DeleteWell, well, well.
DeleteGerard's investigation starts at the beginning of 2016 and the little Catholic curate is sentenced to oblivion by bully boy Bazza only a few months after that?
Another coincidence?
I would have no difficulty in believing that the little catholic curate either saw or stumbled upon some dodgy goings on, reported it and was shown the door by --Bazza.
DeleteThe curate's arrival was accompanied by much pomp and fanfares from the Ass Bishop Wilbourne at the time and yet within a few months he has been banished and all Parishioners instructed not to speak to him ever again or even to mention him by name!
Suffice it to say that Ancient Briton contributors gave me traditional Harvey Smith salute to His --Darkness, but to this day we're no wiser about the circumstances surrounding his disappearance than we are of those concerning Janet Henderson or Richard Moorhouse.
Thank you Ancient Briton.
DeleteHaving re-read your 'Mission Llandaff' thread and comments, it really is quite remarkable how so many contributors were questioning the Cathedral accounts even then.
The transcript of Gerwhine's speech at the Easter Vestry meeting says it all.
The benefit of hindsight combined with the recent admissions of the present Chapter, taken in conjunction with the comnents/questions from the likes of "Esther", "The Bursar", "Lux Et Veritas" and so on inevitably lead to the question - just how has it taken so long for the frauds and fiddles to come to light?
The alarm bells were ringing and the red lights flashing for years.
Literally years.
Another interesting point of fact is that Peggy the Pilate (of the taxman will never know school of accountancy) insisted that the Chapter couldn't (read wouldn't) justify the time and effort to extract the information from the Cathedral's main account to draw up separate Organ appeal accounts.
DeleteA £1.5 million PR disaster that included Bonaparte lying to the RB to cash in the Cathedral's investments (apparently without the knowledge of bully boy -- Bazza), selling a Cathedral property on the Green to the RB rather than on the open market, siphoning off funds to pay office staff salaries and Rev John Baldwin publishing highly questionable statements about the primary destination of donations to the organ appeal account L057R.
But to trace a piffling £69k has required the expense of hiring an independent QC who has only succeeded in identifying £35k of questionable expenditure.
Why not put the QC to work on the sum of £750k that His --Darkness insisted had gone missing?
Good idea.
DeleteWhether Gerard Elias and the new lay Chapter like it or not, the elephant in the room remains the Organ accounts.
Llandaff Cathedral will never see another penny of mine, or that of many others I know, unless and until a full set of accounts are prepared, fully audited and placed in the public domain.
PP. Obviously you cannot defend the indefenceable. But, I assume that before Capon, became the AL's chaplain and puppet, he was probably a young inexperienced priest, gullible, that he was taken in by the opportunity.
ReplyDeleteBut, this career move was deeply flawed as he learnt from a master craftsman the art of bullying, hidden agenda, collusion etc etc. So, when put in the deanery, he assumed that managing such a once vast estate, was an exercise for his learning, guidance, etc from DL even after retirement. Then if course you have the pilot, who equally was tarnished by her own grandeur and DL puppeteering.
The only safe hands were the former Asst Bishop, who himself was a huge target.
The arrival of Juno, signalled the end of days. Being a Dean gave her the clear insight into cathedral politics, which she herself had played. So she was clearly seeing a man totally out of his depth and the puppet if a skilled puppet master. Perhaps her covert plan was/is one way or another, to take out the garbage!
This is only my own supposition, from reading the blog feeds herein. But, the can of worms is open and surely if the Dean is well in the frame is he not going to take others down with him?
I am really shocked that the Cathedral has publicly declared this on its website and in its accounts if, as the article in the Western Mail states, the Dean took evidence to a tribunal and was cleared of having any case to answer on these matters.
ReplyDeleteThose on this website who seem to be revelling in this would do well to restrain themselves - there is only one Dean and only one Deanery, and the suggestions made here amount to a very public and concerning defamation of character. What do I know?
It all seems very poorly managed and handled. My thoughts are very much with the Dean as I can only imagine that the human cost of this to him and his loved ones is huge.
An Observer
Has it occurred to you that perhaps the Cathedral had no choice in the matter because a) legally they have to publish their accounts and b) they have to submit them to the Charity Commission.
DeleteThe accounts state clearly that the Charity Commissioners are already involved so it is also possible that the Cathedral were instructed to publish the accounts on their website.
It is a matter of record that the Llandaff Cathedral chapter are not renowned for their transparency or honesty.
As for the Capon's family and friends, perhaps he should have given them more thought before dipping his hands into the till?
Publishing the truth isn't, and cannot be, defamation of character.
DeleteWe'll never know the truth which is ironic given that the foundation of the church is the word made flesh, full of grace and truth. Reality is that all this will end in some kind of mutual non-disclosure agreement and more fuss will be made about who ends up with the Aga than who ends up accountable for the whole damn mess.
DeleteAgadoo
Please spare us the bleeding heart sentiments Observer.
DeleteWhere were you and your sentiments when the dud was having Mr Toad hand deliver his poison pen letters to the elderly and the widows of the Parish?
There are a great number of sighs of relief around Llandaff that the swamp is finally being drained.
I was licking the envelopes.
DeleteThe Observer
The AGA needs to be removed from the Deanery and sold.
DeleteThe costs of doing so should be paid by the Capon as should the costs of putting the Deanery back as it was and making good.
What happened to the cooker and kitchen cupboards that would have had to be removed to make way for a two tonne cast Iron monster?
Quite apart from the COP-26 statement issued by the plank sitters and the polluting nature of the AGA and the wood burning stove, there are the issues of who pays for the running costs of such exorbitant luxury aspirational goods?
Any new Dean of Llandaff would be wise to insist on a modern A+++ rated appliance being installed.
On the other hand, who would ever be stupid enough to agree to becoming the next Dean of Llandaff anyway?
Shame on you Observer.
DeleteI think we're already way past non disclosure agreements or gagging clauses, don't you Agadoo?
There is only one Dean and only one Deanery?
DeleteYou don't say, Observer!
Only one Aga has been unearthed in the accounts so linking all three should not prove to be beyond the abilities of the QCs.
The smart money on The Green says the Capon might be having Porridge for his Christmas dinner.
The truth is not afraid of investigation. Lies address !
ReplyDeleteSorry. Fat fingers.
ReplyDeleteLies are!
The Observer. Isn't that how most of the red piped Cassocks were earned. Just substitute a different word from envelope.
ReplyDeletePapal Envoy.
There appear to be considerable discrepancies and irregularities in the current narrative.
ReplyDelete1. The Dean of Llandaff is suspended by the Bishop of Llandaff in 2019 upon complaint from Gerald Elias, QC, about the conduct of the Dean. Gerald Elias appears to be acting on behalf of Chapter.
2. The Bishop refers the complaint to the Disciplinary Tribunal of the Church in Wales and the Dean is suspended from duties around May 2019. The Dean’s suspension appears to have been an open secret but unrecorded by the Bishop, given an absence of information on the Diocesan website and in the media.
3. The Dean receives full stipend (and expenses of office) during the suspension between May 2019 and November 2020.
4. The Dean is exonerated by the tribunal in November 2020 but in the absence of any reference to the unaccounted £35k. Despite the £35k remaining unaccounted, the incident has not been reported to South Wales Police.
5. The outcome of the tribunal is unrecorded by the Bishop, given an absence of information on the Diocesan website and in the media.
6. The Dean could have returned to work in November 2020 but chose to go on the sick. Consequently, he continued to receive full stipend for the first six-month duration and an incrementally decreased stipend for the second six-month duration. Presumably, he is now not in receipt of any stipend from around November 2021.
7. The behaviour of the Bishop is suspicious, given her Cistercian silence throughout the debacle. She is either driving the debacle from the backroom in Llys Esgob through Chapter and Gerald Elias, QC, or remaining neutral. If the former, then she is maintaining the culture of His Darkness, Barry Morgan, in keeping her fingernails clean, instructing others to commit the malicious murder of the Dean – “et tu June?”
8. Llandaff Cathedral appear to have breached the Constitution of the Church in Wales by publishing their accounts for 2020-21 in November 2021 but not in readiness for the Easter Vestry in 2021. The publishing of the accounts have been delayed by a seven-month duration.
9. The behaviour of Gerard Elias, QC, constitutes a conflict of interest, given that he has become deputy Chair of Chapter – the plot thickens.
10. The Bishop, Cathedral Chapter, Dean and Gerard Elias, QC, have deliberately concealed information that ought to be in the public domain, for example, apparently, the Dean has brought a claim against the Bishop for bullying. Again, this remains an open secret but unrecorded on the Diocesan website or by the media.
In my view, the Dean ought to return to work for a brief duration in order to force the next step(s), and therefore, force the action of Bishop and Cathedral Chapter. He can always go back on the sick until there is an appropriate resolution. I recall a certain incumbent of Saint John’s Church, Canton doing so in the 1990s. The appears to be an absence of Christian Charity, honesty and openness in the current debacle.
Follow the AGA ...
DeleteAgadoo
There was an absence of Christian charity, honesty and openness in every Llandaff debacle of the last twenty years.
DeleteOnly since the genesis of Ancient Briton's blog has there been even the slightest degree of independent scrutiny and holding to account the corrupt powers that be in and around Llandaff Cathedral.
The fact that there are still no organ appeal accounts is a scandal and disgrace but nothing much changes.
The Cathedral's reputation is in tatters and the only reason there's any candour about the latest financial irregularities is the annual defecit, people's unwillingness to dig deeper and an increasingly worried Chapter.
Fool me once, shame on you.
Fool me twice, shame on me.
Here's hoping the long abused and taken for granted pew sitters reduce or stop their giving altogether.
Let the chapter/trustees be held jointly and severally liable for the losses.
It's called accountability.
How can the Capon possibly return to work? Ever?
DeleteClearly the Chapter want him out permanently and won't have him back under any circumstances. If forced on them, my guess is that all Juno's new lay Canons would resign en masse with a whole bunch of new problems and the PR disaster that would inevitably occur, played out in the national media.
It's also self-evident that Juno has washed her hands of him and wants him out permanently so she can install a new Dean of her choosing, probably a Canon from Salisbury Cathedral.
The outcome of the Disciplinary Tribunal being so spineless is the even more unsatisfactory current stalemate.
With her own retirement on the near horizon, she doesn't have long to get a grip on the situation. Matters have already been allowed to spiral out of control.
If she can't deal with it, she should go now.
@Agadoo
DeleteFollow the Aga to where exactly?
It has the weight of a large saloon car and won't be moved anywhere very easily.
People have been crushed to death trying to move them.
Talking about "following the Aga", they come in a range of colours including pink! Maybe it was chosen to match the gins?
Deletehttp://www.waterfrontmagazines.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/latest-news-e1430910978968.jpg
The pricing for Agas starts around £8500 and goes up to at least £17000, not including bespoke colours (£2000) and other options. Half a ton of cast iron isn't cheap!
https://www.edwardsandgodding.co.uk/in-the-kitchen/how-much-does-an-aga-cost
Somehow, I doubt the Capon went for the smallest/cheapest option in duck egg blue.
DeleteI seriously doubt the Capon spared any expense (of the congregation's) on the optional extras.
DeletePerhaps Canon Gerard Elias will publish the full specification of the Aga in question?
Just so we can all know exactly the extent of the Capon's largesse.
If the apprentice follows the lead given by the Sith Lord, he'd be as tight as a duck's arse with his own money and utterly profligate with the pew sitters cash.
DeleteLet the Chapter produce the invoices so we can all see precisely what is alleged to have been squandered on the Aga saga.
https://www.edwardsandgodding.co.uk/aga-running-costs
DeleteHere's the "estimated" running costs of the various sized cookers.
I am always wary when I read phrases like "From as little as £...."
I hear some wag in the office of the Diocesan Board of Finance has suggested running another "Sneak-a-peek" event.
DeleteTo be run at two venues simultaneously, the first will be Llandaff Cathedral where all the ledgers and the Acts books of the Chapter will be displayed and open to public scrutiny.
This is to be followed by a guided tour of the kitchen in the Prebendal house before a gentle stroll up the Dean's Steps for a second guided tour of a second kitchen, at which the Aga, furniture and antiques will be floodlit for maximum effect.
Entrance will be free but gidt-aided donations are invited with all proceeds going to the Capon's legal defence fund.
What a marvellous idea.
DeleteIt's bound to be an enormous success, because....., the Llandaff Diocesan officers will declare it to be so.
Even if only a few dozen viewers show up from the entire Diocese.
And anyone who suggests otherwise will be castigated, publicly shamed and called out as subversives.
https://ancientbritonpetros.blogspot.com/2014/06/llandaff-cathedral-sneak.html?m=1
DeleteAh yes, the infamous "sneak-a-peek" debacle.
Well worth re-reading, if only to remind us that the fiddles and scandals haven't changed in at least 7 years.
2014, a vintage year for Ancient Briton,and so much raw material with which to work.
DeleteThe glove puppet's appointment and the predictions of disaster, the on-going fallout of the nine week Janet Henderson 'era', the missing Cathedral Choir, the revelations of bully boy --Bazza's discretionary funds, the outstanding sneak-a-peek "success" story.
Nostalgia ain't what it used to be.
PP. Absolutely spot on Llandaff Pewster. I would only add two things:
ReplyDeleteAccountability, is a key part of being a charity trustee, therefore, all names on the Charity documents are jointly liable.
Point 2, the CiW are the umbrella for every parish and cathedral. They too are a registered charity. Therefore, if the RB/GB has failed to ensure fiscal accountabilities, it to is liable.
This can of worms has stopped rolling down the street, it's hit the wall in a cul-de-sac, it cannot reverse out of. If the Charity Commission, take action goodness knows where this will end.
It's a very sad indictment for a one glorious Church, shame on those who have literally brought it to this level.
If the RB, Caiaphas and / or the chapter fail to take appropriately robust action, the Charity Commissioners may be left with no choice.
DeleteOne possible sanction will be for Llandaff Cathedral to lose its charitable status altogether.
Such an outcome wouldn't merely be yet another PR disaster, but would also prevent the Chapter claiming back all the tax paid on donations made that have been Gift Aided.
And that would be that!
Now that would be natural justice ⚖ in action.
DeleteOne believes Gerard Elias QC is a big fan of justice.
DeletePP. The charity commission is very heavy on bad practice. They could go back overtime into the Cathedral finances, appoint it own overseers, and possibly go wider into CiW
ReplyDeleteAn example is The Salvation Army UK. In 2004 they were sanctioned for misappropriation of funds, resulting in sackings and fines. Then more recently, in 2016/17, they were investigated over the failure of the financial IT system resulting in some officers leaving, having been left without salaries or means to pay there church bills. The head of the UK SA was moved to another appointment.
If that was not enough, the current pension scheme is being investigated because some retired officers are not paid
These cases are freely available online.
So, this current Llandaff problem will certainly be investigated by CC, and most likely, very forensic. That possibly underway now. Initial findings that is are proven, will be reported to the Police and no church official would be able to stop the train.
If you read the CC website the section on accounts, trustee responsibility you will see how deep this could go.
Whatever happens we should accept the fact we are under God's justice in this, what are we told .."nothing will remain hidden" etc. Strange the wider media have not picked this up - so far only the Welsh press.
I understand the potential difficulties involved in sacking a Dean, even on multiple grounds of gross misconduct, due to the archaic nature of his employment status, i.e., appointed as Dean and working at the Cathedral but employed by neither the Cathedral, nor the Bishop nor the Diocese, but by the Representative Body of the Church in Wales.
ReplyDeleteHowever, there is no such confusion over the employment status of the Cathedral employee who benefitted from the Capon's largesse to the tune of £3,264.
Why therefore, has the Chapter singularly failed to mention any details of disciplinary action taken against their employee or any measures taken to recover the overpayment made to their employee, not to mention the degree of success achieved by their attempts to recover the monies.
Repeated suggestions that Jonathan Hoad might have been the Cathedral employee in question have not been contradicted by any source at any opportunity.
Although officially on furlough leave burning the government scheme, that ended in September, but to the best of my knowledge and belief, the Head Virger has remained as elusive as the Dean.
Why has Gerard Elias QC failed to make any announcements on these issues?
They can hardly be confidential as money missing from a charity, given by public donations/subscriptions are very much a matter of public interest.
Not only that, the Cathedral accounts state there are only nine Cathedral employees, so the other eight might well be feeling embarrassed and that their reputations have been tarnished by association.
The chapter have a duty of care to all their employees that far exceeds any concern about any further damage to the Cathedral's reputation or that of the chapter, both of which are in tatters in any case.
Mr Toad has no reputation to worry about.
DeleteWith the exception of the golf caddie, I seriously doubt a single other person will miss the slimy amphibian.
DeleteHis dismissal is long overdue and will be a cause for considerable celebration.
Does anyone have the recipe for Rum Pansies?
For Gerwhine I shall play the World's Smallest Violin!
Deletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEnJbjBuxnw
There's another AJR song that evokes memories of the erstwhile Dean. I daresay the title means something different in American English than it does in the UK:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Kuwwta_Mms
The only item missing from that second video is an Aga. 😂
DeleteI believe I am correct in saying that it is not that long ago Gerard Elias QC was Chairman of the Church in Wales Disciplinary Tribunal panel.
ReplyDeleteOh the irony.
So was His Hon Michael Evans the Chair of GB and the Provincial court 1997.
ReplyDeleteCliff
PP. Following Mr Shipton's factual article, the media is silent. Was it a "damp squib"?
ReplyDeleteI have good reason to believe that Private Eye is looking into the Capon's Aga Saga.
DeleteWhat a sorry tale, much of which I have more than passing familiarity.
ReplyDeleteIf the Dean of Llandaff no longer has the confidence of the Chapter, how on earth does he imagine he will ever be able to function in leading the Cathedral in the future or as a member of the diocesan senior staff? There is stalemate. I also understand that the Chapter's complaint is not the only disciplinary (or quasi disciplinary) reason for the Dean's difficulties in exercising leadership, with the clear breakdown of trust between a bishop and the diocese's senior priest not augering well for the diocese moving forward with confidence and, erm... joy.
Catholics always understand that the ministry to which they are called is, fundamentally, the Church's ministry; and I am not clear how this squares with the Dean's sustained absence from his duties. After such a long time, a medical diagnosis, coupled to occupational therapy and competency processes, should have established beyond doubt whether there is any reasonable likelihood of him being able to carry out his duties effectively in the future. But this leaves the unresolved question of whether he can ever do this without full Capitular support?
April 30th 2023 is the date by which June Osborne must resign the See of Llandaff. Is the Dean holding out for another 18 months until a miraculous recovery occurs in Eastertide of that year? Or are the whispers from Bangor about a 'translation' of deaneries following June Osborne's departure credible? After all, it would not be out of character for the Bishop of Bangor to pull a devious stroke like that.
Meanwhile, we can only lament the intransigence at play here, and how the mission of the Church is being dragged into the gutter of personal animosity and ambition. The Lord only knows, there's enough of it in Oxford's Cathedral without the same ecclesiastical soap opera being played out in the Welsh capital. We can also speculate at how this impasse is causing further deterioration of the Dean's health, especially when, it seems, he still imagines he can resume business as usual.
The dud was never capable of functioning as a leader Athelstan.
DeleteNot on his best day.
Which is why Llandaff his stumbled from disaster to disaster during his tenure.
And the bar was already set so low.
When a bishop discovers that her senior priest has been lying to her, confronts him with the facts, and the dean's response is to accuse the bishop of bullying, isn't it game over? Much as I think June Osborne is the author of many of her own difficulties, I think it is only reasonable for her to assume that she can deal with colleagues who are transparent and credible.
DeleteLlandaff is not the only diocese with a dysfunctional bishop/dean realtionship (and one where the 'B' word is frequently uttered). The detail around the real reason for Car Crash Cathy's departure from Bangor is beginning to seep out. Dejavu is the word that springs to mind. Once I'm sure of my facts, I'll be glad to share the saga - especially as I'm not subject to any non-disclosure agreement!
Caiaphas has several problems, not least of which is that she was warned time and time again by various people (not the least of which was this blog!) that --Bazza's glove puppet was lying to her.
DeleteInstead of asking herself the "What if..." question or doing some digging for herself, she chose instead to take him at face value.
Her next problem is that it took her so long to discover her first mistake.
Then she finds out from her lay Chapter that evidence has been unearthed suggesting he's also a tea-leaf, but because she isn't his employer she can't give him the heave-ho and to crown it all, the Disciplinary Tribunal rule against her and the lay Chapter too.
So stalemate it is and her credibility, not to mention any remaining authority, has been shredded.
It is equally reasonable for the pew sitters to assume they're dealing with a transparent and credible Bishop but this has not proven to be the case.
Caiaphas and Capon should both be shown the door simultaneously.
I was having a good chuckle to myself re-reading this old press release.
Deletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-26006692
A former commercial property developer and the current chaplain to the Archbishop of Wales is to be the new dean of Llandaff Cathedral.
The Reverend Gerwyn Capon, 48, from Anglesey, replaces the first female dean at Llandaff who resigned last May, just two months into the role.
Archbishop Dr Barry Morgan said he had every confidence that Gerwyn would be an excellent dean and parish priest. The dean will be installed on 28 February.
Announcing the appointment, Dr Morgan said: "He has been a great help to me and I know he will bring those gifts of tact, strength and commitment to what will be a demanding new role for him. He is perceptive and energetic and can be firm and resolute when facing challenges and opportunities."
Excellent Dean and Parish Priest? See the Communicant numbers, if you can find them!
Property developer? See the Aga saga.
Tact? See the poison pen letters to Mrs X et al.
Perceptive? See the hidden Eleri Jones & Quinquennial reports.
Energetic? Pink gin post-Evensong parties.
Firm? See bans of long-standing Cathedral volunteers.
Resolute? See claims of bullying against Caiaphas.
Challenges? See failed Stewardship campaigns.
Opportunities? See post-Church in Wales career plans.
Terribly sad today in the Cathedral.
ReplyDeleteThe funeral of Morley Lewis, another loyal and long-serving former member of the Cathedral who was treated atrociously by the powers that be, used, abused and then discarded by Bonaparte.
The Parish choir has never recovered fully and the Aga saga was common knowledge.
Llandaff is not merely a laughing stock but an utter disgrace.
I hadn't heard.
DeleteA nicer man and a harder working servant of the Cathedral would be difficult to find.
As you say, the way he was mistreated was truly disgraceful.
Eternal shame on John Lewis, Richard Moorhouse and Llandaff Cathedral.
Morley is enjoying his rewards in Heaven. 😇
DeleteMoorhouse is conducting Monkey Music in Oxford. 🙊
Who says there's no justice in the world?
😂
So very sorry to hear that Morley has died. Requiscat in Pace, lovely man.
ReplyDeleteWhen Morley Lewis was at the helm of the Cathedral Parish Choir, it outshone the Cathedral choir on many an occasion. Morley was the epitome of intelligence, courtesy and musicianship. He had high standards and the attendance at the 9am Parish Eucharist, when the choir was at full tilt (mid 1980s, say), when late-comers struggled to find a seat, was a reflection of the affection and esteem with which he was held. Requiscat in Pace indeed.
ReplyDeleteRIP Morley.
ReplyDeleteLlandaff Cathedral was unworthy of you and you deserved, and earned, much better.
Your choristers will never forget you.
What a stark and telling contrast.
ReplyDeleteRev Joshua Maynard in Angle, Pembrokeshire is acting on his conviction, his conscience and his faith.
Meanwhile in Llandaff, the Capon has been called out for thieving and cooking the books while Caiaphas is revealed to be impotent.
And shameless DodoJo continues her charade in St. Davids.
Here's hoping every single Llandaff pew sitter stops giving to the Cathedral swamp and redirects their hard-earned cash to Rev Maynard's new Church in Angle.
I predict he will have no difficulty publishing full detailed accounts and won't be lusting after an AGA.
If only the majority of our so-called "Priests" had such courage maybe the Church in Wales wouldn't be imploding before our very eyes.
DeleteAll strength to your elbow Joshua.
AB, would you happen to have and could you publish the details of how one might send donations to Rev. Maynard please?
He deserves every bit of support we can give him.
Alleluia - some good news at long last.
DeleteOnly last year Andy Pandy was giving away £10 million, most or all of which seems to have been blown on complete twaddle.
We haven't heard anything of Juno's "planting" exercise in Cathays of late either, so I wonder what's going on there?
I can hardly put into words just how much I hope Joshua and Rachel's endeavours flourish and go from strength to strength.
See this for the "Resource Church". Not my thing but they seem to be up and running. https://www.facebook.com/citizenchurchuk/
DeleteThank you Episkopos. A Vision Statement for the Wellspring Anglican Church can be found here
ReplyDeletehttps://aceanglicans.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Wellspring-Vision-Plan-for-email-2.pdf
“Wellsping” wells-pun more like. This guy has chosen himself the most lavish house in the area. Some cost of conscience!
DeleteCultsRus
Codswallop.
DeleteThe building won't just be used for living accommodation, but includes a large Church/Chapel room as well as extra accommodation to be used for their mission, which I imagine might well include visitors making pilgrimages to the area and to attend services.
Plus "this guy" hasn't chosen anything "for himself", rather he has involved and is continuing to involve those who have already chosen to support his ministry.
Over and above that, the brochure they have produced is patently transparent about their aims, aspirations, proposals and costs involved - the exact opposite of the Church in Wales.
Bazza's Ass David Wilbourne insisted on the same expenditure just for his own accommodation.
Juno spent a six-figure fortune taking her clergy on a four day junket to Santiago da Compostela in preparation for "the year of pilgrimage" that never was.
I suspect an air of near panic will be setting in among the hierarchy in that Diocese.
First, a replacement will not be easy to find.
Second, replacement pew-sitters will be even harder to find.
Third, replacement giving will be impossible to find.
Four, as word spreads and Joshua's ministry succeeds and grows, more allegiances will change, more Parish shares will not be paid, more Churches will close and be decommissioned.
If a significant number of Priests have handed in their licenses already, surely more will follow,especially after DodoJo tried to force the older Priests in the Diocese to cease their ministries due to "insurance" concerns.
I don't think it's too far-fetched to imagine the Diocese collapsing in on itself around her.
Keep up the good work Joshua.
@C-R-U
DeleteChoosing the most most lavish house in the area?
If he has, and I seriously doubt that's the case, it would only be in line with the Representative Body of the Cult in Wales choosing to move their offices to rented accommodation in the top floor Penthouse Suite at Callaghan Square in Cardiff at a cost of a cool £1/2 million a year.
You know the one, it's the building overlooking all the homeless sleeping under the bridges in Cardiff Bay.
The one Shirley celebrated with a big juicy iced cake while looking down on the afore-mentioned homeless.
I know which I would rather support.
Well said Ruth.
DeleteAnother difference is that Rev Maynard has published his proposed spending plans.
Shirley and the RB tried to keep the costs of Callaghan Square private but as I recall some effective sleuthing succeeded in ferreting out the figures for the rent and service charges.
It seems that civil war doesn't exist merely between Caiaphas and the Capon but also between (some of) the clergy of St. Davids and the imposter masquerading as the Bishopesse.
ReplyDeleteI have no doubt on which side Dewi Sant would stand. In fact, I'm sure he'll be wondering just how the hell the Church arrived at this point.
He won't need to ponder for long.
DeleteThe answers are Barry Morgan, Peggy the Pilate and Jenny Wigley.
May they all roast in their own fat.
Let me guess.
ReplyDeleteFollowing examples by various politicians our dear Clergy "misspoke"?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-cambridgeshire-59254677
Hasn't the use of 'Blacklist' been 'cancelled' and shouldn't young Kier have been called out for using a racist term?
DeleteLooking forward to hearing it. Bangor. The Dead See ?
ReplyDeleteIt is also incredible that her husband is a QC and she should have been given a lot of Pro Bono advice from said husband. Never trust a woman who does not take her husband's name on marriage !
ReplyDeleteThe British Bullsh*t Corporation are busy plugging their usual gay agenda once more.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-59269916
And I see Darth Gluttony is looking as substantial as ever.
Dear Lord, Gregory looks more repulsive than ever.
DeleteLike Mr Creosote in Monty Python's 'The Meaning of Life'
As repugnant as ever.
DeleteJohn Cleese as the waiter, "And what would Sir like tonight?"
DeleteMr Creosote, "I'll 'ave the lot!"
BOOM
"Just in petit waffer theen meent, Monsieur...?"
DeletePP. Is their some medical reason for his size. I remember the curate, so thin!
ReplyDeleteOverindulgenceitis!
DeleteI can't think it's a choice and so there must be some medical/psychological explanation.
DeleteNot-a_Laughing_Matter
Clearly you weren't around when we were all subject to rationing.
DeleteWhen the calories weren't available to be consumed no-one was overweight, never mind morbidly obese.
It's also why Kim Jong-Un is the only fatty in North Korea.
WOW you're incapable of saying anything nice about anyone - imagine you're a joy to live with Ruth.
DeleteKimJong
The facts speak for themselves and are neither kind nor unkind.
DeleteHistorically only the privileged wealthy few could afford to overindulge themselves and put on weight.
99.99% of the population were engaged in manual labour struggling to scrape a living and just survive.
This fundamental reality was the same all over the world.
In the UK, food rationing was with us until the 1950s and obesity only became common with the introduction of highly processed foods, fast food outlets, junk foods, more sedentary jobs / lifestyles and of course greater affluence.
When did dieting become necessary and Weightwatchers start?
As for the Kim family, they rank alongside Stalin, Hitler, Chairman Mao and Pol Pot.
What's nice about Kim Jong-Un?
And is it not ironic that the over-size bishop, with the over-size ego has, today, on the TV, given the first Blessing of a gay marriage within The Church in Wales? Dresses like a Catholic but throws Catholic doctrine out of the window. I'm ashamed.
ReplyDeletePapal Envoy
PP. As I said earlier, I remember Gregory the curate and vicar then ABs chaplain. Never that big. When he arrived in St Asaph, he was rotund but not as look large. Must have a huge problem with health and BMI concerns. I don't see it as a life choice.
ReplyDeletePP when Gregory Cameron was a curate, he took part in a BBC diet programme. That was mid/late 1980s and he was about 17 stone - not what I would call thin. Now about 34 stone (I estimate). When I knew him in the 1980s/1990s he had a prodigious appetite. My guess - he's a food addict, like an alcoholic who can't stop drinking and day by day, week by week, the addiction increases. Only he can do anything about his continued weight gain and excessive eating. Otherwise..
DeleteCymraes yn Lloegr
I really hope it's not health, but if it's choice, this is life changing!
ReplyDeletePapal Envoy
Based on his own words Papal Envoy it is choice. Preaching to the converted about the need to read the Bible 'contextually' when he proposed the motion at GB to allow same-sex blessings, the bishop of St Asaph said, "When I eat my black pudding at breakfast [gasps from those assembled] or Steak Bearnaise for lunch [stunned silence], I am setting biblical prohibitions aside."
DeletePerhaps he has a light supper then
DeleteKingJung
Setting aside Biblical portion sizes and proportions.
DeleteGerwhine is giving Caiaphas a good kicking in today's Western Mail.
ReplyDeleteAnother full page spread on page 8 by Martin Shipton.
The nest of vipers are going at it hammer and tongs and the Devil dances with glee.
How wonderful to behold.
DeletePeggy the Pilate "there's more than one way to skin a cat" school of HR makes an appearance.
The golf caddie still protesterh too much.
Gerwhine's problem is that he still hasn't denied the existence of the AGA in the Llandaff Deanery or provided details of how he spent the other missing £34k.
DeleteHe's also made another fatal mistake in claiming to have "tithed" his stipend to the Cathedral, donating £19k in the process. Can the glove puppet meet the challenge of publishing his last seven tax returns so we can all check the veracity of his claim?
Even if he could prove he'd given £19k,how does that justify or excuse him helping himself to £69+k in return.
Can I get a 350% tax-free return on all my giving to Llandaff Cathedral please Gerwhine?
Caiaphas "I am the accuser" is also in difficulties because she certainly has form for visiting people in their own home and lashing out with false accusations. The irony is, of course, that the source of the false accusations directed by her towards the two Davids was....., yes, you've guessed it, the Capon!
The first time Caiaphas made such allegations were in the presence of her Chaplain Sarah Rogers.
I wonder if there was a third party witness to the visit described by the Capon in today's Western Mail?
You couldn't make it up.
The elephants in the room are still the Aga and the wood burning stove.
DeleteIt is patently obvious that the glove puppet has once more avoided any reference to them.
If Gerwhine is innocent, all he needs to do is invite Martin Shipton to the Deanery again, along with his photographer, and show them around.
Somehow, I doubt they'll manage to miss it.
Ignore the golf caddie's smoke and mirrors.
DeleteFollow the Aga.
Is it in the Llandaff Deanery kitchen or not?
Perhaps Caiaphas herself saw it during her pastoral visit?
"The Very Rev Gerwyn Capon,...., submitted a 31-page complaint about Bishop Osborne to the Church last year. In it, the Dean alleges that after Bishop Osborne took up her post in 2017, she quickly made it clear that she had no confidence in him, stating that she believed allegations relating to the running of an organ appeal. These allegations had been investigated by the then Archbishop of Wales, Dr Barry Morgan, in conjunction with the Charity Commission shortly before Dr [sic] Capon has been appointed Dean. The conclusion of the inquiry was that the allegations were unfounded."
DeleteIf that's true, why did His --Darkness strut down the hill late for the Friends' AGM and announce that the Organ appeal had cost the Cathedral £3/4 million?
There's a lot of selective memory and re-writing of history going on here. 😂😂
I repeat the questions I posted above on 4th November.
DeleteGerwhine is obviously being evasive and is entirely unconvincing with his latest bearings.
Smacks of desperation.
Ah yes, I remember that Friends' meeting very well.
DeleteNo sooner had bully boy --Bazza shot off his big mouth (following a rather heavy lunch well lubricated with copious amounts of various juices), he's called out by the former secretary of the Organ appeal committee, David Jones.
Realising he's dropped a massive testicle, --Bazza denies having mentioned £3/4 million.
At which point, a transcript of --Bazza's speech appeared on this blog, sourced from the tape made by someone with the foresight to record the meeting for posterity.
His --Darkness, caught out, by his own big mouth.
Deliciously hilarious.
So it has emerged that byzantine --Barry's toxic ☣️ little glove puppet has written a 31-page poison ☠ pen letter either to, or about Caiaphas? 🤔
DeleteThat must be a new record in the shameful annals of Llandaff.
Dear Mrs X and the other elderly Parishioners who have also received his noxious ☢️ notes must be feeling neglected in comparison.
Deliciously ironic.
Am I the only person intrigued by the final sentence of Martin Shipton's article?
Delete"Neither the Church in Wales nor the Bishop of Llandaff wished to comment."
Not even the usual media platitude of 'Due to on-going investigations it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.'?
Very peculiar.
How many investigations is the Church in Wales running currently into this shambles?
Following the preliminary findings of there being a case to answer, presumably Caiaphas is the subject of one investigation?
Surely the Capon is facing a second investigation into the Aga saga,the wood-burning stove, his £5k expenses, the £4.5k bill for furniture and antiques, the £3.3k bonus for Mr Toad and the still missing £34+k?
It would not be unreasonable to hope that a third investigation in underway into the incompetence, negligence and general mismanagement of the Llandaff Cathedral charity by the other trustees of the Chapter in allowing the several misapplicatiins of the charity's money to occur in the first place. On whose watch did the fiddles take place? Over what period of time? Is there yet more missing money waiting to be discovered? What were Linda Quinn's suspicions, why did the Chapter choose to ignore them and refuse to engage G4S as she requested?
How can anyone, not least of all the Church in Wales, have any confidence in the investigations Capon now claims were carried out into the Organ appeal complaints?
What are the Charity Commissioners doing about this complete shambles?
The Charity Commission itself is being brought into disrepute and yet appears to be utterly indifferent to the multiple Llandaff Cathedral scandals. Why might that be the case? Are invisible Masonic strings being pulled from the technology room at Llys Ego in Whitchurch? Or perhaps from Elias House on the Green? Or maybe both?
Who is there left in Llandaff that can be trusted?
In light of recent developments, on Sunday morning, "sneak-a-peek 2.0" has been arranged from 9am to 4pm.
DeletePew-sitters must form an orderly queue at the gate of Llandaff Deanery and respect social distancing.
One at a time, following receipt of the necessary donation via contactless payment by bitcoin and donning of mask and disposable gloves, entry to the Deanery will be granted.
Each visitor will have a maximum of five minutes to stroll around the ground floor, including the kitchen. Access to the first floor is strictly forbidden,as is the taking of photographs.
To that end, all mobile phones and cameras are to be placed on the plate next to the front door and can be collected on exiting the building, along with gift aid envelopes to be completed and popped back through the letter box.
All proceeds to go to my "Ditch the bitch" fighting fund.
By Ordure of the Dean of Llandaff Cathedral.
The Bishop has a case to answer .... car crash, her husband is an employment QC!
ReplyDeleteAshamed
Caiaphas certainly does have a case to answer.
DeleteTaking so long to work out that Gerwhine and the Toad were running amok and deceiving her.
Making false allegations against the two Davids on the Capon's say so.
Failing to sort out the Organ appeal scandal.
Squandering money on her jolly to Spain.
But her greatest failing has been the last 18 months of allowing the Capon to continue to crow from his dung heap on The Green.
As mentioned above, the situation will get much worse before it gets any better.
Peggy the Pilate has already sailed off into the oblivion of ignomony.
Caiaphas and the Capon need to follow.
PP. It's a very very sad indictment to the Body of Christ. Shame on those who bring her into such a quagmire of such magnitude. We can only hope that the Charity commission act swiftly.
DeleteWhile the bishop may or may not be implicated, you can only conclude that her previous tenure, has given her the foresight to see through the smoke and mirrors. Like her or not, at least her silence speaks volumes;unlike the Dean and his master
Are you joking PP?
DeleteCaiaphas has been a disaster from the day she landed in Llandaff.
Jeffrey John might have been a safe pair of hands by comparison.
Heigh ho!
PP. I was not joking but, basically saying her former experience must have had some influence. But, her current tenure has been impossible. JJ may have been better, but whoever was appointed, the Capon would continue his ducking and diving.
DeleteSo how can you claim Caiaphas has had any foresight?
DeleteHad that been the case the Capon would have been gone at least three years ago.
Obviously, not a very good one! I wonder if he'll get fees from The C I W for(badly) advising his wife? Never,ever, trust a woman who does not take her husband's name on marrying.
ReplyDeleteCaiphas? Pastoral? I don't think so. Just watching an ad on TV. Flash, cleans up the impossible. He ha
ReplyDeleteSo how to break the 20 month stalemate?
ReplyDeleteSimples.
Gerwhine has faced allegations at a Church in Wales Disciplinary Tribunal and been cleared (or so he claims).
As Dean and parish priest of Llandaff, what is there to stop him returning to work?
Nothing!
On the assumption that he might grow a pair, all the golf caddie has to do is to show up at the Cathedral on Sunday morning, make his way to the Dean's Vestry, robe up, process in for the 9 o'clock Eucharist and take his place in the Dean's stall.
Ditto the 11 o'clock Eucharist, the 12:30 and Evensong.
Job done.
And what are the Chapter, Gerard Elias QC or Caiaphas going to do about it?
Sweet Fanny Adams, that's what!
Have the Verger(s) manhandle him out of his stall and kick his ar*e out through the West door?
I doubt it, as the little dud would immediately claim he'd been assaulted.
Would Gerard Elias QC or any members of the Chapter dirty their hands on the little dud?
Somehow, I doubt it.
Would Caiaphas come running down the Dean's Steps to personally evict him from his stall?
Only if she was willing to give him more evidence of her bullying him and an open-and-closed case of constructive dismissal.
Would any of them call south Wales Police and allege the dud was trespassing in the Cathedral when he's still the Dean and been cleared by the Church in Wales?
Yeah, right!
Having slapped Juno in the chops with his gauntlet in the national press earlier this week , he could invite his new best friend Martin Shipton and a photographer from the Western Mail to meet him at the Deanery and accompany him back to work.
The dud might also call upon the gay cabal, the fag hags and his 30 signatories to line his route, cheer him along and scatter copies of their letter before him like palms. 🌴 🌴 🌴
If he hired one of the seaside donkeys to ride upon, it would be just like his own little triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
By Monday, he'd have made it to page 3 of the Western Mail.
Hallelujah, all hail the Messiah.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
DeleteOh come on AB!
DeleteI saw that before you deleted it and haven't laughed so much since Seymour's "Dear Diary".
I almost leaked when I read "Big G"
Even by Llandaff's usual standard of scandal, the present situation is unprecedented - at least in modern times - and entirely worthy of satire, irony, comedy and generally taking the p*ss.
And please don't suggest it's because of Gerwhine's complaints of bullying. We all know he's been the playground bully for years and he's only making his complaints for effect to try to save his own skin because of the Aga saga coming to public attention.
Nice one John
DeleteBut the Capon grow a pair? 😌 🤔
Methinks not.
Unless his overseer and master, Darth --Insidious were to join in the parade, hold his hand, lead him to and then plonk the plonker back into his stall.
Mr Sprockett has a point.
DeleteIf there's going to be a p*ss*ng contest between two equally nasty so-called Christians, then let it take place on Holy ground and in the Chancel, before the few remaining pew sitters.
Let them see and judge the relative merits of both.
And find them equally useless and false.
And then let the good people of Llandaff rise up and throw out both of them.
Always, always, always trust in the Lord.
And b*ll*cks to those who claim to be His servants while taking Caesar's coins.
I feel obliged to say in my defence AB that I thought that was one of my better contributions to your esteemed blog.
Delete🤣
I feel certain it was well deserved.
I concur LG.
DeleteIn my opinion it was well worthy of the Llandaffchester Chronicles.
Such a pity they no longer appear.
My apologies for any offence caused LG. You will have seen that Ruth has already chastised me for chickening out.
DeleteModeration is difficult because most topics under discussion are of a serious nature with a light hearted approach which can lead to problems giving opponents undeserved ammunition.
In AB's defence, a spate of recent comments have caused concern. For example, some comments may have been regarded as body shaming were it not for the fact that the subject condemned himself. It is often difficult to know where to draw the line without causing offence which may detract from the serious nature of the entry.
One has reached the conclusion that the best outcome might well be for the entire lot, Bishop Dean and Chapter to be sacked and the Cathedral put into moth balls for five years in the hands of the Friends of Llandaff Cathedral.
DeleteClear the crap, drain the swamp, publish all the accounts and get to the bottom of what has been going on.
After five years, if there's enough interest in reopening the place, great.
If not, sell it off, demolish it, let it become a Mosque, whatever. There's something satanic about the place, so no loss in any case.
Polite suggestion AB.
DeleteRepublish the post.
Let the Blogosphere judge.
I respectfully suggest the vast majority might say tut tut before collapsing in tears of laughter.
As for the small minority who seek to be offended deliberately, let them be offended and let them do some growing up.
If they don't like it, tough (to quote Bazza).
No-one forces them to read your blog.
My latest contribution was intended to be lighthearted, if somewhat close to the knuckle.
DeleteEdgy even.
I thought that was obvious.
But no apology required AB.
DeleteIt's your blog after all.
But please republish the Big G post.
And to hell with the whingers. 😂
Seconded.
DeleteThirded.
DeleteI didn't see the original post but can't wait to do so.
I'm intrigued at the possibilities. 😂
"Hey ho, hey ho, it's back to work I go, I can go slow, but she won't show, hey ho, hey ho, hey ho!"
Delete@John Sprockett
DeleteWhat a spectacle that would make, one Ass sat atop another, plodding down the hill to the east gate, around the south side to dismount outside the west door.
"Lowly pomp" might be a problem though.
Plus we all know what happens the following weekend.
A show trial a week Friday before Peggy "Pontius Maximus" the Pilate while Caiaphas buisies herself rabble rousing, with her new lay Chapter looking on screaming "Crucify him!". Followed by the dud being hung out to dry with --Bazza kneeling at the foot of the Dean's steps, wringing his hands and with tears streaming down his face, observing his house of cards collapse about him.
That would be the mother of all box office blockbusters, probably the biggest story in the last two thousand years or so.
I'd be willing to pay the extra for a seat in an iMax cinema to see that box office hit. 😂
DeleteOf only one thing am I certain.
DeleteAs long as the stalemate continues, the dispute plays out very publicly in the pages of the Western Mail (and surely it's only a matter of time before it makes the pages of the Church Times, Private Eye, the Daily Telegraph etc.) and the Church in Wales Disciplinary panel continues sitting on the fence, the financial situation of the Cathedral will continue to deteriorate.
As will the fabric of the buildings.
The liklihood of anyone having agreed to increase their giving in the prevailing circumstances are probably zero.
The possibility of the Charity Commissioners revoking the Cathedral's charitable status must be increasingly likely the longer the Aga saga drags on unresolved.
I imagine Gerard Elias QC regrets the moment he agreed to become a Lay Canon and will resign at the earliest opportunity to do so without completely losing face.
Some of Gerwhine's thirty signatories have already left the congregation and taken their cheque books and gift aid envelopes with them.
I anticipate the parlous state of the finances will bring the place down. It would have gone bankrupt years ago if it hadn't been for the substantial sums of money stumped up regularly by the Friends of Llandaff Cathedral.
The Friends need to be jealous of their own reputation and charitable status so should freeze all further donations to the Cathedral unless and until remedial action has been taken to resolve all outstanding issues.