Fateful words

The bishops of Llandaff (left) and St Davids (right) with their TEC mentor Katharine Jefferts Schori
Source: Twitter

It came as no surprise that archbishop Barry Morgan described his chosen candidate, Canon Joanna Penberthy, as 'the best person to be a bishop' after she was elected bishop of St Davids.

Subsequent events have illustrated the irony of that description.

Likewise, Morgan's successor must rue the day when he welcomed the appointment as bishop of Llandaff of 'Pioneer English woman priest', June Osborne. 

The then Church in Wales' senior bishop, John Davies said, “In June Osborne, both the Church in Wales and the Diocese of Llandaff will find themselves to be richly blessed. June’s track record admirably demonstrates her passion for Christian ministry modelled on the Gospel imperatives of love, justice, inclusivity and openness. All of these are qualities which I and my fellow bishops warmly support and welcome. She is known as a leader with clear vision, a pastoral heart and a strategic mind.”

In 2019 June Osborne's 'clear vision' led her to charter an aircraft to fly all active diocesan clergy to a clergy school in Santiago de Compostela during Christian Aid Week leaving others to get on with charitable work. Mercifully the plane did not ended up in the sea. Had it done so the diocese would have been left with a few retired clergy who could not afford to subsidise the cost of the flight or had better things to do than pay to go on one June's extravagant jollies.

June has also demonstrated her idea of love, justice, inclusivity and openness when she sacrificed faithful parishioners in another initiative. 

From the Save St Teilo's - Save Our Community petition:

"In March 2019 the members of St Teilo’s church have been informed that a decision has been made by the Bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne, 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."

I doubt that many of the St Teilo's congregation have found themselves to be richly blessed by their bishop but, then, her first love was sociology.

Featuring regularly of late in the columns of the Church Times and in the Western Mail there appears to be a never ending feud between the bishop of Llandaff and her dean which is constantly dragging the Church in Wales through the mire.

Another article in the Church Times today refers to alleged bullying and harassment by the bishop of Llandaff but, like her colleague in St Davids no doubt she will continue to regard any criticism of female behaviour as discrimination and carry on regardless. 

Postscript [08.01 22]

For a devastating assessment of the current state of the dioceses of the Church in Wales and their diocesan bishops from across the pond go to Anglican Unscripted 709 starting at position 21.10.