Christmas greetings 2023

Duccio di Buoninsegna, The Nativity with the Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel (1308-11)

Wishing you a Joyous Christmas

and a Happy New Year!

Caption corner 22 December 2023

Spot the Christmas tree!                                                                                                               Source; X (formerly Twitter)

As usual publishable captions will appear as comments.

Church in Wales excesses

The Catholic Church in Wales                 Dioceses                       The Anglican Church in Wales

The Archbishop of Cardiff, the Most Rev Mark O’Toole, who is also the Bishop of Menevia, has announced that he wants to merge two of the three Catholic dioceses in Wales which would result in just two dioceses covering the whole of Wales, one in the North and one in the South.

According to Wikipedia the estimated Catholic population of the Diocese of Menevia is 26,266 out of a total population of 788,550 (3.3%). Googling indicates that the Catholic population in the Archdiocese of Cardiff was 132,450 in 2021.

Current Church in Wales attendance figures are a matter of speculation since they are no longer reported but the latest membership  figure for the whole of Wales published in Wikipedia was 45,759 in 2016 compared with 91,247 in 1996. The average Sunday attendance of Anglicans over 18 in 2016 had fallen to 26,110.

Ignoring the recommendations in the 2012 Church in Wales Review, the ever shrinking Anglican Church in Wales still maintains six dioceses with six diocesan bishops, deans, numerous archdeacons and a growing army of administrators to assist the bishops.

Church in Wales bishops are out of control. They have abandoned the Christian faith for the excesses of secularism and have left many faithful Anglicans with no sacramental or pastoral provision. 

A wicked end to a once great Church.

Caption corner 15 December 2023

Retiring First Minister of Wales with the Archbishop of Wales                                                            Source: Church in Wales

As usual publishable captions will appear as comments.

Sacred cow

"The world's most famous football show. Gary Lineker with the big names
 and the big games from the Premier League." Source: BBC One

The government has announced that the current TV licence fee of £159 will increase by £10.50 to £169.50 from next April, a rise of 6.6% - but less than the BBC had anticipated.

The BBC must find £400m in annual savings by 2027/28. In 2023 as part of a drive to save money 1,000 fewer hours of new TV programmes. 

Hit in the cuts is a trimmed down Newsnight, one of the more serious programmes among the BBC's deteriorating standards as it seeks to appeal to the lowest common denominator rather than educate people in accordance with its mission to "act in the public interest, serving all audiences through the provision of impartial, high-quality and distinctive output and services which inform, educate and entertain”.

Soccer coverage, by contrast, goes on and on and on with Match of the Day taking centre stage. 

Earlier this year it was reported that BBC currently pay £211million to the Premier League for the rights to show the highlights programme every weekend on Saturday night and a repeat on Sunday morning.

Last month the Mail Online reported that the BBC were preparing to open contract talks with Match of the Day presenter, Gary Lineker whose £1.35million-a-year contract expires when the BBC’s existing deal for Premier League highlights runs out at the end of next season,

Apparently the corporation are eager to secure their top-paid presenter despite reports that he has "continued to talk politics, backing pro-Palestine marches since the terrorist attacks in Israel" and "supporting protesters’ right to hold events in London on Armistice Day".

It is a travesty that those of us who have no interest in soccer, and even less in the private opinions of the BBC's overpaid presenters, are forced to pay inflated licence fees for content directed to a specific audience requiring an additional multitude of pundits, reporters and sports correspondents.

The Chief Executive of the English Basketball Association was right to question the amounts of television rights money spent on Soccer as the BBC.

They should let it go or move soccer to a separate pay channel.

Postscript [11.12.2023]

Gary Lineker criticised over Rwanda comments in impartiality row

Overpaid, over indulged and licence payers are funding it. 

Pope Francis evicts "enemy" Cardinal Burke

The rumours have been confirmed. Pope Francis evicts his US critic, Cardinal Raymond Burke, from the Vatican. 

A useful commentary of events leading to the eviction of the pope's "enemy" is provided at the beginning of the above podcast video.

Pope Francis has attracted much criticism from commentators. Traditionalist Anglicans have looked on in bemusement as he appears to be guiding the Catholic Church along the path to ruin, the path already trod by the Episcopal Church in the US, the Church of England and the Church in Wales, among others.

Having sown the seeds of hope for change among revisionists, the Vatican is trying to draw a line on women’s ordination and homosexuality in new letter to German bishops.

That will not stop revisionists from pecking away as they seek to make the Church conform to the pattern of this world rather than be transformed as the Anglican Church in the West has witnessed 

What hope can there be for a Church when Christians who practice their faith by obedience to the word rather than apostates are regarded as the enemy?

Archbishop's Rwanda judgement

After the arrival of the refugees from Ukraine at the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing in Medyka, they wait for a place
 in one of the buses that will take them to large sites or collective shelters. Source: Westport Presbyterian Church

The Archbishop of Wales, who represents less than 1% of the population of Wales, has welcomed the judgement on Rwanda asylum plan.

In doing so, the Provincial News item included the above photograph without attribution. 

The photo has nothing to do with the Rwanda judgement. It actually shows refugees from Ukraine arriving at the Polish-Ukrainian border crossing in Medyka in 2022 according to its source, Westport Presbyterian Church. 

The picture was used to illustrate the plight of Ukrainian refugees in a Church Mission Project in the United States.

This photo published by the BBC more accurately illustrates the problem.

More than 100,000 people have come to the UK by crossing the English Channel in small boats since 2018.

That is more than the population of Rochdale.

The cost of housing asylum seekers in hotels costs around £8 million a day. 

Government projections put the cost of dealing with illegal migrants plan could cost £6bn over two years.

A solution needs to be found but it is unlikely to come from the Church in Wales.

In 2022 the archbishop said he would not make any apologies for pointing out the "deficits" within the government's Rwanda policy. "It's the duty of all people, Christians and those of no faith to speak up for those who are marginalised..and for what is right and proper."

The archbishop would be better employed considering the plight of the many Anglicans he and the bench have marginalised in the Church in Wales by reneging on the promised twin integrities and leading the remainder into secularism.

C of E agrees to bless sin on trial basis

General Synod November 2023                             Source: Church of England

Despite the Church of England's belief that marriage is between one man and one woman, its General Synod has agreed that special services of prayer and dedication asking for God’s blessing for same-sex couples should be introduced on a trial basis.

The religious service could follow a civil wedding ceremony with readings and prayers, music, flowers and confetti, giving the appearance of a wedding in all but name.

The Church of England Evangelical Council said the decision "will tear local parish congregations apart, damage the relationship between large numbers of clergy and their bishops and cause churches across the dioceses to feel as though their shepherds have abandoned them."

Sadly, most of the bishops of the Church of England could not care less, as in the Church in Wales, where many faithful Anglicans have already been abandoned for keeping the faith.

Guard of shame

London, the Cenotaph guarded by police                                                                                                         Source: The Sun

As The Sun put it on Armistice Day: "HOW HAS IT COME TO THIS? The Cenotaph will be kept under 24-hour police guard for the first time during Remembrance commemorations as PM appeals for calm. More than 1,000 cops are being drafted in from across the country to assist the 2,000 Met officers at today’s Armistice Day march."

From X (formerly Twitter): "The Metropolitan Police say there has been 'no issues' with the protest for Palestine, which was repeatedly called a 'hate march' by Suella Braverman. Meanwhile hundreds of far right thugs are 'intent on confrontation' and violence against the main march." Photo here.

The Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP, may have had a different view of the 'protest for Palestine' march after being mobbed by Palestine protesters at Victoria station as may some of the police on the ground.

Victoria station also witnessed the sorry state of charity volunteer poppy sellers having to retreat from a rowdy mob of pro-Palestine protesters.

The march itself may have been relatively peaceful but there were ugly incidents as illustrated here and here. X shows some demonstrators wearing terrorist headbands while another could be heard shouting "death to all the Jews".

Some ugly banners were also shown on X. One with a swastika incorporated into the Star of David Another called for 'burning a British flag on Remembrance Day'.

Despite there being 'no issues' in the view of the Met they have requested assistance using X. Examples here and here.

Hopefully the public will cooperate but it is worrying when increasing numbers attend gatherings which cloak illegal activity. Activity which is difficult to contain given the weight of numbers. The Met's solution is surveillance followed by arrests where possible. The problem with that approach is that offenders appear to get away with it. 

How has it come to this? The problem is summarised here by bestselling author and columnist Douglas Murray.

Suella Braverman was correct when she said: "This can’t go on. Week by week, the streets of London are being polluted by hate, violence, and antisemitism. Members of the public are being mobbed and intimidated. Jewish people in particular feel threatened. Further action is necessary."

Postscript [19.11.2023]

How the West was lost (Part 3)

Remembrance

We will remember them.

 

Contempt triumphs over respect

The Cenotaph surrounded by pro-Palestinian demonstrators                                                                               Source: LBC

The Prime Minister has described the pro-Palestinian protests planned for London on Armistice Day as 'provocative and disrespectful'.

The government, the Metropolitan police and the majority of the British public are against it but the organisers insist it will go ahead.

What the march demonstrates is contempt for British values, values which many of the participants want to replace with an alien ideology so candidly admitted here. 

Closer to home, the Welsh Government recently paid out £300K Swansea's Sketty Mosque and Community Centre to aid Community Cohesion.

From the Swansea mosque on 17 October: " 'Victory to Islam'. 'Look after the mujahideen' in Gaza."

Pure contempt for British values.

Wales, Wales!

First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford                                                                   Source: Guido Fawkes, order_order.com

Nation Cymru reports:  "The Welsh Government is setting itself on a potential collision course with the UK Government after deciding to allow people to self-identify their gender when standing as candidates for the Senedd - much to the chagrin of Wales-Women’s Rights Network

Little surprise there  given this earlier report from order-order.com: 

"The Welsh government is paying out £9 million in taxpayer cash annually for woke jobs. The Taxpayers’ Alliance have uncovered data revealing that in 2022, a total of 138 posts in the Welsh Government featured words ranging from “diversity” and “inclusion” to “climate“, “wellbeing“, and “race“. A whopping 25 staff are employed in roles mentioning “equality“. The total cost of these, including salary and pension contributions, was £8,879,479."

Meanwhile, in NHS Wales, the health minister has warned that there may be fewer hospital beds in Wales, after asking health boards to make a further £64m in savings.

The Welsh Government has an action plan to make Wales  'A Nation of Sanctuary for asylum seekers and refugees' in which it has a 'vision' for Wales to become "the world’s first ‘Nation of Sanctuary’, celebrating Welsh hospitality and our history of migration and safety. " 

No matter what the cost in a cash-strapped Welsh economy it appears! 

Another government minister said that vulnerable people will "inevitably" feel the impact of spending cuts as she prepared to announce how the Welsh government will fill a black hole in its budget.

Nation Cymru also reports that the Welsh government is working on a plan to introduce a Bill "to make our parliament more representative of the people it serves", which includes provisions to introduce candidate quotas for people seeking election to the Senedd: “Our proposed model for quotas is designed to maximise the chances of achieving a Senedd comprised of at least 50% women."

With plans to increase the number of Senedd Members from 60 to 96, and change the electoral system to one that is "wholly proportional" no doubt the Diversity, Inclusivity and Equality (DIE) campaigners will will be keen to ensure that the real needs of the people of Wales do not come before the wishes of the Welsh DIEhards. First they need to know what a woman is.

Postscript [12.11.2023]

Fresh challenge for Welsh Government’s gender-balanced Senedd plan - Martin Shipton writes in Nation Cymru: "The introduction of a Bill to the Scottish Parliament that will end the rights of transgender women to identify as female when applying for public appointments should prompt the Welsh Government to ditch a similar plan relating to membership of the Senedd, according to a campaign group."

A glimmer of hope for the Church in Wales

The Archdeacon of Carmarthen, Dorrien Davies, is to be the 130th Bishop of St Davids
Source: Church in Wales

There is a glimmer of hope for the Church in Wales following the announcement that the Ven Dorrien Davies has been elected to be the 130th Bishop of St Davids.

There were many expressions of delight following the announcement which are summed up in the response: "The right person to bring healing and allow the Diocese to move forward together."

A former St Davids Canon Residentiary, the bishop elect asked for the Diocese and the Province to pray for him as he begins the difficult task of rescuing the diocese of St Davids from mistakes of the past and for bringing back some credibility to the Church in Wales. Of that he can be assured.

Postscript [12.11.2023]

"Let's make this journey together" - The new Bishop of St Davids looks ahead to his forthcoming role and what the future holds for St Davids Diocese.

'By their deeds you will know them'

Source: The New Humanitarian

 

While the Gaza/Israel conflict has dominated the news an estimated population of around 120,000 Armenian Christians have been expelled from their homes in Nagorno-Karabakh. In an act described as Cultural Genocide, one of the oldest Christian communities in the world has been destroyed.

It has been estimated that in the birthplace of Christianity, Christians now make up approximately 5% of the Middle Eastern population, down from 20% in the early 20th century.

Meanwhile Islam continues to expand. Cultural jihad has resulted in thousands of Muslims importing their ideology into the Western world. The consequences of multi-culturalism rather than assimilation  can be observed most spectacularly in France where Islam is now "the most practiced 'religion'."

Demonstrations in support of Hamas, a designated terrorist organisation by many Western Countries, have been witnessed in many major cities including Paris, Vienna, New York and in London where, at Speaker's Corner, Islamic ideology is made clear for all to hear while adherents do as they please. 

Civic and religious leaders in the West must take their share of  responsibility for this situation. For decades they have accepted assurances that Islam is a religion of peace without question.

Caught in the middle are the innocent. Among them those massacred by Hamas in Israel and the multi-faith civilians trapped in Gaza. 

God help them.

Bishop of St Davids election

St Davids Cathedral (photo by Toby Pickard)                                                                                     Source: Church in Wales

This beautiful photograph of the sun setting over St Davids Cathedral in Pembrokeshire was published in a Provincial News item, Election of new Bishop of St Davids. It is also symbolic of the sun setting on Christianity in the Church in Wales.

The election of the previous bishop of St Davids was all about politics. It ended in disaster.

In another Provincial News item, New team for Panel as it widens access to ministry, the Church in Wales announces that "A senior journalist and Lay Canon is the new chair of the panel which selects people for ordained ministry."

Their aim is 'to increase the number of vocations and for new priests to reflect the wonderful diversity of our communities'.

Diversity along with inclusivity and equality have come to supersede all else in the Church in Wales.

A commentator under my previous blog entry sarcastically referred to 'eccentric congregations in Pembrokeshire' which, given the context of the comment, implied that traditional, orthodox Christianity was eccentric.

That does not augur well for the election of the next Bishop of St Davids later this month.

Postscripts 

[16.10.2023]

BBC News article St Davids chooses successor to 'never trust a Tory' bishop

[17.10.2023]

The Archdeacon of Carmarthen, The Ven Dorrien Davies, is to be the next bishop of St Davids.

https://twitter.com/ChurchinWales/status/1714294224538181736

Lowlights: GB September 2023

Governing Body voting                                              Source: Church in Wales

The Church in Wales goes green is the main message to come out of the meeting of the Governing Body (GB) earlier this month.

Attendance may be in crisis but was not mentioned, apart from a brief reference to decline in one of the reports. That is despite the GB's guiding notes which state:

"Every year, a report on the current membership and finance statistics of the Church in Wales is presented to the meeting. This covers key information such as: church attendance, the level of financial giving towards the work of the church, details of what parishes are spending their money on."

Session Three was about 'Priorities, Growth and Resilience'. One of the items covered in discussion groups was "What stops us from growing?"

The Church in Wales, like the Church of England, The Episcopal Church in the US and others have become self-centred rather than God centred, using the name of Jesus as a passport to earthly desires. - Jesus loves me, therefore I do as I please.

The secularisation of the Church in Wales was made obvious by the archbishop of Wales when he commented on the recently announced 'historic appointments of Canons at Bangor Cathedral'. 

He said, "It is a real joy to be able to announce the appointment of eight new Canons to the Cathedral, five Honorary Canons and three Foundation Canons. .... Together they bring with them an enormous breadth of skills and experience to their new roles, enabling the Cathedral’s common life and witness to be a place where all can come and experience faith, hope and love. Each of these new Canons has been invited in recognition of the significant contribution they have made, and continue to make, within their field of expertise, and I invite you to join with me in praying for them as they take up their new positions and responsibilities."

The Canon Preacher's experience of the Anglican Church is short. He was ordained Deacon in 2021 after becoming an Anglican in 2020 but more importantly for the archbishop he becomes the "first gay, black Canon to serve in a Church in Wales Cathedral, a pioneering moment that highlights its commitment to diversity and inclusivity." 

Just the sort of experience the Church Wales has come to value above all else. But there is more.

'Glastonbury priest'         Sourcee: CinW

A new priest welcomed to the diocese of St Asaph by bishop Gregory is "part way through a professional doctorate exploring better ways for neo-Pagans and Christians to have open conversations about faith." 

 She should receive a good welcome from the Peace Mala while the Church in Wales struggles with its identity.

As the decline of the Church continues more senior executives are hired. The latest is a Director of Mission and Strategy on a salary of up to £70,000 p.a.

On the plus side, perhaps the archbishop of Wales feels better able to cope with his workload having sanctioned all these appointments. 

Last year he felt the need for someone to share the leadership of his Bangor diocese with while serving as Archbishop of Wales as if that were an onerous task. He appointed an assistant bishop who has since been appointed bishop of Llandaff with no replacement assistant bishop. Perhaps he discovered that he is not that busy after all being responsible for the souls of less than 1% of the population of Wales.

What about the souls of Anglicans in Wales? Pew sitters have been led astray by their bishops while others have simply been abandoned in the shift to secularism.

A timely reminder of the dire situation Anglicans in the Church in Wales find themselves comes from Bishop Stuart Bell a former Church in Wales priest who was ordained as an Assistant Bishop in The Anglican Convocation in Europe in March after serving in the Church in Wales for 51 years.

In an interview with Dr Tony Rucinski of Coalition for Marriage (C4M), Bishop Bell said the Church in Wales’ 2021 decision to bless same-sex partnerships was "hugely significant". He told Dr Rucinski that "substantial" numbers have left the Church in Wales, following its decision to turn its back on the Bible and go with contemporary culture.

He rebuffed claims the Church’s move was compassionate, saying: "Justice and compassion are not rootless, they are rooted within truth and they are rooted within Christ and they are rooted within an authority that is completely unchanging."

The Bishop warned that we are being seriously misled by people whose hearts are set on "anarchy and nihilism". That voice is growing stronger by the day and is being promoted at government level and  by the media, he said.

He urged Christians and traditional marriage supporters to be absolutely resolute in the face of LGBT activists’ attempts to push the country into a state of "total gender confusion and sexual confusion".

Full details of the Christian Institute interview can be found here. 

The response of the Church in Wales was: Clergy told to keep breakaway bishop at arm’s length. "No ministers affiliated with the Anglican Convocation in Europe should exercise ministry or leadership in a Church in Wales context, unless the explicit written permission of the appropriate Church in Wales diocesan bishop has been given."

That came as little surprise to the many Anglicans abandoned by the handful of heretic bishops in the Church in Wales for keeping the faith as received in common with millions of Anglicans around the world.

This is the legacy handed on by a former bishop of Bangor, later archbishop, Barry Morgan who decreed after the retirement of Bishop David Thomas that there would be further alternative Episcopal oversight 'over his dead body'.

Now in comfortable retirement Morgan's legacy lives on. He continues to meddle in Church affairs showing no shame for leaving so many faithful Anglicans who had been in his care in a spiritual desert, a situation perpetuated by the bench of bishops to this day to their utter shame.

 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?

Caption corner 26 September 2023

Bishop Gregory with 'Glastonbury priest'                                                                                              Source: Church in Wales

As usual publishable captions will appear as comments.

Handwashing

Hand washing in the Repair Shop                                         Source: BBC TV

As a long term admirer of the skills demonstrated in the BBC TV series, the Repair Shop, I was taken aback by the first item in last night's episode when a requested repair was made conditional upon the handlers first washing their hands and working in a clean space.

The challenge was for the team to 'fix a 100-year-old handwritten Qur’an passed down four generations of women'. 

A woman of Kashmir descent living in Newport, South Wales, made the handwashing stipulation before leaving the book for repair with those regarded in Islam as infidels.

It is understandable that the book can be regarded as sacred by the family but for others the content of the book however beautifully crafted results in persecution and misery for others.

Aid to the Church in Need is reporting that a mass exodus threatens Christianity in Syria and Lebanon while concerns grow over rising attacks against Christian sites in Israel .

The Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (1948) guarantees freedom of religion for all yet The Jerusalem Post reports that 'Dozens of incidents, ranging from spitting to vandalism to assault, have been committed by extremist Jews against Christians and their sites this year.'

According to Aid to the Church in Need "Christianity is facing an 'existential threat' in parts of the Middle East, where communities have dwindled to mere shadows of their former selves... Nearly 75 years on from the creation of the state of Israel, Christians in the West Bank have declined from 18 per cent to less than one per cent; and, in Syria, the number of Christians has plummeted from ten per cent in 2011 — before the war began — to less than two per cent."

Meanwhile others, including the Church of England and the Church in Wales, affirm Islam as if it were another religion of love and forgiveness.

There is handwashing and there is handwashing.

Postscripts

Archbishop of Canterbury hosts hardline Islamists for tea and cake:

Interfaith event included Iran ayatollah’s former UK envoy and mosque chief who exalted terrorist as a ‘holy warrior’

[23.09.2023] ‘Destruction’ of ethnic Armenians is imminent, experts warn:

"The 'destruction' of an enclave of 120,000 Armenian Christians in the Nagorno-Karabakh region is imminent, warns Siobhan Nash-Marshall, a U.S.-based human rights advocate..."

More 'firsts' for the Church in Wales

The John/Starkey wedding, Bangor 2021      Source: Facebook

From Church in Wales Provincial news: 'Archbishop of Wales announces historic appointments at Cathedral':

"The Archbishop of Wales, Andrew John, has announced the appointment of five distinguished individuals to serve as Honorary Canons at Saint Deiniol's Cathedral in Bangor. These appointments mark significant milestones in the Church in Wales, as they encompass a range of 'firsts' ."

Among the firsts is the second Mrs Andrew John, the Rev Naomi Starkey, who has been appointed one of three foundation canons who will be members of the Cathedral Chapter.

Another first is author Fr Jarel Robinson-Brown who becomes "the first gay, black Canon to serve in a Church in Wales Cathedral, a pioneering moment that highlights its commitment to diversity and inclusivity. Father Jarel, who will become Canon Preacher, holds joint British and Jamaican citizenship and is a much sought after preacher, having spoken recently at St Paul’s Cathedral, Yale Divinity School, and Oxford, Cambridge and Durham Universities. He is also co-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Christian Charity OneBodyOneFaith."

Among previous Church in Wales firsts are the first transgender priest and the first same-sex partnered lesbian bishop.

The World's Greatest Classical Music Festival

Soprano Lise Davidsen and conductor Marin Alsop receive the audience's applause at the last night of the Proms 2023                                           Source: BBC

 

The Proms 2023 reached its rousing conclusion on Saturday night. There was the usual selection of music but comparatively little televised. 

For me the highlight of the season was Sir Simon Rattle’s final UK performance as Music Director of the London Symphony Orchestra when he conducted Mahler’s valedictory ninth symphony. Poignant indeed, especially so for those of us who recall a young Simon Rattle setting out on his long and distinguished conducting career.

TV coverage was mainly confined to Friday and Sunday evenings, unlike the interminable coverage of soccer and cricket matches followed by endless analysis and punditry.

A curious aspect of their TV coverage was the inability of BBC to schedule performances in advance. The much anticipated televising of the National Youth Orchestra was not published until the last moment while Mahler's ninth was unexpectedly slotted in mid-week.  

One would have thought that the "greatest classical music festival" would have enjoyed far greater TV coverage but culture is not a word the BBC TV sits easily with as they concentrate on appealing to the masses.

On that score (no pun intended), wokery dominated the Last Night. The conductor, Marin Alsop proclaimed from the podium: "Tonight, marks the tenth anniversary of the day I became the first woman to conduct the Last Night Of the Proms. Which apparently is worthy of inclusion in the Guinness Book of World Records!" 

She was aided in a feminist double act by Sandi Toksvig in the commentary box who continued the theme of female oppression with no sign of discomfort that all three in commentary box were women along with the conductor and soprano soloist.

The biggest cheer and prolonged applause was reserved for the BBC Singers , recently saved from oblivion after protest.

Perhaps another protest is due before the Proms share the fate of Christian programmes which been gradually shunted out of the main TV schedules.

We are still a Christian country despite claims to the contrary

Anglican clergy                                                                                                                                                      Source: News

Yes, we are a Christian country despite claims to the contrary following a poll by The Times which suggested that "three quarters of Church of England priests say Britain can no longer be described as a Christian country".

The story had wide coverage from Daily mail to The Christian Post among many others. The latest article comes from News which claims to provide 'information and analysis on the life of the Church'.

Their analysis gives rise to the false claim that "The clergy of the Communion of Anglican Churches in England are overwhelmingly supportive of the idea of completely ignoring biblical teaching on sexual morality. This is what emerges from a large-scale poll carried out by the London newspaper The Times, the results of which were published on August 29, 2023.

"The last similar poll was in 2014. The current poll shows a significant shift in opinion among English clergy regarding sexual morality over the past 10 years. The Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines, told The Times the survey showed pastors faced the same problems as society as a whole."

But hang on a minute. The Times sent their questionnaire to 5,000 Church of England clergy of whom only 1,200 responded. 

The responders then became the sample giving rise to the misleading claims which have been appearing in the media as fact. 

The Rev Dr Ian Paul gives a detailed account of the 'survey' in his blog Psephizo while psephologist the Rev Peter Ould says "Anecdotally I've heard lots of clergy who refused to do the survey because they weren't sure whether results would be used against them personally, or they thought questions were biased." A sad reflection on the state of the Church of England today,

Meanwhile Jacob Rees-Mogg blasts a ‘defeatist’ Church of England amid 'Christianity failures'.

Church in Wales: Managed decline?

GB voting                                                                       Source: Church in Wales

 The Governing Body of the Church in Wales meets in September 2023.

From the Annual Report and Accounts 2022 of the Representative Body [Session 2, Agendum 9]:

Risk Management Policy

"3. Accelerated decline in church attendance

"The continuation of declining attendance and an increasing age profile would result in declining financial income for dioceses: this would lead to an inability to present established patterns of ministry to the whole of Wales. The Representative Body endeavours to maintain the highest financial support to dioceses possible. Also, a renewed focus on mission and evangelism, including additional financial resources being made available, aims to stimulate church growth."

News Posted: 23 August 2023

"The distribution of more than £137m to churches across Wales will be discussed at a key meeting of Church in Wales members next month.

"The money is being released from historic reserves over the next decade to help churches grow and serve their communities more effectively. Investment will be made in development of new ministries and initiatives, as well as in strengthening existing work."

'New ministries and initiatives'! No doubt awaited with eager anticipation. 

Religion of peace remains silent on violence against Christians

The aftermath of an arson attack in Jaranwala                          Source: ACNUK

Aid to the Church in Need reports: "Mass exodus as mob burns churches and homes in Pakistan. Mosques incited violence, causing a sense of terror and uncertainty among Christians.

"Up to 15 church buildings have been attacked and hundreds of Christian homes destroyed after extremists went on the rampage in Pakistan."

The response reported by Reuters: "Pakistani police arrest two Christians accused of blasphemy."

I have yet to hear any condemnation of these attacks on innocent people and their property, in particular from the Swansea Mosque and Community Centre which recently received a Community Cohesion grant of £300k from the Welsh Government.

The Welsh First Minister has since instructed his Ministers to find £900m cuts in public services. 

Some cohesion!

Postscripts 

[19.08.2023]

In Pakistan Muslims are now desecrating the graves of Christians. 

https://twitter.com/CatholicArena/status/1692832406477103610

In Nigeria Killings of Christians ‘going on and on’, with no arrests made.

"The world is refusing to help those who are being persecuted." More here.

[21.08.2023]

Community Cohesion! 

Muslim harasses elderly Christian, tries to provoke a confrontation but it is worse in Muslim majority countries while critics of this sort of behaviour are accused of Islamophobia!

[28.08.2023]

"Pakistan's Jaranwala violence: Gov't must root out cause of anti-Christian attacks" - A Pakistani Christian living in Australia writes: "History tells us that in a few weeks, the media will forget about this incident, the Pakistani government will forget its promises, the money allocated for the persecuted Christians' support will magically vanish, and these hapless people whose lives have been turned upside down will all be forgotten.  Little by little, on their own, they will start to rebuild their lives in the hopes of a better future – somewhere, somehow."

[02.09.2023]

Kidnappings and Murders of Christians Escalate in Nigeria’s Extremist Crisis

Caption corner 11 August, 2023

Source: Twitter

As usual publishable captions will appear as comments.

No honour among thieves

 

In This is not Dibley I referred to the MailOnline story: "Remind me, it is 2023, isn’t it?’: Why has the Cornish town Dawn French loves risked such an unholy row by refusing its own Vicar of Dibley?"

The report: 'Cornish church reverses ban on female vicars' has given church feminists and toadying MPs a field day.

These feminists have used the Church for their own political purposes, accusing, scheming and reneging. Promises and agreements that enabled them to reach their goal mean nothing.

Listen to the blatant misrepresentation by the chair of WATCH as she seeks help [to] bring "discrimination" in the Church of England  to an end. As did the recently retired bishop of St Davids, WATCH regard difference of opinion, even when based on fact, as discrimination and prejudice

There have also been attempts to redefine gender language used about God. In The Mother Church: Turning God Trans published in Crisis Magazine [a recommended read - AB] it is suggested that a disproportionate number of those pushing for change would appear to be 'left-wing female vicars'.

No honour from certain MPs either, including the the Father of the House, a self-declared WATCH supporter, who appear unable or unwilling to distinguish between equality and theology regardless of measures agreed to,

Anglicanism in this country is dying. The Church in Wales is leading the decline with their one-track strategy of inclusion and diversity which again uses the Church to advance a political cause at the expense of others. 

If only a fraction of the effort put into their latest 'outreach-social justice' drive had been devoted to the excluded things may have been different. St Davids diocese is watched with trepidation as they prepare to elect their new bishop. Scripture, reason and tradition must not again be sacrificed to secularism.

Despite denials the Roman Catholic Church is creeping in the same direction in proposing women deacons and Catholic LGBTQ+ advocates. This has arisen as a real possibility through the Synod on Synodality, which was launched by Pope Francis in October 2021.

This is a repeat of the push for Anglican women deacons. It was claimed that it did not mean that they would become priests if made deacons. As deacons they argued that it was discrimination if they could not be ordained to the priesthood followed by the threefold ministry argument that it would be discriminatory not to allow women bishops.

Now that they have achieved their aim and converted Anglicanism to conform with their own desires they want to get rid of anyone who does not share their warped ideas of equality.

There is no honour among thieves.

Brass Neck Barry

Archbishop Barry Morgan at the 900th anniversary celebration of the Papal decree that two trips to St Davids were the equivalent of one to Rome.  Source: Twitter

On Saturday, 22nd July 2023, St Davids diocese held an Extraordinary Diocesan Conference (EDC) to "canvass LMAs' opinions on the qualities they would like to see in the person elected as the new Bishop of St Davids".

Those qualities would been regarded as obvious based on faith and tradition before politics divided the Church in Wales.

The man regarded by many as responsible for the mess the Church in Wales finds itself in is archbishop Barry Morgan who is suspected of trying to influence opinion long after his retirement.

With the election of a new bishop approaching and a reputation for creating division Morgan made an ill-judged appearance at the special service to mark the 900th anniversary of the Papal decree that two trips to St Davids were the equivalent of one to Rome, something I would have thought would have meant little to him as a protestant.

Following his manoeuvring, St Davids was the first diocese in the Church in Wales to elect a woman bishop which would have been anathema to any pope. 

Joanna Penberthy's episcopacy has been a disaster from her mean minded attempt to get rid of elderly male clergy to her political posturing which culminated in her “Never, never, never trust a Tory” comment which attracted widespread derision. 

Described by Barry Morgan as the best person to be a bishop, she is another divisive figure who has advanced feminism over faith. She is reported by the archbishop to be "in good heart" as she prepares to retire to Cornwall following extensive periods of sick leave. 

The retirement of Provincial Assistant Bishop David Thomas, author of  'A Noble Task', gave archbishop Morgan the opportunity to decree that there would be further provision over his dead body for faithful Anglicans who, on grounds of conscience, were unable to receive the sacramental ministry of women, thus reversing assurances which led to the ordination of women and their elevation to the episcopacy in the Church in Wales.

I am not clear what message the archbishop was trying to convey in his presidential address to the EDC other than a facilitator would be listening to the views of people in St Davids diocese. 

Hopefully the errors of the past will be heeded by putting faith before politics. To that end, all Anglican views must be heard, including those excluded Anglicans who, in the words of St David, Keep the Faith.

Holiday hunger

 

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