WATCH, true colours

The Rt Revd Philip North, Bishop of Blackburn                   Source: Geoff Crawford/Church Times

 

A Review of the appointment of the Rt Revd Philip North as Bishop of Blackburn has concluded that his nomination followed the proper processes, but makes several recommendations how these processes could be improved.

The Church Times reports that

 "Campaigners had raised concerns about Bishop North’s views on the ordination of women, which he has said is an area on which the Church of England should not be at variance with the wider Church (News, 15 September 2017).

"A submission by the campaign group Women and the Church (WATCH) centred on concerns about how having a bishop who does not ordain women could undermine clergy in the diocese and the diocesan bishop’s function as a figure of unity..."

Forward in Faith commented:

"The Independent Reviewer has rightly restated that, following a submission to her from Women and the Church (WATCH) regarding the appointment of diocesan bishops in the Church of England and in line with the Church’s Five Guiding Principles, being a traditionalist is not a bar to becoming a diocesan bishop.

"However, Forward in Faith also notes with concern that the Independent Reviewer has recommended in her report that consideration be given to re-examining the scope of her role. It is not clear to Forward in Faith from the contents of the report exactly what deficiency in the current arrangements would be met by such a change.

"As WATCH has demonstrated in its referral on the appointment of diocesan bishops, any individual or interested party can make a referral to the Independent Reviewer. The Independent Reviewer can then assess the points made in those referrals.

"The critical question must always be how those referrals relate to the 2014 House of Bishops’ Declaration on the Ministry of Bishops and Priests. If there has been any breach of that Declaration, from whatever part of the Church it might have come, then it needs to be addressed directly and transparently. However, simply not agreeing with, or feeling uncomfortable with, the contents of the Declaration can never be, and should never be, grounds for a referral to the Independent Reviewer.

"The direction of travel being opened up by the Independent Reviewer runs the risk of undermining the Declaration, which quite rightly seeks to promote the flourishing of all parts of the Church and to uphold and protect the minority position in the Church of England, which in part occurs through the work of the Independent Reviewer.

"Forward in Faith remains strongly of the view that the Church of England benefits from the breadth of its witness, including the catholic teaching and practice which it holds in common with the universal Church."

Once again WATCH show themselves in their true colours as a group of feminists using the Church to further their feminist cause regardless of the effect on others.

Christians surrendering to Islam

The Islamic Grand Iftar celebrated recently at Bristol Cathedral 
Source: X (formerly Twitter)

The organisers of the Islamic Grand Iftar in Bristol Cathedral last week claimed it shows unity. 

The reality is different as witnessed here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here among many other references to be found on X (formerly Twitter) and news outlets.

There is no reciprocity. No concessions to those Islam regards as infidels and dhimmis yet Muslims are allowed to pray in Christian churches which are then regarded by them as mosques in which to pray that there is no god but Allah. 

What hope is there for Christianity in this country when the Churches surrender to Islam in this absurd one-way traffic!

Postscript [10.04.2024]

Adhan (Call to Prayer) in Buckingham Palace. What next? 

Poor judgement

 

 Already anticipating her own retirement as Bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne rushed into the appointment of a new dean after the resignation of the Dean of Llandaff, Gerwyn Capon, in May 2022.

One would imagine that with hindsight the bishop now regrets the above video presentation. On 31st March 2024, after another difficult period for Llandaff Cathedral, the retirement of Dean Richard Peers  was announced.

From the tone of the announcement it is clear that deviancy in the Church in Wales has become the norm: "Father Richard has been the Dean of Llandaff since November 2022 and lives with his husband Jim, a garden writer, and their dog Teilo."

A patron of The Open Table Network, Cherry Vann, the Bishop of Monmouth who lives with her civil partner Wendy and their two dogs, invites all to a diocesan celebration with the logo 'Faith in our future'.

The archbishop of Wales has predicted that same-sex couples could marry in church 'within five years'.

For Anglicans in Wales who do not accept the new norm of a secularised Church in Wales but keep the Christian faith as received the future is bleak.

Postscript [07.04.2024]

The bishop of Llandaff has announced that the Rev’d Canon Dr Jason Bray has accepted her invitation for him to become the next Dean of Llandaff Cathedral.

Easter 2024

Resurrection of Christ (Bellini and Mahler)  Source: Wikipedia

Wishing You a Happy and Blessed Easter

Blind guide

The Archbishop of Wales enjoying the Cardiff Iftar Source: X (Twitter)

Posted on X (formerly Twitter) by Archbishop Andrew John:

"What a delight to attend the Cardiff #Iftar organised by the Bangladesh Chamber of Trade. We  have much to celebrate and learn from each other."

The archbishop certainly has much to learn. He could do no better than start by watching this video from Dr Gavin Ashenden: 

A simple Google search shows that 'Iftar' is the fast-breaking evening meal of Muslims in Ramadan at the time of adhan, the call to prayer declaring that there is no God but Allah. Ramadan is the month in which Muslims believe that the Qur'an was sent down from heaven "as a guidance for men and women, a declaration of direction, and a means of salvation."

If archbishop John believes in Christian salvation he should be familiar with Jesus' declaration in John 14:6 - "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

However well intentioned, such gestures as made by the archbishop are a one-way traffic which help endorse a political ideology that regards Christians as infidels to be persecuted for their witness to Christ.

Whilst it is true that the majority of Muslims live peacefully, it takes only a few to stir up trouble and wreak havoc by those who follow the Qur'an literally. 

The Islamic State group have already claimed responsibility for recent atrocities in Russia and in Afghanistan. See also here and here. 

Similar events have been perpetrated in Great Britain by members of the so called religion of peace.

While it is understandable that politicians are eager not to offend Muslim voters it is inexcusable that some Christian leaders appear not to believe their own Bible.

New First Minister's shame

New Welsh Labour leader and First Minister nominee, Vaughan Gething Source: BBC

 Gaining 51.7% of the vote, Vaughan Gething secured a narrow victory over his cabinet colleague to secure the top job in Welsh politics, First Minister of Wales.

It is not an auspicious start. WalesOnline reported that Gething "received a huge £200,000 donation from a man whose companies have been convicted of environmental offences. On the same day that he received the donation, one of the donor's companies submitted an application to build a large solar farm in Cardiff that would require Welsh Government approval." 

The First Minister nominee has refused to return the donations arguing that they were "within the rules". He has since declared another £51,000 in donations.

They may be within the rules but not in the spirit of good government.

Nation Cymru reported that the offences entailed "illegally dumping toxic sludge in the Gwent Levels, a sensitive wetlands landscape near Newport", regarded by former First Minister, Mark Drakeford, as a 'fantastic wild haven' equivalent to the Amazon rainforest for sheer diversity of wildlife.

Toxic sludge to kill off wildlife but not the much needed M4 relief road which Drakeford killed off.

It can only get worse with plans to raise the number of Senedd members from 60 to 96. 

As Penny Mordaunt, Leader of the House of Commons argued, if Westminster were expanded in the way planned for the Senedd it would have more than 2,000 MPs. 

But it gets even worse. Described by the bishop of St Asaph as 'bad news' for democracy, from 2026 votes will be cast for parties instead of individual candidates enabling the Labour Party to tighten its grip in Wales despite its lamentable record, particularly on NHS waiting lists. 

There was a time when Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer regarded Welsh Labour as his "blueprint" for power but no longer. He has twice declined to repeat his claim.

No surprise there. 

Postscript [23.03.2024]

Nation.Cymru reports that "New First Minister Vaughan Gething is facing his first major constitutional clash with the UK Government over a controversial Bill that would enforce a gender-balanced Senedd by law and allow election candidates to self-identify as the gender of their choice."

Self-identifying gender balance! Completely crackpot.

Exclusion!

Source: 'X' (formerly Twitter)

From OneBodyOneFaith - 'Empowering LGBT+ Christians; advocating for change':

"With the Bishops in the Church in Wales, we are organising the second national memorial service to remember and commemorate all LGBT+ people who have lost their lives to suicide or experienced harm following exclusion from Christian faith communities."

Suicide is a tragedy not confined to LGBT+ people. Nor is exclusion.

When will the Church in Wales do something for the many faithful Anglicans who are excluded for keeping the faith? 

Budget shock

"This ‘great altar stone’ as Lutyens’ referred to it, would stand as a memorial feature in the
Commission cemeteries and could be used by those of all faiths and none and act as a symbol of common sacrifice." CWGC

I was not the only person who was surprise by the Chancellor's opening statement in yesterday's budget speech as reported in the Daily Mail: 

"Jeremy Hunt has announced £1million plans for Muslims who died in the First and Second World Wars in his Budget. The chancellor said it would honour those Muslims lost 'in the service of freedom and democracy'."

Some responses here, here, here and here, all neatly summed up by Nigel Farage here.

Need one say more!

Remembering the persecuted during Lent

 

More:

Remembering the persecuted during Lent

Burkina Faso, attack in a Catholic church during Mass, at least 15 dead

The Genocide of 'The Sunday People': 365000000 Christians Persecuted Worldwide

Why is Christian persecution often met with indifference?

Please don’t forget about Palestinian Christians like me

Why is Christian persecution often met with indifference?

Behind a Media Wall of Silence

Muslims are killing Christians in Nigeria. The media couldn’t care less

Christian Communities Facing Increased Persecution in 2024

700 percent rise in church attacks, closures noted in 2024 World Watch List

One in seven Christians worldwide face persecution and discrimination for their faith

The 50 countries where it is hardest to follow Jesus in 2024

Postscripts 

[03.03.2024]

Islamic extremists targeting women, teens for radicalization, Indonesia counter-terrorism group warns

[04.03.2024]

Reported on X (formerly Twitter):

Anger directed at Palestinians who have damaged aid trucks entering the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile in Great Britain: "Millions of brave servicemen have fought for our freedom under the British flag. Now, those same men are being cautioned by the police for holding up that flag." https://twitter.com/SamanthaTaghoy/status/1764209088626373101

The bravery of the few is to be admired: 
The old European patriot has had enough and explains it to them clearly.

[05.03.2024]

More reported on X (formerly Twitter):

"Militant islamists are forcibly converting Christians in Amhara, Ethiopia. Those that don't convert are raped or murdered, or both." https://twitter.com/alfred_cabonena/status/1764894275181973741

‘It’s estimated 50-60% of mosques in the UK have been covertly funded by Saudi to preach extreme [ideology]’

There is not a SINGLE church in Saudi Arabia. Christianity is banned.
Meanwhile, there are over 1,500 mosques in Britain. 
https://twitter.com/GoldingBF/status/1764957864446066822

[06.03.2024]

Dozens of displaced people are feared to have been abducted by Boko Haram jihadists in north-eastern Nigeria  

[07.03.2024]

Kuriga kidnap: More than 100 Nigerian pupils abducted

[08.03.2024]

Adviser warns London a 'no-go zone for Jews every weekend'

[09.03.2024]

From X (formerly Twitter) yesterday:

Rights of non Muslims : When Islam gets into power. Taught in UK and Ireland Mosques

Muslim Imam in UK: "We must unite and create a political system within the nations through Islam."

Manchester. A powerhouse town of the industrial revolution. Now resembles a Taliban caliphate.

Bradford. Is this what our war heroes fought for?

Berlin Lisbon Italy Pakistan

Italian diocese urges Catholics to join Muslims for prayers and meals in Ramadan

[10.03.2024]

More from 'X'

In Sadiq Khan's London there are around 500 mosques, why do they pray in the streets? What message do they want to communicate?

Nigel Farage: "We are surrendering the streets."

Police arrest ANTI HAMAS demonstrator!!

Happy International Women’s Day from London

Nigeria: Fulani Islamic militants opened fire and killed several Christians

[11.03.2024]

Latest from 'X'

When did this become acceptable in our country

Metropolitan police officers shove and harass a Jewish man holding a ‘For Israel Against Antisemitism’ sign. 

"There is only one solution - intifada revolution" - being chanted on the streets of London today.

But vote fishing continues - Prime Minister:
"Ramadan Mubarak to everyone observing the holy month of #Ramadan"

And this from the Archbishop of Canterbury who appears to care not one jot for the Great Commission or for the fate of infidels refusing to pay the jizya in Muslim dominated countries:

God help us all!

[12.03.2024]

While the Prime Minister continues fishing for Muslim votes with a £117 MILLION MUSLIM PROTECTION FUND, in the north of Nigeria even more Christians have been slaughtered by Boko Haram Muslims

Altar reverence

Source: Church Times

Church Times (£):
"THE consistory court of the diocese of Leicester has refused to grant a faculty for the introduction of a new altar frontal at St Nicholas’s, Leicester, displaying the Progress Pride flag and incorporating a cross in the design.

"The Progress Pride flag was 'not a Christian emblem', the Chancellor Naomi Gyane said. While it was 'a sign of welcome for people from the LGBTQIA+ community, and although not itself political,' it was, she said, 'a secular contemporary emblem used for many causes and contemporary discourse'."

From the same article:
"He [Dr Ian Paul. one of the objectors] stated that the purpose of the table at which holy communion was celebrated was to focus the congregation on remembering the death of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and not to focus on contemporary and political issues; and that the presence of the Progress Pride flag introduced a tension with the teachings of Jesus and the scriptures as a whole into the centre of the rite of communion."

Exactly! Take note the Church in Wales. See here and here.

 Church in Wales, St Augustine's Rumney                                                                   Source: Twitter

Gender equality!

"Evan, who stopped his hormone treatments before trying to get pregnant, chest-feeds his

 newborn son in their Massachusetts home."             Source: TIME

The National Catholic Register reports that a recent meeting of the Vatican's Council of Cardinals (C9) discussed the role of women in the Church. The Cardinals were addressed at the meeting by female Anglican bishop, Jo Bailey Wells, currently deputy secretary general of the Anglican Communion.

Bishop Wells was one of the first generation of women to have been ordained in the Church of England and who has campaigned for 'gender equality'. After the meeting she said, "Many have suggested this was an historic moment. Certainly, I was honoured to be invited to describe the Anglican journey in regard to the ordination of women, both in the Church of England and across the Communion. There was deep engagement and some good discussion."

Pope Francis is quoted as being 'very much in favour' of a female diaconate but that there was 'no reflection on the presbyteral ordination of women in the Catholic Church'.

The 'Anglican journey' as Wells put it has been a disaster leading to confusion and disarray, not least for 'gender equality' which has been used to trump common sense.  

In addition to the gender nonsense which is used to deny biological facts, parity is demanded, often with dire results as evidenced following the appointment of many women bishops, particularly in the Church in Wales.

Duplicity abounds resulting in many faithful Anglicans being denied the sacraments and pastoral care.

Pope Francis is on record as declaring that women cannot receive holy orders or be ordained as priests. thus upholding the traditional doctrine of the Catholic Church, yet it is reported that Pope Francis is 'very much in favour' of a female diaconate!

Were that to be achieved, as in Anglicanism, it would be claimed that woman deacons must be allowed to become priests, then bishops along with all the rest of the liberal agenda leading to same sex marriage.

The Pope has already approved same-sex blessings.

The writing is on the wall.

Postscript [17.02.2024]

Dr Jo Bailey Wells to aid reflection on women in Roman Catholic Church (Church Times £)

Environment Agency drops ‘mother’ and ‘father’ from policies

Source: GOV UK

 

From Coalition for Marriage:

Dear marriage supporter,

The Environment Agency has removed the words ‘mother’ and ‘father’ from its staff policies.

The quango said it has instead started using “primary carer” in its maternity, paternity and shared parental leave policies to make them ‘gender-neutral’.

The revelations come in the agency’s 2020 application to LGBT lobby group Stonewall to be included in its list of “top 100 employers”, recently seen by the Times (£).

The agency also said it had told workers they can request “more than one passcard... in order to be able to express different identities on different days”.

A staff survey was also said to have asked employees to confirm whether their gender identity matched the “gender I was assigned at birth”.

The public sector agency added that it brought these ideas to bear on procurement, stating that for all relevant contracts, “we ask potential suppliers to submit details of their EDI [equality, diversity and inclusion] policy as part of their submission”. It is a fair bet the agency will be looking for similar transgender-friendly policies from its contractors and suppliers as it has introduced internally. If so, it is using public funds as leverage to spread contentious gender ideology among private companies.

The latest revelations add to a picture of the crucial differences between men and women being erased as gender ideology spreads unchecked through public and private institutions. What kind of twisted ideology is it that sees mother and father as problematic concepts to be expunged?

Taxpayer-funded institutions like the Environment Agency should not be wasting public money on trying to erase basic facts about human biology or spreading nonsense about people changing sex, perhaps depending on the day of the week!

Much more needs to be done to stop this absurd ideology from doing any more harm than it already has. At C4M, we continue to fight against anything which undermines real marriage.

If you would like to support us financially, you can do so using the button below.

Please Donate

Yours faithfully,

(Signed) Colin Hart

Chairman

Coalition for Marriage (C4M)

See also

 Environment Agency goes woke for Stonewall from The Christian Institute.

and 

'Stonewall still receiving £1.2m in taxpayer subsidies' {16 January 2023}

Diversity, equity and inclusion gone mad.

Caption corner 1 February 2024

Source: Rorate Caeli

 

Publishable captions will appear as comments.

Truth will out!

Many thanks to Dr Gavin Ashenden for his Ashenden Scripted presentation. Truth will out!

More promised from Calvin Robinson on X (formerly Twitter)

Postscript {25.01.2024]

What Happened at the Mere Anglicanism Conference? Calvin Robinson's response.

Beyond a joke

The Bishop of Bangor, Andy John, at  his Enthronement as Archbishop of Wales                            Source: Church in Wales

This photograph was published in Disaster looms closer after the bishop of Bangor, Andy John, was enthroned as archbishop of Wales in 2022. The picture was taken down from the Church in Wales web site after the archbishop was criticised as being disrespectful.

The Church in Wales had already become a joke, so much so that Anglican commentators such as Anglican Unscripted rarely mention it and its many 'firsts'.

The latest 'first' for the Church in Wales is History is made as Church appoints its youngest ever bishop. Emphasising his same sex relationship we are told that in his spare time, 'David enjoys spending time with his fiancé, Marc Penny, and his cat, Gordon'. Not a 'first'. That record goes to the bishop of Monmouth who lives with her same sex partner.

It was the new bishop who was responsible for first publishing the photograph used in Caption corner 22 December 2023 in his X (formerly Twitter) account which I see has also been taken down. No doubt another regret in hindsight.

Meanwhile the Dean of Llandaff who lives with his partner, Jim, is reportedly on sick leave while facing allegations of serious misconduct.

Not even the Llandaffchester Chronicles could have made this up. The Church in Wales is beyond a joke.

Rochdale Report

 From "Easy Meat" (26 August 2014):"  In 2011 the former Home Secretary Jack Straw was accused of 'stereotyping' after suggesting some men of Pakistani origin see white girls as 'easy meat'. He was quick to qualify his remark by adding 'Pakistanis, let's be clear, are not the only people who commit sexual offences, and overwhelmingly the sex offenders' wings of prisons are full of white sex offenders'."

The reticence continues in the BBC report on the Rochdale scandal.

Former Home Secretary Suella Braverman made several comments about the ethnicity of abusers in high-profile gangs. In the Mail on Sunday she said "the perpetrators are groups of men, almost all British-Pakistani".

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said "Victims of grooming gangs have been ignored because of political correctness". 

That must stop.

Near miss!

Archbishop of Canterbury                      Source: MailOnline                   Ex PO CEO Paula Vennells

 In 2021 Religion Media Centre reported "The Rev Paula Vennells, former chief executive of the Post Office, is “stepping back” from her role as a parish priest, after the scandal of postal workers wrongly convicted for financial crimes, caused by a faulty IT system."

From MailOnline yesterday: "Revealed: How disgraced ex-Post Office chief Paula Vennells nearly became the Bishop of London after being 'supported' in her application by Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby."

Vennells was ordained as a priest in the Church of England in 2006 and served as a non-stipendiary minister in the Diocese of St Albans. Her lack of experience in the ordained ministry, particularly at a senior level did not deter her from applying for the post of Bishop of London, the third most senior position in the Church of England, for which she was shortlisted.

Apparently believing that administrative skills are more important than pastoral care, her application for the post was reportedly supported by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Whilst the Post Office scandal is at last receiving the attention it deserves, the conduct of the Church of England deviating from the faith to act like a political organisation must not be overlooked.