Archbishop's diary

New Archbishop of Wales Andy John blessing Loco No 6 Duncan on its 100th birthday                      Source: Herald Wales

Puzzled by his unexplained absence from HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee Thanksgiving Service, I  tried to establish what pressing engagements the new Archbishop of Wales has been involved in. 

Unlike his predecessor who saw no need to build up his office following his election, archbishop Andy John initially busied himself building an entourage to assist him in shouldering the burden of carrying out the 'national responsibilities' of his new office. 

He has appointed an assistant bishop, a personal assistant and a chaplain. 

I drew a blank searching for the archbishop's engagements or diary on the unwieldy Church in Wales web site so tried 'Googling' instead. The results were disappointing. Entering various combinations such as 'archbishop andy john's diary' I found nothing. 'archbishop andy John's engagements', again produced nothing. 

When searching specifically under 'News', all I found I found was Archbishop criticised for being in group pulling faces in 'disrespectful' photo at Bangor Cathedral.

Appointing an assistant bishop, the archbishop said "I am delighted that Mary has agreed to take on operational responsibility for much of the life of our Diocese [emphasis added] to assist me while I take on the role of Archbishop of Wales." 

 

The Job Purpose of the PA is more enlightening:

"The PA delivers a variety of operational support services to enable the Archbishop of Wales to carry out his national responsibilities [emphasis added] and those within the Diocese of Bangor.

As a key member of the team, the PA will provide administrative and operational support in relation to the Archbishop’s changing, demanding and complex workload. The PA will work closely with the Archbishop, his Chaplain, and others to provide practical support, good initiative and engagement in delivering a range of tasks.

 

"The PA is the first point of contact, co-ordinating and supporting meetings, preparing briefings, processing correspondence and arranging logistics to ensure that the work of the Archbishop is efficient, effective and responsive to changing requirements."

The Archbishop's chaplain "will be a key member of the Archbishop's team, supporting and resourcing [emphasis added] his ministry, both practically and through prayer, and preparing his public engagements."

The Archbishop is paid a salary of £51,740. His assistant bishop £43,979, and, so far as I can establish, the chaplain £21,990. The PA (Grade C) is paid around £25,000.

So to support him as he carries out his national responsibilities, the archbishop has added around £91,000 to his £51,740 salary giving a total of £142,740. I have failed to identify any program of engagements or pronouncements other than "same-sex couples could marry in church 'within five years'."

Apart from recruiting his episcopal entourage and blessing Loco No 6 Duncan on its 100th birthday (pictured), 'Googling' has turned up nothing to explain the archbishop's 'busy schedule' which makes his snub of the most important event of his archbishopric, the Thanksgiving Service, even more disgraceful.

If he is hiding his light under a bushel then he should let it shine so that people can see his good works.

Another change at Llandaff's deanery?

Another Llandaff vacancy?

In 2013 the Church in Wales lost probably the best woman priest appointed to serve in its tiny province. Janet Henderson resigned her position as Dean of Llandaff after only two months in the post.

The episode opened a can of worms. There were rumours, charges and counter-charges. To her credit Janet Henderson did not allow any of the mud to stick on the accused.

The real reason for her departure remains a mystery so, undeterred, archbishop Morgan carried on as before regarding the Church in Wales as his personal fiefdom.

Former commercial property developer and the archbishop's Chaplain Gerwyn Capon was appointed Dean of Llandaff in 2017. The appointment did nothing to resolve the problem. It exacerbated it.

Two camps formed. The 'antiques' group being largely in favour of the appointment and those who thought the elevation of a relatively inexperienced priest to a senior position was asking for trouble.

Commentators have made their views clear on this blog since Barry Morgan made the appointment. Comments made under the preceding entry suggest that the matter may soon be resolved by the departure of Dean Capon. Currently on sick leave it is thought in clergy circles that the dean is unlikely to return other than to allow access for the removal men.

I had already received uncorroborated information that a complaint of bullying had been lodged by the dean after he was confronted by the bishop about 'a web of deception'.

The Church in Wales is becoming a woman's world.

The dean's departure would provide June with the opportunity to make another feminist senior appointment.

The bishop of Llandaff has already proved to be provocative as a LGBT+ campaigner and in her appointment of the first transgender vicar, now Canon Sarah Jones.

After news that most deacons ordained in the Church of England in 2019 were women it has been reported that the Church of Sweden which encourages its clergy to use gender-neutral language now has more female than male priests for the first time, described as "a sign of huge strides for gender equality since women were first allowed to be ordained in 1960."

The priesthood is not about gender equality but secular criteria have been used to sway public opinion resulting in a secularised church making politically correct appointments.

Archbishop Morgan has much to answer for. He was in the forefront of the drive for the ordination of women and same sex marriage. The Church in Wales now has the first lesbian bishop living openly in a same sex relationship. With her two LGBT campaigning sister bishops they now have gender parity on the bench. No doubt they will be insisting that the next archbishop of Wales will be a woman.

The Church in Wales is heading for extinction by 2040, largely as a result of archbishop Morgan following the example of his heretical mentor, Katharine Jefferts Schori the former Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States (TEC).

Katharine Jefferts Schori                   Barry Morgan

Along with the Church of England TEC is on a downward spiral 

Some legacy!

Time to dump the Lords Spiritual?

Source: Report of the All-Party Parliamentary Humanist Group on Religion or Belief in Parliament

The recent Report of the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group on Religion and Belief includes some interesting recommendations. In addition to dumping the Lords Spiritual there are recommendations on The Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons, Prayers in Parliament and Parliament's Role in Governing the Church of England.

In their Forward to the report the Group observe that:

"The UK is more diverse than ever before. In 1983 some 40 percent of British adults said they were Anglicans, 24 percent other Christians, 4 percent other religions, and 31 percent belonging to no religion. Nowadays 13 percent say they are Anglicans, 25 percent other Christians, 10 percent other religions, and 53 percent of no religion. These trends look set to continue – today just one percent of British adults aged 18-24 are Anglicans.

"...Parliament remains a Christian institution. 26 bishops of the Church of England receive automatic  places in the House of Lords. The speaker of the House of Commons has to appoint a Church of England chaplain. The Church of England opens proceedings each day by leading prayers. Parliament governs the Church – through its approval of Church measures, through the ecclesiastical committee, and through questions in the House of Commons."

Anglican Bishops and Archbishops sit in the House of Lords by virtue of the Bishoprics Act 1878. But bishops are not what they were. Mainly trendy lefties, the typical Anglican bishop today is wedded to the spirit of the age, conforming to the pattern of the world. As members of the House of Lords they are able to use a privileged position to lead even more people astray.

The situation has become more absurd following the Lords Spiritual (Women) Act 2015 which allows  accelerating the appointment of women bishops to the House of Lords for no reason other than they are female bishops.

Assorted Lords Spiritual at the State Opening of Parliament  October 2019                Source: Twitter

What an insult to such formidable peers as Baroness Trumpington, Baroness Seear and Baroness (Shirley) Williams of Crosby to give just a few examples. 

Lightweight bishops sitting as Lords Spiritual is even more of a nonsense when the majority of Anglican bishops give the impression of having nothing spiritual about them.

They have become an anachronism and deserve to be dumped so long as the baby is not thrown out with the bathwater. 

Prince Charles has been quoted in the past as saying that on ascending the throne he would become Defender of the Faiths rather than the Faith. Even if he were not to inherit the title of Supreme Governor of the Church of England that would still turn his coronation into a charade. He has since denied the claim but still harbours Islamic leanings.

The Parliamentary Humanist Group drew attention to another charde, the appointment of the Chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons. By custom the Speaker appoints a Church of England chaplain. In what was regarded as an act of political correctness, the then Speaker, John Bercow, of Jewish heritage but not religious, set aside convention and appointed his own choice, the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin.

Hudson-Wilkin now bishop of Dover! 

State opening of Parliament, May 8, 2013.                Source: The Church of England in Parliament

Chaplain to the House of Commons

It has been reported that Mr Speaker Bercow has appointed the Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin to be the new Chaplain to the House of Commons.

According to The Telegraph, Mrs Hudson-Wilkin was picked by John Bercow ahead of the preferred candidate. The Rev Rose Hudson-Wilkin denied that she was a “victim” or a “token”, and insisted she could perform well in the high-profile role. She defended herself following claims that she had been chosen by the Speaker to avoid having “another predictable middle-aged white man” in the job.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/religion/7862058/Black-woman-Chaplain-to-Commons-denies-political-correctness-claims.html

So against advice, the son of Jewish parents has appointed a black woman to a high-profile position at the heart of Government at the very time the Church of England is being ripped apart by controversy. Forget ‘Jewish’, ‘black’, one-legged or whatever the saying is in anti-PC vernacular, it is not whether she can ‘perform well in the high-profile role’ but whether she should. It is not just the Anglican Church which appears to be thumbing its nose to the majority of Christians throughout the world.