Petertide ordinations in Wales

Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby welcomed female priests at St Paul's Cathedral in 2014                                                                               Source: BBC

For the first time since women were accepted for ordination, most deacons ordained in the Church of England in 2019 were women, only 44% of whom were aged under 40.

It can be only a matter of time before Anglicanism in this country is dominated by women who feel free to do as they please.

In 2020 the Covid-19 lockdown has resulted in churches being closed, only now re-opening for private prayer but that has not prevented the Church in Wales from carrying out some ordinations.

The diocese of Monmouth has been asked by bishop Cherry openly to pray for a new female deacon who will be ordained in Newport Cathedral today.

Of more concern is the rumoured secretive ordination behind Llandaff Cathedral's closed doors today of a man reportedly in a same sex marriage.

Some observations from a concerned commentator:

The regulations forbidding clergy holding public services in their churches have been the cause of deep anxiety and concern.  Even when our churches are permitted to be open for private prayer they will not be allowed to vocalise any form of worship.  Grotesque?  Yes.  You may only go into a church if you promise not to utter aloud any praise of God or articulate intercession!

However – one rule for the lower clergy, another for the hierarchy – there is a rumour doing the rounds that Mrs Goulding (alias the bishop of Llandaff) is intent on secretly holding a ‘private’ ordination service behind the locked doors of Llandaff Cathedral in the presence of only a few members of the Chapter.  ‘A private ordination behind locked doors’ is no more possible than a ‘private marriage behind locked doors’.  Ordination is the concern and action of the whole people of God.  The service makes this clear at various points when the congregation is asked questions about the suitability of the candidates and whether it is the wish of the people that they be ordained.

Furthermore, there is apparently to be no Communion.  The 1662 Prayer Book, and Wales 1984 – and indeed all ordination services – are within the context of the Eucharist.  ‘ . . . all they that receive Orders shall take together, and remain in the same place where hands were laid upon them, until such time as they have received the Communion.”

If the bishop and the priest do not receive the Holy Communion together then one may justifiably question whether it is a legal or valid ordination.

Postscript

Social distancing being ignored:

Deaconing in Newport Cathedral 27 June 2020                         Source: YouTube

RE-OPENING CHURCHES UPDATE Monmouth news Posted: 19 June 2020

Postscripts [28.06.2020]

Episcopal double standards in evidence?

Following the report of a secretive ordination service in Llandaff Cathedral a tweet from Llandaff diocese has been posted in response to a tweet in which it was queried whether or not churches can now hold worship providing it is behind closed doors:

"Llandaff Diocese #StaySafe

@LlandaffDio

Morning Rachel. Yes, ordinations  took place in the cathedral yesterday. Doors were closed because public were unable to attend due to strict social distancing rules. No family or friends could attend. 

Unusual circumstances this but safety must come first. ✝️❤️"

There was no announcement of the service that I can find and no prayers invited for the ordinand(s) - more than one is now indicated.

In view of the serious observations contained in the main post, above, a fuller explanation should be made instead of a Covid-19 safety brush off.  

PS 2 [28.06.2020]

A further tweet shows five candidates were ordained as deacons to serve in the diocese plus another four presumably to serve in other dioceses.

Postscript [29.06.2020]

Source: CinW Twitter

The latest Petertide ordinations reported on Twitter:

"Ordinations Covid-style in St David's Church Abergwili - congratulations to Heulwen Evans, Jordan Spencer and Lorna Jones, the first of our Deacons to be ordained yesterday (Sunday 28th). All duly socially distanced..."

So should one assume there was no laying on of hands in Abergwili?

Postscript [01.07.2020]

From Twitter: Next, St Asaph

"ORDINATIONS

It should have been the ordination of priests last Saturday, and I am currently working towards the provisional date of Saturday, 3rd October, for the ordination of our seven priest candidates (Gareth Erlandson, Sally Harper, Simon Piercy, Chris Spencer, Sue Storey, Carol Thomas and James Tout), hoping that it will be possible to hold the ordination in the Cathedral as usual.  Do please hold all these individuals in your thoughts and prayers.

By agreement with the Welsh Government, however, we will be able to proceed with the ordination of our deacon candidates, and this is because the government has accepted the argument that it is a necessary step to their assuming ministry and their work as Assistant Curates.  In line with government regulations, the ordination service will be online live streamed and recorded, and socially distanced, or with PPE precautions.  Ordinations are joyful occasions when we give thanks to God for the calling of men and women to ordained service, but on this occasion, the absence of supporters and a congregation will be keenly felt.  It is my hope, therefore, that many of us can hold them in prayer at the time, and support them from a distance.  Please remember George Bearwood, Luke Bristowe, Helen Dawson, Toby Jones, Gregory Lachlann-Waddell, Ben Lines, Jo MacKriell, Jim Thompson and Gail Woodward in your prayers." - AD CLERUM - JULY 2020

If there was 'agreement with the Welsh Government' as stated it makes the secrecy surrounding the ordination, Monmouth excluded, all the more surprising

The bench should come clean and explain to the faithful how the ordinations were conducted with social distancing and whether they took part in the context of the Eucharist.

Postscript [05.07.2020]

Source: Church in Wales

St Asaph coming clean at their Petertide ordination service yesterday. Oodles of photos here. Clearly much thought of safeguarding is in evidence.

A Female Diaconate!

Representatives of the Women's Ordination Conference stage a protest in front of St. Peter's Basilica
at the Vatican on Tuesday, June 8, 2010.   Source: Washington post Photo by Pier Paolo Cito

 "Amongst a lot of social change, we too continue to see the loss of Sunday churchgoing. And this can feel as if we’re in terminal decline. Add to that the loss of connectedness many once had with the church – now more than half our neighbours happily describe themselves as having ‘no religion’. And then add the lost trust in what the church stands for - ask anyone under 30 what they make of the Church and they’ll pretty soon mention our unhealthy preoccupations with gender and sexuality. Those multiple losses feel really significant for those who love the Church and all it stands for."

The words of the bishop of Llandaff, June Osborne, delivered in her Presidential Address at the Llandaff Diocesan Conference 2019 following her observation that churches in the Gwent Valleys had suffered 'a 37% loss of membership within just the last few years'.

Despite similar evidence from other Anglican Provinces that have ordained women, the Roman Catholic Church appears oblivious to the dangers of creating a female diaconate. It is clear from experience in the Anglican Communion that ordaining women deacons provided them with a stepping-stone in a planned progression from women deacons to women bishops resulting in exclusion for many and indifference to their plight.

Once women deacons established a toehold in the Anglican Church, equality of opportunity, not theology, took hold. The rest is history. People who rarely if ever set foot in a church have become arbiters of what is or is not acceptable in Anglicanism as liberal leaning bishops strain to be evermore relevant to society.

In 2010 the US Washington Times reported the results of a Poll that showed 80% of Catholics were 'comfortable' with the idea of women priests but it is worth remembering that the US Episcopal Church started the Anglican rot which spread to England and Wales resulting in many faithful Anglicans finding themselves effectively unchurched.

Other Catholics claimed that the Catholic Church would never ordain women but within a decade of that poll Pope Francis appears open to reversing claims made by Pope John Paul II that the Church had no authority to ordain women (1994) and those who continued discussing women’s ordination were effectively excommunicating themselves (1998).

One Catholic bishop, Athanasius Schneider, auxiliary bishop of Astana, Kazakhstan, has claimed that the Amazon Synod was being used as a “tool” to change the Church and create “a new kind of religion", a situation familiar to orthodox Anglicans who find themselves excluded by newcomers.

Speaking after the conclusion of Rome’s Amazon Synod which approved a document calling for  further discussion on allowing women deacons, the former President of Ireland, Mary McAleese, described a male-only priesthood as "codology dressed up as theology".    

It is difficult to take such women seriously when their interests appear to be more about feminine power than spreading the Gospel. True they use the Gospel but for their own ends. They talk of love and inclusion but are content to see women and men who do not share their views excluded, leaving them with no church to attend and no pastoral care.

Continuing her presidential address at the 2019 Llandaff diocesan conference June Osborne said "So many want to tell me how church life enriches their existence and is precious to them."

Church life did that for many others before they were excluded but the breed of woman that seeks power in the Church couldn't care less who is hurt on their march to the top. Instead they complain of discrimination and misogyny if anyone dares to disagree with them as they look to society for support.

Osborne started her address by referring to the September Electoral College which chose a new Bishop of Monmouth. She described the decision as excellent saying, "I know Archdeacon Cherry Vann will be an outstanding bishop for our friends in Monmouth."

There have been rumours that Cherry Vann was not the choice of Monmouth diocese and that their candidate was rejected which suggests yet another stitch up by the Church in Wales establishment in pursuit of their liberal agenda.

In her first interview following her election the bishop-elect said: “I am also aware that the church is struggling to be relevant in people’s lives. I want to work with people to find ways of communicating, what is essentially, a message of love and hope to people who find the institutional church difficult or inaccessible."

St Paul spoke of love in action. He also said: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."

The movement for ordaining women to the priesthood peddles a false concept of equality in defiance of the message received through scripture and tradition which have been followed by generations in a broad Church. All has changed.

After women were ordained deacons in the Anglican Church demands for priesting quickly followed employing claims of discrimination and misogyny if they were denied what they claimed was the next logical step. They claimed that it did not mean that women wanted to be bishops, until they were priests.

After women were admitted to the priesthood, it was the 'stained glass' ceiling and promises of mutual flourishing if women were allowed to become bishops. Another false promise. 

Now that there are women bishops parity is demanded using the usual slogans of discrimination and inequality. Parity has already been achieved in the Church in Wales following the 'election' of Cherry Vann.

In her presidential address Osborne referred to the "lost trust in what the church stands for" adding: "ask anyone under 30 what they make of the Church and they’ll pretty soon mention our unhealthy preoccupations with gender and sexuality".

That preoccupation has been manifested most prominently in female bishops. Presumably they haven't finished yet.

Rome beware.