Barry's blunder

Another irate email from a friend in the Church in Wales reminds me of the Grand Mufti tales that used to appear in the Llandaffchester Chronicles. 

Well insulated from lesser mortals in his palace on the Green, the publicity hungry Archbishop has used the 9/11 anniversary to promote his idea of mutual understanding between Muslims and Christians issuing a joint statement with the Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Wales, Saleem Kidwai. The Archbishop is not alone in his delusion that Islam will embrace Christianity if he panders to Muslim demands. Others have committed the same blunder. Ironically he appears to have more dialogue with Muslims than with the 'traditionalists' in his own church despite his supposed position as a visible sign of unity [see Para 3.1.3 of the link]!


Reading about him in his Wikipedia entry the Secretary General, Saleem Kidwai, is a pillar of society but far less impressive are the warnings highlighted here. Of course Muslims want to live in peace and harmony with Christians who form a majority but that is not the case in countries where Christians are a minority and will not be here if the position is reversed. I have been told that Muslims in the Archbishop's diocese are spreading a story that Jesus was a Muslim while others claim that Jesus prophesied Muhammad in the Bible. A response to these absurd suggestions can be found here.


As the influence of the Anglican church declines in England and in Wales its bishops are more intent on fostering Islam than preaching Christianity. According to the latest Church in Wales press release their Archbishop "will turn to the Welsh writer R S Thomas to sort out the current problems in the Anglican church in a lecture next week. [He] will suggest Thomas’ poetry has much to teach the church today about the nature of faith as it struggles to resolve tensions over the ordination of women bishops and gay people." One could add, tensions he and his liberal friends have created. Let's be honest, if listeners want to hear the Christian message they would be better off listening in to Fr Zakaria Botros.

Wales Ordinariate Exploration Group

Belmont Abbey is the venue chosen to begin the process of exploration and discernment for those who are interested in knowing more about the Ordinariate. Anglo Catholic laity and clergy will meet there with the Ordinary, Monsignor Keith Newton, on Saturday 5 November 2011. The following details have now emerged: 

11.00am tea/coffee on arrival at Belmont Abbey 'Parish Centre'

11.30am Keynote Address (Monsignor Newton)

12.45pm Midday Office with the Belmont Abbey Community, followed by lunch

1.45pm 'Open Session' - further questions & answers, discussion, and briefing on plans for continuing further exploration after the day

3.00pm conclude with a brief Act of Devotion and depart

How ironic that 'traditionalists' in Wales have their own Archbishop "Bazzer" of Neath to thank for this development. Since the retirement of their much respected Provincial Assistant Bishop David Thomas, the Archbishop has shown remarkable contempt for traditionalists in Wales. In fact, his concern for followers of a false prophet over the faithful in his own church earned him the title of Grand Mufti of Wales in the Llandaffchester Chronicles. Helping him to rub in the salt have been members of the clergy with an eye on preferment who have sold out to His Darkness's vision of a church that is 'more relevant to society' than a vision of heaven on earth and who now belittle those who remain faithful to the teaching of the Universal Church. Their sneers that an Ordinariate in Wales had a fat chance are about to be tested.

In a comment under an earlier post the question was posed, "With two bishops on its pay roll, statistics reveal, that the diocese of Llandaff has the least number of communicants throughout the province of Wales. How on earth do these two keep their jobs?" Quite so. With six Diocesan Bishops and Deans, an Ass Bishop and 26 Archdeacons presiding over ever decreasing numbers, the Harris review already has plenty to think about. The possibility of an Ordinariate in Wales and all that that implies will give them an unexpected bone to chew over.