From a St Davids Diocesan press release: The Bishop of St Davids, Joanna Penberthy, is to take part in a BBC Wales TV debate on gender equality.
Previewed on Twitter the bishop kicks off with a great deal of satisfaction in that she is the 129th successor to St David and 128 of them have been men. That in itself should tell her something but note the hash tags: #equality and #gender equality. Theology has no place in the Church in Wales today. Hence the declining numbers.
The bishop could also reflect on Acts 6. The Apostles said: Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
The faith of the Church is not something to be tampered with. If the bishop of St Davids finds it hard, it is of her own choosing. Obedience to the faith is about theology, not secular notions of gender equality.
Not content with changing the rules which protect the sanctity of marriage the gay lobby now expects the State to pay for unprotected sex via the NHS to help prevent them contracting HIV: "Aids campaigners are celebrating a watershed victory after the high court ruled that NHS England can pay for 'game-changer' drugs that prevent people being infected with HIV by their partners".
While it may be cheaper in the long run to prevent rather than treat Aids, there has to be added to the cost of the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug the cost of treating any side effects plus treating the added risk of STDs which is rising among gay and bisexual men. But there is more to this than the money. There is a moral dimension.
With limited resources to provide essential treatment there are, for example, needy children with cystic fibrosis, people with cancer who have to apply for funding to just give them some hope through no fault of their own. Twenty-five vital cancer drugs have been deemed 'too expensive' for the NHS.
With so many pressing health needs the tax payer should not be asked to fund a life-style choice at the expense of the needy.
Conservative MP Peter Bone questioned why the NHS is choosing to fund this, especially considering its limited resources for more necessary medical services:
"The NHS is does not have endless pots of cash and, with accident and emergency departments and hospitals bursting at the seams, we should stop pretending that it does," he said. "When you go into realms like this, I am not sure why the taxpayer should be funding it. It’s something that people could surely fund privately if they want to. We’ve had changes in the Cancer Drugs Fund which will stop some cancer drugs being available to people on cost grounds. "I just sometimes ask if the NHS is getting its priorities right."
I had hoped to write to you around this time with considered reaction to the Code of Practice which the Bench of Bishops has been instructed to produce to accompany the Bill which allows women to become bishops. But the code has not yet been published so we are still in the limbo of waiting.
The likely scenario for the Code now is that it will be published immediately after the presidential address at the September meeting of the Governing Body and that address itself will be in part about the Code.
It is tempting at this time of not knowing to do one of two things:
1 To say with Elijah 'It is enough' and just to give up the hope and give up the struggle.
2 To become totally negative and to reject everything that is going on around us; pulling up the drawbridge and ignoring our brothers and sisters in the church.
Neither of these approaches will do. After all these years of struggling to maintain Catholic Faith and Apostolic Order we cannot give in to despair or defeat. We owe it to those who have gone before us in the fight: and even more to those who will follow us. There has to be a future for our children and our children's children and such a future will not be there if we give up, or give in to negativity and despair.
It is possible for a church to go forward with a 'mixed economy' of belief and practice. We have done it already with women priests and the Church of England has shown us how it can be done with women bishops.
So keep praying. Praying that what comes from the Bench will be offered in a spirit of generosity and love: praying that it will be received by the whole of the Church in Wales as a way of living with one another in love and respect and diverting the time and energy that has been used in these discussions and debates to proclaiming the Gospel to the people of Wales and offering them the gift of Life that Jesus alone can give.
As the Archbishop of Canterbury said in the recent debates in York:
"You don't chuck out family. You make them feel at home even when you disagree."
We will have the opportunity to meet in prayer and worship following the GB meeting when we go to Shrewsbury for our annual Festival of Faith. As you see, Bishop Jonathan of Ebbsfleet will preside and preach - and after hearing him at the Chrism Mass and at Glastonbury we know we will be well fed with the authentic word of God. The Bishop has juggled with his diary in order to be able to come that day and I hope you will all respond with an equal enthusiasm both out of respect for him and as a sign of your continuing commitment to our cause.
With my continuing prayers for you all I am yours in the love of Christ
Alan Rabjohns
The above information has been circulated by Credo Cymru, the Welsh arm of Forward in Faith. From paragraph 2 it appears that the Code of Practice required under the Bill to allow women to be bishops in the Church in Wales will be presented to those for whom it is intended as a fait accompli.
Also, I see from the Church in Wales web site (here) that the Church in Wales has joined the 'Keep me Posted' campaign emphasising the importance of choice. As the Archbishop of Wales Dr Barry Morgan rightly says, "Whatever the reason, far too many people are being penalised or disadvantaged". Pray that his own Church members are not penalised or disadvantaged by the Bench when the Code of Practice is published. - Now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love - hopefully!
