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.

False start for Llandaff 2020 Year of Pilgrimage

Church in Wales primary school children's "insightful visit" to South Wales Islamic Centre "learning
 about  the mosque, the Islamic faith and how light is important to Muslims."  Source: Twitter

Click here to see Barnaby Bear gazing in awe at the 'beautiful stained glass' windows on display in the mosque, identifying ways light is important/displayed in the Islamic faith, ie, that for Muslims, Allah is the Light of the heavens and the earth.

Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life."

Re-tweeted by Llandaff Diocese: "A multi faith Pilgrimage! This is exactly what the Year of Pilgrimage is all about! Have a great day." Really!

Jesus also said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Does Jolly June and her sycophants not understand that Islam denies that Jesus is the Son of God, that He died on the Cross in the greatest act of redemptive love? Clearly not.

Stained Glass in Wales lists numerous churches and cathedrals with stained glass windows illuminating the Christian pilgrimage so why take impressionable young children to a mosque rather than to a cathedral or a parish church? 

The Diocese of Llandaff launched its Year of Pilgrimage with a special service in Llandaff Cathedral on Sunday 12 January, 2020. It was claimed that 'Llandaff’s Year of Pilgrimage aims to celebrate Christian heritage and reinvigorate church life across South Wales'.

Christian pilgrimage is generally regarded as a journey to a Christian shrine or a sacred place to enrich one's faith so not the best start for the Llandaff 2020 Year of Pilgrimage, helping young school children to identify ways light is important in the Islamic faith.

Harmony

A Russian search and rescue team loads their equipment to support the search for Indonesia AirAsia

flight QZ8501. (Darren Whiteside/Reuters)

The Russians are coming! - But fear not.

They were not invading. They are part of the multinational team searching for the crashed AirAsia passenger jet.

Disasters bring out the best in people. Countries which have been at loggerheads reveal common humanity when an Act of God occurs or when disasters strike. But that is the exception

The harmony so beautifully expressed in Eli Jenkins' prayer demonstrates what can be achieved when people sing from the same sheet. So why so much discord? Back from their Christmas holiday break government ministers and shadow ministers have been busily trying to convince us why they should be in power, bolstering assumptions, false or otherwise. There is little harmony in politics and unlikely to be so.

On the surface, interfaith dialogue is harmonious but anyone reading just a little about Islam must be apprehensive. Read about the challenge which Islam presents to the Christian community here in "A Topical Study of the Qur'an from a Christian Perspective". Harmony will be achieved only on Islamic terms so it is not difficult to understand that deception plays a key role in Islamic propaganda. It is a successful strategy. In Germany protesters against the Islamisation of their country have been accused of "rising xenophobia" adding to the customary charges of Islamophobia and racism even though Islam is a religious ideology not a race. The protesters' fears are not unreasoned. That is made abundantly clear here in "Muslim Leaders in Australia Say Banning Terrorism Will Ban Islam". For another perspective read also Alexander Boot's blog entry "Muslim countries? Even Belgium is better than any of them".

But what of the Christian faith on this Feast of the Epiphany? The last entry of one of the blogs I follow ends depressingly for many 'traditionalist' Anglicans with the words ..."those of us who remain behind in whatever ecclesial funk holes are left to us for the time being - only a sense of the gathering darkness ....." How sad - and unnecessary.

'His Darkness' the Archbishop of Wales preached on darkness in his sermon on Christmas Day. Without any hint of irony he said "Stand up against the world’s darkness and show the light of God". Dr Morgan rightly drew attention to the plight of Syrian refugees forced to flee their country. Many thousands have died, others have been allowed to drift in vessels abandoned by their crews after paying their life savings to escape religious intolerance. Their oppressors in Syria, and in Iraq and elsewhere, are not interpreting the Quran, they are following the Quran.

Dr Morgan said: "The Gospel of John boldly proclaims that ‘the light shines in the darkness and the darkness does not overcome it’. Is that really the case, because it doesn’t seem to ring true to some of our experiences as human beings?" It doesn't ring true for some members of the Church in Wales but he, uniquely, is in a position to let the light overcome the darkness that hangs over many in his flock if he followed the Gospel instead of adapting it.

Be bold ++Barry. You can dispel the sense of "gathering darkness" and restore harmony to your Church. Cast aside your own intolerance and show the "light of God" to the Church in Wales this Epiphany.

The Light of the World

Wishing you a Happy and Blessed Christmas