We have heard from a pair of well-placed and unrelated sources that Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, may be coming to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Anaheim in July. These reports are still unconfirmed, but details from the two sources are similar. They suggest the ABC would arrive on the first or second day of the convention, possibly participate in some sort of forum about the world economic situation, offer a meditation at the daily Eucharist on the third day of convention and then depart. A number of other Primates are invited as well. We will keep you posted.
If this is true, I pray that the Archbishop of Canterbury doesn't come to try to exercise influence at GC. If he comes to listen, and learn, and observe how the General Convention of the Episcopal Church works, that could be all right. I'm always a bit nervous about the ABC - more than a bit, really. I hope for the best, but I fear the worst.
H/T to Ann.
UPDATE: A reminder to all from Susan Russell at An Inch At A Time:
(Book of Common Prayer, page 10 in the Preface)
... when in the course of Divine Providence, these American States became independent with respect to civil government, their ecclesiastical independence was necessarily included; and the different religious denominations of Christians in these States were left at full and equal liberty to model and organize their respective Churches, and forms of worship, and discipline, in such manner as they might judge most convenient for their future prosperity; consistently with the constitution and laws of their country.
I agree, Grandmere. If Tufti is coming to tell us Yanks how to conform to the "Anglican Church", then we might need to dump some tea into the Pacific in protest!
ReplyDeleteThink of it! A tea party in the West.
ReplyDeleteIt would probably have to be a sushi party -- but I'm in. And: Mimi -- have you heard that your beloved governor will decline money for unemployment insurance? What a twit You need to make HIM unemployed. (up hill battle, I realize)
ReplyDeleteSusanKay, he's acting like an ass. The members of the legislature are wising up and talking of overriding his decision. I don't if they can do that, but I hope it's possible.
ReplyDeleteThey can over-ride him, Mimi, which is why he and three other governors - Texas, MS & SC - feel free to make the threat, pandering to the far-right in hopes of the White House four years down the road. Jim Clyburn, House Chief Whip & my congressman, aware that our governor, Mark Sandford was likely to do this, wrote into the legislation a provision allowing state legislatures to override a governor who would nullify its provisions.
ReplyDeleteSanford, who last year vetoed an increase in our lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax, the proceeds of which would have been used to fund healthcare for children and the seriously needy uninsured, is so much a pawn of the out-of-state far right that he has split the state's Republican majority, one of the strongest in the US, from top to bottom, and legislatively has achieved next to nothing in six years in office. In 2008, Time magazine rated Sanford 48th worst governor in the US. 49 & 50 were under investigation or indictment.
I guess this goes with the Jindal post. I'm glad that the legislature can. I should have checked it out before I spoke out.
ReplyDeleteGrandmere --I, too, am concerned about ++His presence.... the snarky woman in me thinks we should let the people of NH show him the fringe.... or perhaps he could willlingly accept the same kind of hospitality he imposed.
ReplyDelete...don't like the smell of it at all.
sorry your gov'nor is such a twit...
Who invited the ABC? I didn't. I believe that he's coming to exercise influence.
ReplyDeleteAnd, if we're not careful, the HOB, which is absolutely beguiled by a British accent in a purple shirt, will say 'yes' to anything +++He says. It's positively shameful and disgusting. I say we start now to stock pile lots of anti-anxiety pills and start to raise funds to bring MadPriest over, as an antidote to +++Himself.
ReplyDeleteTee hee hee hee hee.
Gee, do you suppose he is coming to ask for money? Didn't that little Lambeth get together leave the Church of England in debt? Count me in for the sushi/tea party in Anaheim. And it sure would be one "grand day out" if we could arrange for both MadPriest and you - Grandmère Mimi - to meet us all in Anaheim. I just made my hotel reservations, so you all are invited to my room...
ReplyDeleteElizabeth, I can see it now. The Clash of the Titans.
ReplyDeleteIf the HOB is swayed that easily by an English accent, the we will have to get MadPriest over here.
HF, will you have drinks in your room?
of course - you bring the ice!
ReplyDeleteBack on topic, you can bet your life he's doing this to try and keep the lid on the Gracious Restraint thing. Maybe, while he's this side of the Atlantic he'll be flying down to Buenos Aires to push the same idea on Greg Venables? Fat chance, "compliance" being the one-way street it is. If Williams had held the line on Jeffrey John where would the Anglican Communion be today? In a less fractured state, I v. much suspect, because he would not have emboldened the Radical Right so much.
ReplyDeleteAn opportunity, at any rate, for a little subtle payback for his treatment last year of Gene Robinson. A little more crow with your tea, Archbishop?
+++Rowan Who? Stop giving this guy power he neither has nor wants... we should instead insure that +Rowan, First Bishop of Playing is there!
ReplyDeleteHe's coming at the beginning of the week, tis said, which should give us Americans a chance to regroup, should he try to cast a wizardly spell upon the HoB or the HoD -- and let's not forget that not a few deputies are as beguiled by England as bishops are.
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, I'm hoping I can present him with a copy of a certain book... heh heh heh.
Seriously, this is a late visit -- previous ABoCs have managed to attend the first GC after their election, and this will be Rowan's first (though he's been in the US a number of times in other venues.)
Here's to hoping he plays nice during his visit, and doesn't make any mobile phone calls towards the end of the session...
Lapin, hospitality is always in order, but the participants should keep in mind what Susan Russell says:
ReplyDelete...our debates and decisions in Anaheim will ultimately be about how we are living out that baptismal call -- NOT about how we're complying with The Windsor Report or simplfying life for the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Exactly. If you haven't read Susan's post, you should - at the link in the update.
+Clumber, maybe the two Rowans can have a game of retrieve the ball. That should be relaxing and satisfying for +++Rowan, and +Rowan always loves a chance to play.
Tobias, heh heh heh. Do present the ABC with a copy of a certain book.