...the Anglican Covenant, that is. The synod of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocese in the Church of England voted to reject adoption of the covenant.
From Lesley's Blog:
The synod met on Saturday the 5th and the motion was rejected.I agree. The vote to reject the covenant is fabulous news.
That makes the number of Dioceses in the Church of England split evenly:
Lichfield and Durham have voted for the Covenant.
Wakefield and Edmundsbury & Ipswich have voted Against.
This is fabulous news. I heard one Church of England bishop say recently that although he had reservations about the Covenant, he couldn’t speak against it because he had sworn an oath of obedience to Rowan Williams. It really does need to be the lay people and the clergy who stop this mad document. Well done Bishop Peter Selby, and well done to the members of Eds&Ips synod.
About this:
I heard one Church of England bishop say recently that although he had reservations about the Covenant, he couldn’t speak against it because he had sworn an oath of obedience to Rowan Williams.????!!!
Bishop of Buckingham, Alan Wilson, in the comments to Lesley's post:
As a bishop who has taken an oath of canonical obedience in all things lawful and honest, I have to say I think it’s bizarre to think this commits me to blind obedience to any notion the Archibishop (sic) may adopt. I think it is a higher and more positive form of obedience to be more honest, and had some of my colleagues had the spine to advise him earlier about their real feelings about some of the drawbacks in this particular scheme it would have been an act of loyalty, not disloyalty. In none of my dealings with him (which are not amazingly extensive) have I ever seen anything that implies he would want anything less than honest critical friendship.And we all say, 'Amen!'. Of course, as former colonials, what we say may not count. Still, I commend Bishop Alan, and I only wish a greater number of bishops in the Church of England had his courage.
Picture from Wikipedia.
Isn´t that covenant cute! The real subject is ¨obedience¨ sworn ¨obedience¨ to ++Rowan!
ReplyDeleteThank goodness the Church of England has abandoned the ¨rack¨-- well, say they have abandoned intimidation please. Please say threats aren´t so low, your Grace...your Grace?
(silence from the lowest levels of deceiving at Lambeth Palace)
Len, you are too funny. I believe intimidation is still in force. Why would a bishop say such a thing? You know the old saying, 'If the ABC told you to jump off a cliff...?'
ReplyDeleteYeah, St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Diocese!!! I was wondering how the dioceses there would vote.
ReplyDeleteCiss, it seems the more the clergy and people of the dioceses know, the more they don't like it. Folks over there are working hard to see that the dioceses hear both pros and cons of adopting the covenant. In the beginning, only the pro-covenant views were being heard.
ReplyDeleteProgress! Thanks for being the bearer of good news, Mimi.
ReplyDeleteThanks, The Other Alan, the canon who shoots straight. ;-)
ReplyDeleteHere in TEC clergy swear some sort of obedience to their bishop. Inhibation by the bishop is taken very seriously. It's enough to make one wonder of the place of bishops -- oh no -- that's what makes us Episcopal.
ReplyDeletesusankay, the English bishop's interpretation of the oath takes the letter to the limit. Why have the bishops vote at all if the oath is absolute that they must do what Rowan says in every instance?
ReplyDeleteHardly surprising, is it, that the CofE Old Boys Club wants to ram through the covenant before any Uppity-Wimmins-in-Mitres can say Boo about it?
ReplyDeleteGood on Wakefield and Edmundsbury & Ipswich!
JCF. ram it through is right, and not just past Uppity-Wimmins but before too many folks can read the document carefully and decide they don't like it.
ReplyDelete"Lichfield and Durham have voted for the Covenant."
ReplyDeleteWoe to the bloody city of Lichfield!
--George Fox
Not that I'd endorse using such rude language about a respectable English city.
Now that is rude, Porlock, but I don't blame you. I blame George Fox. ;-)
ReplyDeleteAt this point, 50-50 looks good. The covenant was once thought to be a shoo-in in the Church of England.
What is interesting is that this is my Diocese, and I have to read about its decision on your Blog! It sends me to bed with a smile though.
ReplyDeleteBut..but...but I thought YOU made it happen, SR.
ReplyDelete