Recently all clergy received instructions from our diocesan office to read a letter aloud in every church building. This is a very rare event in our diocesan life. In this case the letter was doubly unusual. It is a letter from The Revd Canon Dr Kenneth Kearon, Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, asking for input into the process of seeking the next Archbishop of Canterbury, a process led by the Crown Nominations Commission of the Church of England.The title of the post is "The Archbishop of Canterbury hath no jurisdiction in this realm". Bosco is spot on. The archbishop hath no jurisdiction beyond his realm of the Church of England. What the Secretary General of the ACO seems to be attempting is the putting-the-facts-on-the-ground strategy. We are all one church, and all the provinces in the communion will have the opportunity to weigh in and offer opinions on who should be chosen as the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Say it often enough, and it will be so. Balderdash!
Now I’m all for consultation, and I think this is kind of sweet (but please pewsitter number 3 out of 5 at Waikikamukau, don’t be naive enough to spend energy on preparing a submission thinking that this will influence the decision-making processes in the rooms and lavatories where the Crown Nominations Commission meets). But the real reason I was surprised was best articulated by an insightful friend of mine.
The subliminal message of “international consultation” for the Archbishop of Canterbury is an attempt to shift ecclesiology towards Anglicanism being a worldwide church. This is the ecclesiology undergirding the “Anglican Covenant”.
The post at Liturgy is well worth reading in it's entirety, as Bosco reveals the scene behind the smoke and mirrors.
Exactly. I think the Church of England ought clean up their own mess and find a leader/archbishop who leads instead of attempts to dictate...Rowan Williams is a huge failure and please, C of E, don´t pretend to be interested in our opinions -- besides, the Global South Primates are despots and won´t allow their millions of pewsitters to even think/believe clearly/objectively even if they did inquire as to their wishes (which they won´t because they own truth which happens to equal discrimination and bigotry).
ReplyDeleteLen, I'm going to follow Bosco's advice in the matter.
ReplyDeleteDid _we_ get a letter?
ReplyDeletesusan s.,_we_did not get a letter from our diocesan office that KK's letter should be read in every church. The folks in our congregation would think, 'What was THAT about?'
ReplyDeleteRight. I think we might be too unclean to receive a letter at all!
ReplyDeleteI wonder how far we could get with a campaign suggesting that they nominate Jeffrey John.
ReplyDeletesusan s., the letter from Kearon went to all the churches in the communion, but I doubt that all the bishops will ask priests to read the letter in church.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, it would be unusual for the CNC to nominate a man who is not a bishop. Also, suggestions from members of TEC could be the kiss of death to the person's chances.
Grandmere Mimi--You are right.
ReplyDeleteIMHO ++Rowan Williams, intentional or not, has been/is "the Judas kiss of death" to a unique, beautiful and very gifted segment of God's creation. Praying that the CNC will say "yes" to God and "no" to arrogant very narrow-minded stupidity this time around in their pick of the next ABC. Also praying that at GC we will have the courage to say "no" to the covenant.
Personal observation is that when we say "no" to marginalizing stupidity we grow in strength and numbers.
Sigh. People who want a worldwide church with a single, autocratic head should just go on and cross the Tiber, and be done with it.
ReplyDeleteBonnie, I still cannot get over what Rowan did to his good friend, Jeffrey John. He made the misstep soon after his 'enthronement' as ABC, and he never really recovered his footing.
ReplyDeleteRuss, yes indeed. Go where you will feel at home, or stay and stop whining and threatening to go.