According to Ruth Gledhill in the Times:
The body responsible for choosing the next Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to agree who should be the successor to Dr Rowan Williams.
Despite a three day session, aided by prayers invoked on Twitter with the hashtage #prayforthecnc, the 16-member committee has been unable to decide on who should take on the job that the present incumbent today implied was “impossible”.
Speculation in a vacuum is totally subjective, but I wonder, given the events of recent months, if the deadlock might not be a consequence of the reported push to promote Chartres - who has never, in 20 years a bishop, ordained a woman to the priesthood - as a safe, caretaker pair of hands until Welby of Durham reaches the age of discretion.
ReplyDeleteLapin, I have no idea. How would those who favor women bishops see Chartres as safe? Would he hold office through the next Lambeth meeting?
DeleteThose favoring women bishops would be highly unlikely to see Chartres as "safe", which is why I wondered. Many in the "Establishment", however, might well see the ambitious, royally-well-connected bishop as a politically safe interim candidate.
ReplyDeleteOr maybe they're deadlocked over Jeffrey John.
ReplyDeleteCome now. How likely is it that the commission is deadlocked over JJ? Would JJ even accept?
DeleteAmericans & irony!
ReplyDeleteYes, we have lapses. English irony is sometimes too much for smaller-brained Americans to take in.
DeleteI'm not exactly holding my breath with eager excitement over any of this. I'm expecting another Rowan or worse to emerge from the Conclave.
ReplyDeleteI'm not holding my breath, either, but I'm having a bit of fun. On Facebook, Prior Aelred said he'd settle for benign neglect from the next ABC, and I heartily agree.
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