Sources have confirmed that the Eton-educated bishop will be announced as successor to Dr Rowan Williams as early as Friday, after the Crown Nominations Commission put his name forward to Downing Street.The bookies and Ruth Gledhill were right.
It marks a meteoric rise for the former oil executive who has been a bishop for only a year, but insiders described Welby as "the outstanding candidate".
Bishop Welby supports women bishops, but so far as I can discern, he probably does not favor either same-sex marriage or gay bishops.
UPDATE FROM THE BBC:
In a pastoral letter to his diocese on the issue he wrote how he was "committed to and believes in the ordination of women as bishops".
He has been less forthright about his views on homosexuality. While he has rigorously defended the Church's right to oppose single-sex marriages, he has also been keen to accommodate opposing views expressed from a position of deeply held faith.
There's one of those English slang terms which describe his look, but I can't quite put my finger on it (out of charity, that's for the best).
ReplyDeleteGod bless and DIRECT his ministry...
By George I think I´ve got it! But, alas, JCF has reminded me to be nice (afterall, many good things have come to pass for us this week)!
DeleteYes, Len, just for this week we can afford to be magnanimous. :-)
DeleteI find it so ridiculous, and un-Christian, to decide you can support "women bishops" but not "gay bishops." God calls all kinds because it takes all kinds to reach God's people. One of these days, I hope this truth sinks into the thickheads of the CoE.
ReplyDeleteSCG, see the latest update to my post. I don't understand, either. I guess we'll wait for clarification on how keen the bishop is "to accommodate opposing views expressed from a position of deeply held faith." Rowan surely surprised us, so my hope is for Welby to give us a pleasant surprise.
DeleteA wave of grumpiness passed through my head when I looking at the photo of +Durham (wishing it to be the photo of +Chelmsford). As you say, perhaps we'll be surprised (but why do LGBT people have to be the last stop at the roadblock in the road? Pisses me off!),
DeleteLen, I don't know. It gets tiresome, doesn't it?
DeleteI do not understand those who preach so vociferously about tests of faith and refiners fires and winnowing out the sinners (as if we are the judges of whose faith is "worthy" or "pure" - pretty sure that's up to God) ... are they really just trying to create an exclusive club designed to be reassuring to them as "special"? The test, if God sets one, it seems to me, is the test of whether or not we can actually love our neighbors as ourselves - ALL the neighbors, not just the ones who suit or visions of correctness or mirror our own images and tastes and capabilities. Has it never occured to any of these people that God may have created homosexuals to test the straight peoples' commitment to follow the love your neighbor rule? ... created diversity and a thousand shades of light and meaning to test our capacity to find ways to live together in peace? Christ taught by example: teach, speak, call out the frauds - no mention of inflicting a limited view on others, just patience and talking and encouraging each and every to respond to God with their own authentic selves ... inclusion in infinite love ... inclusion.
ReplyDelete...pretty sure that's up to God...
DeleteMe too, Marthe. When I wish to compress into a few words the basic practice of my faith it is to follow the Two Great Commandments - to love God and love my neighbor and to follow the Golden Rule to do as I would be done to. If possible, I like to keep things simple.
I have no doubt that LGTB persons are made in the image and likeness of God and that God loves them as God loves all creation. In God's eyes, no one is second class. We are all equally beloved, and we should treat others as we ourselves would wish to be treated, and we are clearly commanded by Jesus not to judge.
If the Bishop is as adamantly opposed to marriage between gay people as has been suggested, he will drive the CofE into irrelevance in the UK. The UK folk I know (and I know quite a few) are impatient for their LGBT friends and family to be treated equally, already! and if the church continues to hold its hands before the tide, it will finally be washed away.
ReplyDeleteIT, I agree. The church needs to catch up with the changing times, or it will be no more. Welby seems to be a good choice in some ways, especially in his care and concern for the poor, but he should have equal concern for LGTB persons whom the church itself pushes to the margins. My best hope is that just as Rowan surprised us in an unpleasant way, Welby will surprise us pleasantly.
DeleteI'd be very interested to know if he thinks the Gospel can actually transform people's lives. Lots of clergy seem to have forgotten that these days. But from the sermons on the Diocese of Durham website, I think he may still believe it. I find that very refreshing,
ReplyDeleteOf course, the Gospel can transform lives. I know so because the Gospel transformed my life. I don't know what's inside Bishop Welby's head, but I hope as a Christian bishop and as Archbishop of Canterbury he believes the Gospel can transform lives. He would be a sorry sort of bishop if he didn't.
DeleteI couldn't agree more, Mimi. I just think that Bishops get issue after issue thrown at them and they have to work really hard at keeping the Gospel central in all they do. Just look at how the media is describing Bishop Justin - 'former oil man who agrees with women bishops and opposes gay marriage'. Not 'bishop of Durham who introduced a new initiative, led by the bishops, to spread the gospel in his diocese'.
DeleteI hope the bishop continues to center himself in Jesus and his words in the Gospel, despite what the newspapers say about him.
DeleteFrom the OP;
ReplyDelete"he has also been keen to accommodate opposing views expressed from a position of deeply held faith."
Ah well, that's my lot shut out of the discussion then!
AofS, you are most welcome to the discussion here, which is almost just as good. :-) I'm proud of my atheist friends like you and IT who visit and comment.
DeleteThank you, Grandmere. I've never felt anything less than welcome here; you're the epitome of that good ol' Southern hospitality I've heard so much about.
DeleteI welcome all comers who maintain a degree of civility, whether they agree with me or not. Turnip Ghost or Brad, or whatever his choice nom de jour, tends to get on my nerves, because he's decidedly not always civil.
DeleteNice warm southern hospitality is sounding good right now after the enormous dump of snow we had in Edmonton this week, Mimi!
Delete62°F here - 16.7°C. Cool and clear.
DeleteI, too, only welcome discussions "from a position of deeply held faith". But worry not, Acolyte of Sagan (IT, all conversational atheists): that obviously includes YOU! ;-)
DeleteWell said, JCF.
Delete