ARCHBISHOP ROWAN WILLIAMS TO RESIGN?

 

From Jonathan Wynne-Jones at the Telegraph:

Dr Rowan Williams is understood to have told friends he is ready to quit the highest office in the Church of England to pursue a life in academia.

The news will trigger intense plotting behind the scenes over who should succeed the 61-year-old archbishop, who is not required to retire until he is 70.
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Sources close to the archbishop say he will leave after the Queen's Diamond Jubilee next June and having seen the Church finally pass legislation to allow women to become bishops.

It is understood that Trinity College, Cambridge, is preparing to create a professorship for Dr Williams, who studied theology and was a chaplain at the university.

After Dr Williams rams the Anglican Covenant through General Synod of the Church of England, he will leave the wreckage to be cleaned up by his successor.

The archbishop wants to see through Synod the establishment of women bishops, but will women bishops serve with the same authority as male bishops?

This could allow for John Sentamu, the Archbishop of York, to succeed him in a caretaker role as the Ugandan-born cleric is one year older than the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Bishop Chartres has been telling clergy that such a move could be beneficial for the Church, though the Bishop of London would also be one of the front-runners himself.

The word from friends in England on the two names mentioned above is, 'Nooo!'

H/T to Peter Owen at Thinking Anglicans.

A BRAVE PRIEST

From Boston.com:

An East Longmeadow priest called yesterday from his pulpit for Pope Benedict XVI to step down, demanding greater protection of children and greater accountability from the Catholic Church hierarchy.

The church’s top leader has not been truthful, said the Rev. James Scahill of St. Michael’s Parish, violating an important tenet of the faith. His strongly worded sermon echoed sentiments he shared with parishioners several weeks ago, but this time, he spent more time and spoke with greater conviction on the controversial subject.
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“If we cannot get a pope that’s going to give us the truth, then our church is dead,’’ Scahill said.

Mark Dupont, a spokesman for the Diocese of Springfield, was quick to distance the diocesan leadership from the comments made by Scahill.

“It in no way represents the position of the bishop,’’ Dupont said. “We find his statements to be unfortunate.’’

Scahill, he said, has not properly recognized measures to ensure safety undertaken by the American Catholic leadership, which has “led the world in their efforts,’’ as well as steps the Diocese of Springfield took over the years to deal with the issue of sexual abuse.

Below is a video interview with Fr. Scahill.



H/T to Paddy Anglican for the video.