Current Events.

At the 'craziest show in Town' (ie the general synod at York – no capitals, as it is anything but a ‘proper’ noun) the ‘liberal SS’ has finally triumphed in its battle to consecrate bishopesses, thus ending once and for all any pretence that the CofE is Catholic.  We have always held that this would happen, as once having agreed to priestesses, bishopesses were as inevitable as night follows day.

This strange alliance of largely part-time priestesses (ladies with leisure as John Broadhurst called them on BBCR4 on July 18th), homosexuals and lesbians (and their camp followers) and generally wishy-washy liberal social-gospel sympathisers has succeeded in finishing the work that atheists have been seeking to do with increasing vociferousness in recent years.  Well, what else could have possibly have happened when you set up an organisation rather like a 1960s trade union, susceptible to all the lobbying, deal making, and other associated spanish practices?  The determination of articles of faith by popular vote was always doomed to make the church conform to worldly mores rather than empowering it to proselytise and convert the world to God’s ways.  This is why it has become an adjunct of social services, rather than a spiritual powerhouse doing God’s real work.

There can, however, be no doubt that it is for the best that the situation is clarified, as another 'fudge' (‘opt-out’ in synod-speak) would only have resulted in the Anglo-Catholics continuing to pretend that it is still Catholic, Evangelicals pretending that homosexual and lesbian clergy are celibate, and both burying their heads in the sand for another fifteen years, or until some new outrage forced them to face up to the truth.  Further, we all know how much easier it is not to act when there is any vestige of an excuse to hang on to, especially where there are financial and property implications.

Anglo-Catholics have the option to take Pope Benedict's offer in the Ordinariate.  This, however, would mean acknowledging the invalidity of their Orders, as 'conditional re-Ordination' is not an option.  Married Bishops would be accepted only as Priests, but even that is a concession not open to Catholic Priests.  Certainly there are moves in Australia for some in the TAC to transfer allegiance to the ACC (Original Province) rather than to the Ordinariate, and there will inevitable be some in England who will do the same or similar.  Either way, they will not be in communion with Canterbury.

Evangelicals appear to be largely unconcerned with Priestly Orders, but would have to consider the kind of alliance they would need to forge, or allegiance they would have to pay.

The question for both is how to solve the finance and property issues, and to extricate themselves from the legalities of the situation.

Congregations, already well used to paying high quotas, could equally well independently support a Parish Priest, or Pastor.  If the congregation is not united to transfer as a whole, then it might be possible to associate with others.  Those taking the Ordinariate option would find homes in RC churches, and might even come to an arrangement to provide the 11am Sunday High Mass, especially as for many Romans the main Sunday Mass obligation is met by the anticipatory Mass on Saturday evening.  For Anglo-Catholic services, seemly surroundings are required, which sadly are not available in those RC churches which aggressively adopted 'Vat. II' policies.

For Evangelicals, the accommodation situation is much less demanding, and it would be easier to use public halls with little or no adaptation.

Another option for united congregations would be to stay put, and seek alternative Episcopal oversight.  The CofE has said on very many occasions that it has too many buildings, so that could provide a solution.  In any case, it could be argued that Pre-Reformation churches were illegally seized on the orders of Henry VIII, and rightly belong to Rome.

Whatever options are selected, we in the TCE have faced this for 16 years – and say to our newly disenfranchised brethren in the CofE: welcome to 1994.  We are prayerfully asking for the guidance of Our Blessed Lord as we consider the future, which might even entail being joined by some from the CofE or elsewhere, for whom we pray at this painful and difficult time.

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TCE Archbishop