It’s hard to keep up with the flow of material: here is another tranche of documents from the CO-MISSION initiative:
The letter by Richard Coekin’s lawyers to the Archbishop’s lawyers concerning the Archbishop’s decision PDF file
The ‘Skeleton Arguments’ presented at the Appeal on behalf of:
Rev Coekin [sic] PDF file
and on behalf of The Bishop of Southwark PDF file.
A legal note of advice concerning the accuracy of the press statements by the Archbishop and the Bishop of Southwark PDF file
Having read all these documents, I can only conclude that Mr Coekin and his lawyers have no intention of accepting the archbishop’s determination. I do hope I am wrong.
Richard Coekin’s lawyers reject the archbishop’s press statement but I see no reason to fear that they will not accept the determination. I myself agree entirely with Andrew Goddard’s assessment of the situation, maybe excepting that I would not have chosen “barely restrained delight” to characterise Richard Coekin’s response. So this case may well be a set back for Reform but it doesn’t seem very troublesome for Coekin himself. He now has two more episcopally ordained clergy among his staff and even given the growth of the plants, it will be some time before they need more clergy – hopefully… Read more »
Why do I hear no repentance from Tom Butler? The report of the Bishop of Winchester found: “…that the procedure leading up to [the Bishop of Southwark’s] decision … was seriously flawed.” “summary revocation was a disproportionate outcome in the circumstances of the case” “The failure to afford the Appellant the opportunity of an oral hearing amounted to procedural unfairness. Had the parties met face-to-face many of the misconceptions about episcopal authority, the status of the ordination and the Appellant’s involvement in it would have been capable of resolution.” “His decision letter did not, however, do justice to the complexity… Read more »