Here is the official report of Sunday’s business at General Synod.
General Synod – Summary of Business Conducted on Sunday 6th July 2008
It is being updated during the day and will include links to audio of each session.
1 CommentThe Church Times is publishing its usual daily reports from General Synod.
Alastair Cutting and Justin Brett, both synod members, are blogging from the floor of the synod.
0 CommentsRiazat Butt in The Observer Archbishop hits back at the evangelical rebels
The Archbishop of York condemned leaders of a breakaway global church yesterday for their ‘ungenerous and unwarranted’ scapegoating of the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Jonathan Wynne-Jones at the Telegraph Anglican bishops in secret Vatican summit
Senior Church of England bishops have held secret talks with Vatican officials to discuss the crisis in the Anglican communion over gays and women bishops.
Mail on Sunday Church of England must go ahead with plans to create women bishops, says senior clergyman
A senior bishop urged the Church of England yesterday to ignore warnings that allowing women to become bishops would ‘shatter the unity of the Church’ – and to plough ahead with the historic reform.
Emily Dugan in The Independent on Sunday Church schism widens over women bishops
6 CommentsDivisions appeared to widen yesterday between senior Church of England clergy on opposite sides of the debate over the consecration of women bishops, as the issue dominated the agenda at the General Synod.
Will Hutton in The Observer Rebel bishops threaten the very heart of our liberal traditions
Anglicanism is a liberal tradition central to the very conception of Englishness, but it finds itself under mounting threat. Last Sunday around 300 Anglican bishops, largely from Nigeria, Uganda and Australia, but including at least one from England, issued the Jerusalem Declaration. They no longer accepted that the Archbishop of Canterbury led the Anglican Church.
Giles Fraser in The Independent on Sunday Enough is enough. The extremists must be confronted
Rowan Williams has been too compliant in the face of the Church’s conservatives and homophobes
Jane Hedges in the Telegraph Women bishops shouldn’t scare the Synod
“Church in crisis over women priests.” This is the kind of headline that was appearing in the press 30 years ago when the general synod of the Church of England began to debate the ordination of women.
Damian Thompson in the Telegraph Bishops plan conversion to Rome
0 CommentsThe Sunday Telegraph carries the news that senior Church of England bishops have met the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to discuss the apocalyptic crisis in Anglicanism and the prospect of converting to Roman Catholicism.
I’m glad that Jonathan Wynne-Jones has respected the anonymity of the bishops in question. We at the Catholic Herald have known for some time about these historic negotiations. I pray that they succeed.
Here is the official report of Saturday’s business at General Synod.
General Synod – Summary of Business Conducted on Saturday 5th July 2008
It is being updated during the day and will include links to audio of each session.
0 CommentsSynod debated the report of the Women Bishops Legislative Drafting Group this morning. The debate was on a “take-note” motion (which was passed). There will be debate on what to do next on Monday afternoon.
Here are the early press reports.
Ruth Gledhill in the Times Church of England faces ruin over women bishops
Tom Chivers and agencies in the Telegraph Introduce women bishops, Synod told
4 CommentsThe Archbishop of York gave his presidential address to synod this afternoon. He spoke about the building blocks of the mission and ministry of Jesus. The press release from the Archbishop’s office concentrated on two points mad during the address: knife crime and support for the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Archbishop Calls For Church To Reach Out on Knife Crime
The text of the press release is copied below the fold.
When the Archbishop said “It has grieved me deeply to hear reports of the ungracious personalisation of the issues through the criticism and scapegoating of Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.” synod members burst out in spontaneous applause.
0 CommentsHere is the official report of Friday’s business at General Synod.
General Synod – Summary of Business Conducted on Friday 4th July 2008 PM
It includes links to audio of each session.
0 CommentsReaders will recall the Archbishop of Canterbury’s February lecture on sharia law. Now the Lord Chief Justice of England has given a lecture on the same topic.
Update
On the Archbishop of Canterbury’s website Welcome for Lord Chief Justice Remarks on Sharia Law
The Lord Chief Justice’s speech is online Equality before the Law
Patrick Wintour and Riazat Butt in The Guardian Sharia law could have UK role, says lord chief justice
Britain’s most senior judge reopened one of the most highly charged debates in Britain last night when he said he was willing to see sharia law operate in the country, so long as it did not conflict with the laws of England and Wales, or lead to the imposition of severe physical punishments.
Frances Gibb, Legal Editor of The Times Case dismissed: Lord Chief Justice lays down law on Sharia
Britain’s most senior judge declared last night that there was no place for Sharia courts in this country and insisted that all residents were governed by the laws of England and Wales.
Christopher Hope and James Kirkup in the Telegraph Muslims in Britain should be able to live under sharia, says top judge
Christopher Hope in the Telegraph Sharia will ‘inevitably’ become part of British law, says barrister
Comments on the Lord Chief Justice’s speech
Madeleine Bunting in The Guardian Lord Phillips: talking sense on sharia
Alexandra Fawcett in The Guardian We must have equality before the law
Inayat Bunglawala in The Guardian There’s a place for sharia
Matthew Parris in the Times The Sharia debate: we can’t all be equal under different laws
Charles Moore in the Telegraph Is cosying up to Muslim extremists the best way to defeat terrorism?
1 CommentMelanie McDonagh in The Times The Anglican wars are bad for all of us subtitled “If the pews of the Church of England empty, we’ll lose an army of public-spirited volunteers”
Giles Fraser in the Church Times When slaves turn on their oppressors
Damian Thompson in the Telegraph Women bishops? Just get on with it.
Robin Harris in the Times The disaster for Christians in Iraq subtitled “They used to live peaceably with other faiths but now they have been driven out and become refugees”
Andrew Brown in The Guardian Pennies for heaven subtitled “The Church of England relies heavily on its collection plate to fund each diocese – but a threat to solvency is threatening tolerance”
6 CommentsThe Church of England General Synod has the first of two debates on women bishops later this morning.
Ruth Gledhill in the Times Church faithful may block the move for women bishops to stop the risk of defection by clergy. She writes:
Proposals to consecrate women bishops in the Church of England could fall at the last hurdle as church members take fright at the prospect of mass defections among the clergy, The Times has learnt.
Tom Peterkin in the Telegraph Church of England urged to ‘disagree in love’ over women bishops
The Church of England has been urged to be an example of how Christians can “disagree in love” as it debates plans for women bishops that threaten to tear it apart.
Paul Vallely in the Independent Church in the lurch
Big words are being thrown around in the Church of England these days; words such as schism, with echoes from 1,000 years ago when the world divided between Rome and the Orthodox; words such as Reformation, with echoes of the split between Catholic and Protestant, which spilt a deal of English blood in the 16th century.
Paul Handley in the Yorkshire Post Where democracy works in mysterious ways
“OH, goody – it’s the General Synod this weekend.” I’m sorry to report that this is not a phrase I hear very often.
Judith Maltby in The Guardian’s page writes on the Face to faith page It is odd that the opponents of women bishops should now adopt the language of ‘pain’. The same article is on the Comment is free page How to solve the question of female bishops where it is subtitled “When ‘pain’ enters into arguments about the future of Anglicanism, we’re faced with an impossible conundrum”.
3 CommentsUpdated to include more Church Times articles
Today’s Church Times has three reports from GAFCON.
GAFCON draws a mixed reception
Paul Handley New fellowship to unite ‘confessing Anglicans’ is born
Ed Beavan Jensen: ‘sleeping giant is roused’
The Church Times has this leader Leader: Treat GAFCON with respect
Paul Vallely comments in the Church Times GAFCON’s thinking is out of date.
Barbara McMahon in The Guardian profiles Archbishop Peter Jensen He is a very astute, very intelligent and able man. He is almost worshipped – what he wants he gets – subtitled “Figure behind Anglican schism is a puritan who sees no room for compromise”.
7 CommentsThe Church of England’s General Synod will meet in York from this afternoon until Tuesday lunchtime.
Bill Bowder in the Church Times Tension mounts as women-bishop vote approaches
George Pitcher and Rev Dr Peter Mullen in the Telegraph Should women become Church of England bishops?
Robert Pigott at the BBC Church’s division lines drawn up
George Pitcher in the Telegraph Church of England campaign to target young priests at General Synod
15 CommentsAt the BBC Bishop attacks anti-gay movement. The bishop is Tom Wright of Durham and the article is about an interview that he gave to the World at One programme today. The article includes a link to audio of the interview. One quote from the interview:
“And to be told that I now need to be authorised or validated by a group of primates somewhere else who come in and tell me which doctrines I should sign up to is not only ridiculous it’s deeply offensive.”
Today’s Times has these two comment articles.
A leading article Crossroads for Anglicans: Rowan Williams must face down opposition on all fronts
George Walden Time to come out of the liberal closet on gay clergy, Archbishop: If Rowan Williams continues to claim moral superiority to politicians, he must be honest on this issue
Ruth Gledhill of The Times draws our attention to a recent lecture on “Anglicans and the Future of the Communion” by Canon Gregory Cameron, Deputy Secretary General of the Anglican Communion.
Anglican Church told ‘unite or risk war’ over gay Christians
A senior adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned Anglicans against making homosexuality a “shibboleth” that could result in the destruction of their church.
She goes into more detail in her blog: Summer of Schism: Gregory Cameron on the ‘dark side’
You can download the text of the lecture here.
13 CommentsInclusive Church has issued a press release on GAFCON
GAFCON and the Anglican Communion
1st July 2008
The “Statement on the Global Anglican Future” released after the GAFCON conference in Jerusalem shows once again how deeply many people misunderstand the nature and spirit of Anglicanism. It misrepresents loyal, orthodox, traditional Anglicans across the world who are working and praying, in the spirit of the Gospel, to bring about the reign of God on earth.
continued below the fold
18 CommentsChris Sugden writes in the Comment is free section of The Guradian Gafcon can save Anglicanism.
We are a response to the current authorities’ unwillingness to check the flouting of Bible teachings and can lead it forward without a split
Canon Sugden is executive secretary of Anglican Mainstream and one of the organisers of GAFCON.
49 CommentsA meeting was held at All Souls Church, Langham Place, in London yesterday evening on Global Anglicanism & English Orthodoxy?. Speakers included three of the (arch)bishops who had attended GAFCON last week: Henry Orombi (Archbishop of Uganda), Greg Venables (Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone) and Peter Jensen (Archbishop of Sydney).
Riazat Butt at The Guradian Church of England crisis: Mass defections loom as rebel faction appeals to English clergy
Hundreds of English clergy appear poised to defect from the Church of England to join a new conservative movement after a conference led by rebel archbishops was swamped with delegates in London yesterday.
George Pitcher at the Telegraph Anglican Church crisis: Phoney war becomes an invasion
The phoney war declared on the The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in the Holy Lands last week has turned into an invasion.
Ruth Gledhill at the Times Evangelical Christians sign up to a ‘Church within a Church’
Nearly 800 clergy and lay leaders from the Church of England took the first steps yesterday towards forming a “Church within a Church” to be an evangelical stronghold against the ordination of gay people.
Andy McSmith at The Independent Anglican rebels ‘punched gay rights activists’
30 CommentsThree gay rights protesters say they were punched while being forcibly removed yesterday from a conference at which rebel bishops were trying to attract recruits to a network for Anglicans who believe all same-sex relationships should be condemned.
Some press articles are now referring to both women bishops and the fall-out from GAFCON so we list them together.
Theo Hobson in a Comment is free article for The Guardian The Evangelicals are moving in for the kill subtitled “Foca doesn’t want to form a breakaway church; it wants to take over the Anglican Communion, and depose Rowan Williams”.
George Pitcher in the Telegraph Archbishop of Canterbury braves the crossfire
Riazat Butt and Peter Walker in The Guardian Archbishop of Canterbury hits out at breakaway Anglicans
WATCH issued a press release “Women Bishops: the Church should move ahead in faith, not fear” yesterday; it is reproduced below the fold.
Tom Butler, the bishop of Southwark, writes in The Guardian Anglicanism’s militant tendency must be resisted with the subtitle “The Gafcon rebels are unrepresentative ultras – and I, for one, am glad Rowan Williams has lost patience with them”.
11 CommentsWe recommend this essay by the Rt Revd Pierre Whalon, the Bishop in Charge of the Convocation of American Churches in Europe. He writes on ‘what lies past Lambeth 2008. And Lambeth 2018. And 2028…’
6 Comments