On today’s BBC Radio 4 Sunday programme, there was a short item about the Anglican Covenant. Edward Stourton interviewed Diarmaid MacCulloch and Graham Kings.
The Diocese of Salisbury website carries a complete transcript of it: Transcript BBC Radio 4 Sunday Programme 11 Mar 12. Discussion on the Anglican Communion
The BBC page for that programme is here. The audio is available as a podcast, as well as on iPlayer. The relevant section is also available here.
Having just heard the excellent interview between the BBC host and both Bishop Graham Kings and Professor Sir Diarmaid MacCulloch, I know which one sounded more coherent in his argument – and it was not the Bishop of Sherborne. To attempt to insist that the Covenant is not a centralising magisterial document is simply untrue – as Diarmaid made plain. The Bishop says that no Province has to sign up to it to be part of the Anglican Communion. The only penalty they will suffer is not to be included in the Communion’s ‘Decision-making committees. That sounds very much like… Read more »
Can someone post again what provinces have decided with regard to accepting the PAC?
I have been thinking of ways that might help the Covenant Process forward. The Archbishop of Canterbury might put in an appearance, bully just a little and make a few delegates cry. Then Sentamu can also turn up to organise trips to the gents toilets – it’s worked in the past! I am sure Graham Kings would lend a hand in the loos – he’s rather good at setting out to relieve the pressure and end up backing people into a corner …… Colin Slee – God love ‘im – reminded us that the truth is nearly always queerer than… Read more »
I think it was Alan Bennett who quipped that when we descend to toilet humour, the writing is really on the wall…
How very wise Graham Kings is to quote our greatest gay playwright ……. who as one of the finest and wittiest exponents of “toilet humour” we have, can only have had his tongue sticking out of his cheek when he uncondescendingly said: “When the English have to go to the toilet for their humour, the writing is on the wall.” But while there seems some misunderstanding of Bennett’s scatalogical credentials – we all must agree that in this context the eschatological reference is particularly apt with regard to the Covenant. For as things look presently it does indeed look as… Read more »
I like the grapes and marbles analogy . Grapes are so easily trodden underfoot , whereas a marble is hard and resilient and if you step on one you risk coming a cropper.
MacCulloch: “Watching it happen has been like a rather slow motion version of the Gadarene Swine.”
Priceless.
If a church is unable to function on the “central committees”, how is it still part of the Communion?
June Butler
The grapes are succulent and appetising and, when crushed, ferment into the wine of celebration. A good example of what it means to be a church held together by the vine, who is Christ, and open and vulnerable to the world. The Covenant is like a paper bag, which is needed if you want to keep marbles together. It keeps them together, safe and out of sight. At least that is how I would interpret my Bishop’s parable.