Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham: Ad Clerum Prayers of Love and Faith 12 December 2023
Bishop of Liverpool: House of Bishops commends Prayers of Love and Faith
Bishop of Chichester: Ad Clerum – Prayers of Love and Faith
Bishop of Ebbsfleet: Bishop’s Statement and Ad Clerum
Archbishop of York: Archbishop Stephen’s letter of the 14th December 2023 to Ministers in the Diocese of York
Acting Bishop of Carlisle: Penrith_PLF_Ad_Clerum_Dec_23
Bishop of Rochester: 2023 12-15 Pastoral letter from Bishop Jonathan re LLF
Bishops of the Society of St Wilfrid and St Hilda: The Society – Statement from The Society and Forward in Faith on the Prayers of Love and Faith
Bishop of Hereford: Ad Clerum December 2023
Bishop of Norwich (and suffragans): Prayers of Love and Faith
Other statements will be added as they are discovered.
There is nothing like unconditional love….
It’s interesting that the Bishop of Liverpool’s Ad Clerum is the shortest. It perhaps proves the point that “less is more”. As for the others….come on children play nicely!
I’m afraid I find the statement by +Paul Southwell and Nottingham mean spirited, pompous and self righteous beyond the many words he uses to articulate his negative position. It’s an unpleasant letter. Whilst +Martin Chichester is also against the decision he expresses that with a tone of some generosity and acknowledgement that his opponents have reached their conclusion after proper thought and prayer. There is nothing pastoral about the former.
Generally I have little time for Martin Warner, but as an opponent of these prayers his ad clerum is far better than anticipated. By contrast with the other two opponents here he has been smart enough to acknowledge reality and not indulge himself in a hissy fit.
Sheffield Ad Clerum
iimap://malcolm%2Eliles48%40gmail%2Ecom@imap.gmail.com:993/fetch%3EUID%3E/Templates/Diocese%3E17?part=1.2&filename=PLF%20Ad%20Clerum%2012.12.23_2.pdf&type=application/pdf
Link doesn’t seem to be working.
I have written to Malcolm to try and fix this.
Thanks but link still appears to be broken
I think at least two bishops stated something along the lines that all are agreed that the CofE has often failed LGBT people. Except for a motion to adjourn a lengthy meeting or a motion to break for lunch, it is very difficult to get a large, theologically and politically diverse group of people to all agree on anything. So, no, I don’t think all people or clergy within the CofE agree that the CofE has often failed LGBT people. Not all bishops are fine with the very term “LGBT (or its variants) people”, preferring the term “homosexual”, which was… Read more »
Striking that +Southwell and Nottingham says to those clergy who wish to use the PLF, even after they have read the arguments deployed in his ad clerum, are urged to consult their churchwardens and PCC before doing so. Whereas, to those of his clergy who do not wish to use PLF, there is no mention of discussing the decision with his/her wardens and PCC. So, the views of parish lay leaders matter only if a clergyperson wants to use the prayers? Hardly even-handed or an endorsement of a collaborative style of ministry between clergy and laity.
And the views of lay leaders in a Parish in vacancy don’t matter at all. He has directed that the prayers may not be used in those parishes.
Hm, he may have the authority – but does he have the power? We all know how difficult it is to encourage people to step up for leadership positions in the parishes: what’s he going to do if the prayers are used during a service led by a lay minister – remove their authority to lead worship? Sack the wardens? And if a licensed cleric exercising their right of conscience to use those prayers in their own patch is helping out in a vacancy – will he/she be disciplined for using prayers which are permitted two miles up the road… Read more »
Bishop of Ebbsfleet says CEEC will refer parishes back to him. He is a bishop specifically and only for male headship parishes so this referral is inappropriate at the least. A parish which accepts the ordination of women but not the use of the PLF will found itself numbered with the ‘no women in leadership’ phalanx.
I think I’m right that the Bishop of Fulham is married after a divorce. Interesting to consider where his line in the sand is – Jesus is unambiguous on this point!
Whereas Jesus said nothing at all about same sex couples, as we all know. But never mind, they’re standing with the ‘clear teaching of scripture’…
Imagine if all parishes in interregnum weren’t allowed to host the remarriage of divorcees – that would cause much fluttering in the dovecote. Some parishes are vacant for years, rather tough on same sex couples living there wanting PLF in their own parish church.
One again, Fr Dean, the pastoral care shown by the more recent interpretations of ‘for life’ is not being extended to ‘a man and a woman’.
If there were not so many innocent same- sex couples caught in the episcopal cross fire, this whole charade would be risible . As I read the statements I developed an unrepressable picture of a group of very well fed episcopal babies in purple shirts being walked in a park in old fashioned perambulators pushed by their berobed chaplains, and at a given signal all throwing their mitres out of their prams. This coupled with the never- ending saga over failing to deal properly with survivors of clerical abuse well earns them a previously used title ( which I can’t… Read more »
Item: Ad clerum issued by +Southwell & Nottingham.
Item: Ad clerum issued by +Hereford.
Your task: Compare and contrast.
I have read and compared the various episcopal statements. I was very sorry to see the one from the Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham on account of its negative tone, not least of all because I am a resident of his diocese. It contrasted sharply with the generous ad clerum from his metropolitan, the Archbishop of York. The Bishop of Southwell and Nottingham could have explained that because of the tradition in which he was formed that he has reservations about the prayers and the process around them and doesn’t personally anticipate using them anytime soon. However discouraging others from… Read more »
I have an emailed copy of the statement from Chester but it doesn’t appear to be on their website, Simon if you want a copy email me
In the light of Pope Francis’ declaration today permitting the blessing of same-sex couples in the RC Church, the small-minded and mean-spirited line taken by the Society of Ss Wilfrid and Hilda in their communication here now looks even more uncatholic than ever.
I concur. Despite the caveats around the blessings the reasoning of Pope Francis is so different in tone from the nonsense churned out within the CofE. His recognition of the search for God and pastoral need has framed his move while maintaining the teaching of the Church around marriage. The need of people and their search has led to action from a pastors heart. What a shame the so called Society and the church generally has not seen fit to take a similar position. This is a significant change. God bless Pope Francis.
I don’t think anyone has yet mentioned it, but the first (?) same-sex blessing of two female clergy in Suffolk took place yesterday:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-67743298
Or the statement from the Vatican today from HH Pope Francis about offering blessings to same sex couples in certain circumstances, and the Church being open to everyone?
Hurray!
Thank you, Rowland for providing the reference – I’ve just referred to the news story in a different post. So the ladies were clergy, then? I’d not picked that up, having merely noted the headline. Well done, ladies.
I would be interested to know the position taken on this from the Bishop of Winchester ( I see the Diocese is advertising for his PA so direct mail there might not produce a quick answer.) The votes from the House of Clergy were mixed… 2 against, 1 for. This is my own Diocese, hence the interest.
Does anyone know where to obtain hard copies of PLF and the associated pastoral guidance? So far I’ve looked on Amazon, SPCK, Eden and Church House publishing websites only to draw a blank.
As mentioned on a previous thread, on 2 Nov the German RC Bishop of Speyer had already recommended a blessing for same-sex couples without any problems (see https://anglican.ink/2023/11/06/german-rc-bishop-authorizes-same-sex-blessings/ ), so the latest from the Vatican should be no surprise. The city of Speyer is twinned with Chichester, whose High-Church bishop, Martin Warner (member of council of bishops for ‘The Society’) is implacably opposed to such Wokery, thus cannot have been pleased to find a ‘real’ Catholic bishop being so liberal. Warner must find himself in even more of a stew now that the Pope himself has endorsed same-sex blessings.