Augustina of Canterbury

The Cathedra Augustini           From Wikipedia

Concluding his interview on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show (here) before the vote on women bishops was taken at York Synod, the 105th Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, claimed that he would be "delighted to see a female successor on theChair of St Augustine in his lifetime".

Canterbury Cathedral is the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

From Canterbury Cathedral history: "St Augustine, the first Archbishop of Canterbury, arrived on the coast of Kent as a missionary to England in 597 AD. He came from Rome, sent by Pope Gregory the Great. It is said that Gregory had been struck by the beauty of Angle slaves he saw for sale in the city market and despatched Augustine and some monks to convert them to Christianity.

Augustine was given a church at Canterbury (St Martin?S, after St Martin of Tours, still standing today) by the local King, Ethelbert whose Queen, Bertha, a French Princess, was already a Christian. This building had been a place of worship during the Roman occupation of Britain and is the oldest church in England still in use. Augustine had been consecrated a bishop in France and was later made an archbishop by the Pope. He established his seat within the Roman city walls (the word cathedral is derived from the the Latin word for a chair ?Cathedra?, which is itself taken from the Greek ?Kathedra? Meaning seat.) and built the first cathedral there, becoming the first Archbishop of Canterbury".

Move on 1400 years. From 'yourcanterbury' 2014 (here). The italics are mine: "The Rev Kes Grant is school chaplain at St Augustine Academy in Maidstone. She admits when the Synod rejected the proposal 20 months ago, it shook her faith in the Church. Speaking to KoS this week, she said: “It’s bloody fantastic. It’s been a long time coming.”

The Church ordained its first two women priests in 1994, She added: “When that vote didn’t go through in 2012 I was absolutely gutted - even though in hindsight it was right because the legislation wasn’t right. “That morning I didn’t even know if I wanted to be in the Church of England anymore when it couldn’t even come into the 20th century, let alone the 21st.

“When you visit your doctor, you don’t stop to ask if they are gay or married or a woman. You just see someone because they are qualified for the job. No one bats an eyelid about women in senior jobs in any other section of society. “The Church really needed to get a grip. Telling people they are not welcome is not what the love of God is all about. When they do things like that I don’t recognise the Jesus of the Bible.” The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has been a supporter of the proposals and described the vote as “an adventure in faith and hope”."

An adventure for some; the secularation of the Church of England for others. As for faith, there have been numerous threats that women would leave the Church if they didn't get their own way while those of faith rather than fancy have had to battle against the odds on being told that they are not wanted in this Church.

One has to wonder what 'Augustina' of Canterbury will believe when she occupies the Chair of St Augustine but we already have a pretty good idea from existing trends and from the example of the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States here. It beggars belief that bishops of the Church of England have done this.

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Bishops' rank hypocrisy

Getting married in the Church in Wales

The introduction to the Church in Wales Marriage Service describes marriage as a gift from God.  The Bible teaches that marriage is a life-long, faithful union between a man and a woman, and compares married love with the love Jesus has for his people – a love expressed in his willing sacrifice of himself on the cross.

 Compare the above introduction taken from the Church in Wales web site under the headingMarriage with the same-sex marriagePress Release in which the bishops of the Church in Wales draw attention to a joint pastoral letter issued in response to consultations and debates on same-sex marriage across the Church in Wales last year, as well as to a statement from the Primates of the Anglican Communion in January. It contains this grovelling apology for alleged mistreatment:

“Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

We recognise that you have often been persecuted and ostracized by the Church for your sexuality, that you have been mistreated by the Church, and forced into secrecy and dissimulation by the attitudes of prejudice which you have faced.  We deplore such hostility, and welcome and affirm the words of the Primates that condemn homophobic prejudice and violence.  We too commit ourselves to offering you the same loving service and pastoral care to which all humanity is entitled, and we commit ourselves to acting to provide a safe space within the Church and within our communities in which you can be honest and open, respected and affirmed.

While as a Church we remain unable to bless the committed partnerships you form in marriage or in civil partnership, yet we commit ourselves as bishops to work for a Church in which you can be fully affirmed as equal disciples of Jesus Christ or seekers after truth.  We will pray with you and for you, that together we may seek God’s blessing on our lives, and for faithful discipleship.”

This has Llandaff written all over it. If we consider two former bishops of Llandaff, both were loved by many but received entirely different treatment. One resigned after being accused of indecency. He was not "persecuted and ostracized". I recall numerous diocesan occasions when the bishop was present. He later returned to pastoral and episcopal work. The other bishop was not in favour of the ordination of women. His life was made hell.

The Press Statement continues - In the letter, the bishops acknowledge that while the consultations showed that the Church is not yet ready to allow or bless same-sex marriage, the debate is not over. They commit to working for a Church in which gay and lesbian people are “fully affirmed as equal disciples” and to praying with and for them. They also apologise to gay and lesbian people for the persecution and mistreatment they have endured at the hands of the Church and they commit themselves to providing a safe place within the Church for all gay and lesbian people. [My emphasis - Ed.]

The bishops "apologise to gay and lesbian people for the persecution and mistreatment they have endured at the hands of the Churchdanquot; but where is the evidence? If gay people want to wear their sexuality on their sleeves we are entitled to ask for some facts. What persecution and mistreatment and directed at whom, clergy and/or laity? What proportions of the clergy are gay, lesbian or transgender? And what about heterosexual couples "living in sindanquot;? Are they not worthy of an apology?

In my previous entry I drew attention to the claim that bullying played a part in persuading women to leave the Church and that many victims "vote with their feet, and leave the organisation.

The bishops are encouraging the same strategy as was highlighted in the ordination of women campaign. Exploit the "victim" status, slander and stereotype (substitute homophobic for misogynist) and intimidation.

Before they go any further the bishops should consider who the real victims are of their secularisation of the Church in Wales.

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Building bridges

Source: Church in Wales/ClipArtMag

Following the Pride Cymru extravaganza which attracted a number of clerics from the Church in Wales, there has been more pride from 'The team' on Twitter:

St Augustine's@AugustineRumney 3 Sep 2018

We’re proud to be hosting @StTeilos for their inset day. Former pupil @rjmaidment presided @frjrconnell preached @David_T_Morris concelebrated at Mass with great singing from staff. @SchoolsLlandaff #teamteilo

Pride is an odd association for the church given that pride is one of the seven deadly sins. Perhaps 'The team' is so busy secularizing the church that sin is no longer a duduk perkara for them.

St Teilo's Church in Wales High School is in a Cardiff suburb at the heart of theCyncoed Mission Area in the diocese of Monmouth. Described by the head teacher as an 'inclusive' school, their link with St Augustine's in Rumney, another Cardiff suburb, implies a degree of inclusivity beyond their normal school disability equality duty.

Its links with the 'inclusive' church of St Augustine's, Rumney give the appearance more of spreading the word as discerned by the gospel according to LGBT.

In a postscript to my entryThe big lie, I reported that Bob Woods who was listed No. 36 of 46 on the The Pinc List 2018: The 40 most influential LGBT+ people in Wales had been promoting respect for difference:

"Bob has been a lifelong LGBT activist in both his personal and professional life....He has played a key voluntary role at St Teilo?S Church in Wales School in Llanedeyrn, promoting respect for difference. He has been an inspirational role model for young people which has given them the confidence to be frank about their sexuality and the confidence to say so in public and amongst their friends and family."

There is nothing new in children having same sex feeling and childhood crushes. Teachers should be able to deal with that without bringing in adults of a particular persuasion to give children "the confidence to be frank about their sexuality and the confidence to say so in public and amongst their friends and familydanquot;. Where does such 'expertise' end?

Churches and schools may have had the best of intentions but the results have become dire.

So successful has the LGBT campaign been that LGB has become mainstream as witnessed by the rainbow flag flying over public buildings and even Anglicancathedrals. The 'T' part has become the latest 'oppressed minority' to claim persecution as transgender takes centre stage.

The LGBT promoting bishop of Llandaff has already done her bit by appointing the first transgender priest in the Church of England to be the priest in charge of St John's, Cardiff's civic church,

A recent BMJarticle posed the question 'Why has there been a 240% increase in referrals to gender dysphoria clinics over the past five years?'

"Gender dysphoria, a condition described as 'strong, persistent feelings of identification with the opposite gender and discomfort with one's own assigned sex,' is quite common in young people today.

"The causes of gender dysphoria are 'complex' and 'not fully clear.' While many medical sites say gender dysphoria is caused by hormonal imbalances, some scholars believe the rise in gender fluidity is primarily a cultural phenomenon.

"'I think it?S become a fashion', Camille Paglia said during a recent public interview. 'The transgender definition has become a convenient label for young people who may simply feel alienated culturally for other reasons'.

"Paglia, a professor at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and one of the world?S foremost intellectuals, went on to suggest that gender fluidity is simply the new face of the counter-culture.

"'In the 1950s they might have become a beatnik', she said. 'In the 1960s they might have become a hippie and taken mind-expanding drugs'."

Paglia claims that "anyone who collaborates in an intrusion into a developing child's body and mind is guilty of child abuse, a crime against humanity because that child is not prepared to make such a decision."

FromOutbreak: On Transgender Teens and Psychic Epidemics "a young person's coming out as transgender is often preceded by increased social media use and/or having one or more peers also come out as transgender. These factors suggest that social contagion may be contributing to the significant rise in the number of young people seeking treatment for gender dysphoria."

There is a world of difference in tolerance and what can be interpreted as promoting difference, something that previously was regarded simply as a passing phase.

The fear of being branded homophobic has muted discussion resulting in an explosion of 'inclusion' with devastating results. ReadIs the Queer Reckoning upon Us? for an account of how countless people have lost their jobs, families, public reputation, homes, or incomes because they chose to defend God's design for sexuality rather than submit to the LGBT movement's demands.

The latest tweet from the inclusive church of St Augustine, Rumney promotes the diocesan Evangelism Fund Bid#lovewithoutlimit. That is the ?10m fund to inspire new Welsh revival, a misnomer if ever there was one. Grants of between ?250,000 and ?3m will be available for diocesan projects which crucially, will focus on people rather than buildings. To be presented at the forthcoming meeting of the Governing Body of the Church in Wales: 'Inclusive church ? Promoting an open and welcoming church at Rumney, Cardiff'.

Manna from heaven for the bench of bishops as bridges are built to aid them in their one-sided campaign for same sex marriage in church.

In his background paper on the subject the archbishop writes:

"As part of discharging our responsibility to lead the whole church in ways that are just, compassionate and caring, seeking to ensure that none suffers through our neglect, we have invited Bishop Mark to come and address the Governing Body about the process developed and adopted in Scotland. He will first address the Governing Body and, after lunch (during which informal discussion among members can take place), he will answer questions about that process and the current situation in Scotland. Bishop Mark will not debate the rightness or otherwise of same gender relationships, those relationships being blessed, or same-gender marriages being solemnised, but all comments from members will be noted.

"In the light of what takes place, members of Governing Body will then be asked to indicate whether they would support the Bishops in undertaking further work on the subject of same-gender relationships and how the Church in Wales could or should provide for them.  The Governing Body will participate in a private ballot, in which members will be asked to agree or not with the statement: “It is pastorally unsustainable for the Church to make no formal provision for those in same-gender relationships.”

"This is not a motion.  It will bind neither the Bench of Bishops nor the wider Church in Wales.  It will not change the doctrine and practice of the Church in Wales on marriage.  However, it will provide an important steer for the Bench in determining where to go next in exercising their ministry of leadership and pastoral care."

If the GB supports the statement the bench will have the all-clear to proceed full steam ahead to allow same sex marriage in church putting many clergy in an invidious position. If the statement is not supported the bench will come back until they get their way. That rouse has become a habit which needs to be addressed by GB.

The bishops of the  Church in Wales have no need to promote same sex marriage, particularly in church. As readers have commented under previous entries, homosexual members of the church have been quietly getting on with their lives for years without hindrance. Many still do while others insist on banging the drum demanding to be affirmed.

In 1967 the law was changed to allow two men to be in a relationship together without the fear of being arrested. Civil partnership legislation followed to ensure that un-married couples enjoyed the same protection as married couples. They can now be legally married.

That is the law. Faith is different. It is based on scripture and tradition. Sadly people whose faith does not in conscience permit them to accept secularisation of the church have been forced out leaving activists in control. Consequently we have bishops who show no understanding of the consequences of their actions driving the church to extinction while putting children in danger.

Children with no concept of gender are paraded in rainbow colours at Pride events as if they have made a conscious decision to support the LGBT campaign. Even babies are not exempt implying a predetermined lifestyle.

The bishops of the Church in Wales are participating in propaganda which is putting our children at risk. They must be stopped.

The Governing Body must wake up to what is being done in their name and return from politics to faith.

Postscript [12.09.2018]

FromREPORT OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ? SEPTEMBER 2018

Governing Body Worship Coordinator

"This meeting will be the last, as Worship Coordinator, for the Venerable Paul Mackness, Archdeacon of St Davids, who has resigned owing to his new responsibilities in the diocese....

"On the advice of the Bench of Bishops, the Committee appointed the Reverend John Connell for an initial three year period. He will operate the guidelines that have been agreed by the Committee, consulting with others as necessary, to develop a proactive way of delivering liturgical arrangements, working to achieve a balance of participants and language from across the dioceses."

Another bridge!

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