Somebody needs to get a grip, but it isn't ++KJS.

ABC is losing it --- beyond bizarre is the understatement

Strange, odd, weird!

Peter Carrell at Anglican Down Under says this about the way the PB has been treated:

"Strictly speaking this (I imagine, having once lived and ministered in the CofE) would be a legal requirement, not odd per se. But what is odd is requiring such evidence of someone so well known. We will not be requiring such evidence Down Under :)

Why be annoying at a time when tensions are high?"

http://anglicandownunder.blogspot.com/2010/06/odd.html

Why be annoying, indeed!

Strange, odd, weird!

Peter Carrell at Anglican Down Under says this about the way the PB has been treated:

"Strictly speaking this (I imagine, having once lived and ministered in the CofE) would be a legal requirement, not odd per se. But what is odd is requiring such evidence of someone so well known. We will not be requiring such evidence Down Under :)

Why be annoying at a time when tensions are high?"

Peter Carey

http://anglicandownunder.blogspot.com/2010/06/odd.html

Why be annoying, indeed!

The Presiding Bishop is right: This is BEYOND bizarre. No one has ever asked the ABofC not to wear his mitre here. I doubt anyone has asked ANY overseas bishop not to wear a mitre here. I doubt anyone has asked ANY overseas bishop to present proof of ordination to all the orders.

I'm not certain what the ABofC is thinking these days, but certainly he is not thinking about respect, he is not thinking about hospitality, he is not thinking about shared ministry, he is not thinking about the Gospel. All of his recent statements and moves have been about temporal power (his), about control (his), about narrow-mindedness (his), all of which seem to come out of a place of deep-seated fear. As the Presiding Bishop asked in her sermon on Sunday, what makes us so afraid of others? What, precisely, DOES the Archbishop of Canterbury fear? That a woman might do a good job? That a lesbian might be faithful? That a gay man might be a wholesome example? That - heaven forfend - the Holy Spirit might still have something new to say to us?

All of these contretemps to me are based in the absolutely nonsensical idea that God has stopped speaking to us, and that God can be put in box.

Shame on those who would limit God to their own smallness.

And kudos to Bishop Katharine for showing hospitality and respect even as she received neither in return from the ABofC. Kudos as well to Southwark's dean, who had the courage to speak the truth, and to go forward when it was obvious that Lambeth did not want him so to do.

I´m so happy...finally, all this snide rudeness from the Archbishop of Canterbury directed at TEC has revealed him to be EXACTLY who he is...a spoiled brat throwing tantrums (and there is no place for +Rowan to hide)...finally, ++KJS is FREE to speak FREELY about such annoying and childish behavior!

Remember this:

He is heaping all the insults and "punishments" he can onto TEC so *WE* will pull out of the communion. He wants *US* to walk away (and so do the Duncanites and so called GD).

We must simply swallow the insults and stay in. The world is watching and one side of this will be seen as acting Christ-like. The other side will be seen for what they are.

James Holloway

Yes, what Lauren said. God has not stopped speaking. The Spirit has things to say. Lesbian and gay people do a good job and provide wholesome examples. Yes.

Penny Nash

Whatever the reason, the the mitre issue is a major diplomatic blunder on the part of the ABofC. If you translated this into the realm of secular diplomacy, there anyone with a ounce of sense would have looked at a draft of the statement and advised the ABofC that this is a really bad idea. However, I think it may be a mistake to allow Williams to draw all the fire on this. Doing so tends to obscure a much bigger problem with dysfunction and sexism in the Communion. Everything seems geared towards banishing from sight even the smallest hint that may favor change. This is more a sign or symptom of a much bigger syndrome. It's much like how a turf war over flowers on the altar is a clue to systemic dysfunction. It's not just Williams. Turn over some rocks. Don't let the system off the hook by focusing only on the titular head. Bad decision making is often the result of people in positions of leadership allowing themselves to be immobilized by fear and the contagion of anxiety. At some levels you have to feel sorry for the CofE. This comes off looking like a Monty Python sketch--the boys were gifted a writing sketches that actually had no ending, and just elided into the next one.

Well said,Ron.There are iceburg shaped issues running deep on sexism, dysfunction, and fear of change. On another note, I would like to have some hand puppets like we had in Sunday school to act out this drama. Then I could talk to Rowan face to face. We need to get on with ministry. Anglican drama puppets would make a good mission fundraiser.

Are you looking for your comment? We need a name on your notes to publish them. Sometimes we look them up or try to contact you, but unlike God - our grace does not abound all the time.

Read this line carefully;

"She did so in order to comply with a 'statement' from Lambeth Palace, the London home of Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, that said "that I was not to wear a mitre at Southwark Cathedral," Jefferts Schori told the Executive Council June 16 on the first day of its three-day meeting here."

Notice that the "statement" is from Lambeth Palace and not directly attributed to the ABC. This means that there is the possibility that this lunacy is from a member of the ABC's staff. Which, in turn, begs the question of who is in charge here.

Not to defend the ABC, but I have often wondered about the extent to which he is "handled" by his staff and how much they filter the info that gets to him.

Thoughts?

I don’t understand what everyone is so excited about here. Rowan didn't demand a DNA sample! He graciously accepted the PB as the real Katharine Jefferts Schori.

Rod,

I think you're spot on -- this is symptomatic of a far wider issue. Cantuar is only the focal point of the Pythonesque behavior.

Granted, most of the de facto members of the C of E probably won't notice this little ecclesiastical sketch. The World Cup is far more interesting!

David,

I believe it's the chancellor (or the equivalent) at Lambeth who licenses clergy from abroad to preside at services in the C of E. At least, I know that's how it was done for clergy exchanges in the 1980's.

Why it becomes essential for duly appointed and elected primates of the Communion is quite another matter!

Perhaps there is an additional reason for the Archbishop's behavior. It appears to me that hemay be suffering from the onset of dementia.

Betty K. Hart

Bishop Mary Gray-Reeves from El Camino Real is in Gloucester this week and will be taking part in a service at Gloucester Cathedral on Sunday afternoon. I wonder if she has had the same experience.

I have to admit that I'm not really interested in the hoopla over "mitregate" and obscure episcopal customs (foreign or domestic). However, I did note with interest that the Wikipedia article "mitre" includes this particular photo from the Diocese of Minnesota: http://bit.ly/dzRG0A

Enjoy!

About 5 seconds with Google images finds this interesting photo of a former Presiding Bishop in mitre at Southwark Cathedral (scroll down the page for photo):

http://www.london-se1.co.uk/news/view/2131

I wonder what kind of jurisdiction he had there?

As much as I find the present ABC's statements and behavior to be insulting and distressing with regard to TEC, I would tend to suspect that this directive to our presiding bishop probably came from some lower functionary at Lambeth rather than the ABC himself. Such un-Christian and petty behavior is rather more to be pitied than to cause anger. It shows just how low we can go and almost makes me think that there is something to be said for the concept of fallen humanity.
In honesty, it almost makes me take heart that the anti-TEC and anti-LGBT factions are down to their last gasp in this absurd struggle. We must not let petty childishness like this drag us down to their level. I would pray rather for the poor misguided clerk who did this that he ( and of course it's a "he" ) , might be guided by the spirit of charity and humility to repent from his un-Christ-like behaviors and look for the log in his eye that is blinding his ability to see Christ in others.

An unbelievable insult. Next they'll ask her whether she's been circumcised.