Friday, 8 October 2010

No room?

On the 5th October, the Church of England has announced (see here) the membership of the working group for preparation of a draft statutory code of practice regarding the innovation of admitting women to the Anglican episcopate. This group will advise the House of  (CofE) Bishops on the statutory code of practice, yes that code of practice which will not do, not now or ever. It seems that the powers to be are not interested in what our constituency is saying and patronisingly are deciding what crumbs from the table they may offer, not as food to sustain but as crumbs that will prolong the misery of starvation.
I do not want to be tolerated by a code that my guess is will be honoured only for a very short time.
Anyway, for those who think that a Code of Practice might give them some security, yes they need to have their head examined, look at the composition of this team. Out of eight members only ONE from our constituency, is that representative? I believe not. I was encouraged to see that this last point is also the view of Prebendary David Houlding, you can see it here.
So if already at this time, when the goodwill of all is being sought, we are treated in this manner, what do you think it will look like when the legislation gets the Royal Assent?
Can we still be Anglican Catholics in the Church of England?  Or should we be Anglican Catholics in full communion with the See of Peter, something which we have been praying for over a long period of time? Remember that this latter is granted us in the Apostolic Constitution “Anglicanorum Coetibus”. The more I think and pray about the Ordinariate the more I see what a grace and blessing it will be; and the more some people try to rubbish it the more I see and understand that good things are opposed, as the good Master himself has shown us.
What I know is that I am called to live my vocation in the freedom of the children of God, were my conscience and that of many others is, at the least, respected. I am called to live in integrity and that seems almost impossible to do where I am now.
Tomorrow is the first time ever that the feast day of Blessed John Henry Newman is kept. As Fr Hunwicke says here, the 9th October was the day when the future Cardinal was in communion both with the See of Canterbury and with the See of Rome. I am sure that many a prayer will be directed to him tomorrow that we may see and follow that kindly light. The kindness we need to sustain us was definitely not extended or implied in the formation of the above-mentioned working group, which now looks to me as an exercise behind which to hide the true sentiments of the powers to be: “there is no room for you!” So be it! It seems we might be in good company.

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