Friar John's Ruminations

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Monday, February 12, 2007

From the Reverend Father Andrew Gren's blog.

An Excerpt:

"Some of the Primates say they won't sit in the same room with other Primates and so, as a result, at a meeting of the Anglican Communion there will not be a Holy Communion so that Communion members won't be in the position of ex-communicating themselves or one another from the Communion during Communion.

There is talk of a massive protest by members of the mothers union of Tanzania. They are protesting because somehow the relationship of a bishop and his partner in New Hampshire, not to mention that couple sitting quietly in pew #32 last Sunday is, as we speak, undermining the fabric of the institution of marriage in Tanzania.

Just think. Our Primate and Presiding Bishop will have face all this, as if the pressure of being the first woman primate weren't enough. She has been called everything from a heretic to an apostate to a blasphemer. So if they don't talk to her, it certainly won't be because she's a woman, which is such a relief."

Read the rest of it. His treatment of N.T. Wright for his interview with Ruth Gledhill, the Anne Coulter of religion, is priceless. Lets face it, the man may be a brilliant New Testament scholar but The Right Reverend, The Honorable Nicholas Thomas Wright, Prince Bishop of Durham not only suffers from the peculiar blood poisoning found amongst those who wear funny purple shirts but apparently has yet to find a miter big enough for his head. The tittle probably dosen't help engender a Christ like sense of humility either.

The Nigerians, feeling ever so helpful, have gone and had a special session of their Synod. They resolve, in part:
The Synod welcomed the report from the Bishop of CANA (Convocation of Anglicans in North America) and the increasing number of congregations and clergy who are now part of this important missionary initiative of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion). We welcome them as full and constituent members of our Anglican Communion family. We rejoice in their faithful witness during these turbulent times. We are saddened to hear that the profound division in the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia has now led to the unholy situation where an Episcopal Bishop has initiated costly legal action against churches whose only offence is seeking to remain true to the “faith once for all delivered to the saints.” We assure them that we stand with them and will continue to uphold them with our prayers.
How nice of them to embrace the Virginia Schismatics as "full and constituent" members of the Communion when +++Rowan has called them "unhelpful." While "unhelpful" may sound a bit tame, in Rowan speak, it's the equivalent of a temper tantrum.
They go on to laud the Most Reverend "I'm so humble it embarrasses people" Peter ++Abuja:
The Synod notes with great delight the visionary, purposeful and dedicated leadership given by our Primate, the Most Reverend Peter J. Akinola. Worthy of special note is his unflinching resolve to uphold the authority of the Word of God against onslaughts from modern apostles of false doctrines. The Synod assures him of our prayers and enthusiastic support.
They also voted to comend the Archbishop's dress sense and to condem the use of croped trousers at this years men's fasion shows in Milan. They then all got up and sang "I'm a Little Tea Pot" at the "request" of their beloved Primate.

All of this in in the same vein that the so-called Global South Primates are going to try and take over the meeting.Aparently, they are all for authoritarian behaviour when it's THEIR authority. Seriously boys and girls, these are guys with some sevier issues with authority. The Nigerians now say that THEY, and they alone, define the Anglican Communion. The fact that this little amendment to their Constitution was forced through at the same, specal meeting the other two quoted resolutions were passed, I think points to just how they want this to go down. ++Akinola will declare that ++Katherine has cooties, and so he won't be able to sit down with her. The other GS types will also leave, in support of their leader. This will leave +++Rowan up the proverbial creek. What happens next will be in the Bearded One's pontifical lap.

On a side note, the meeting took place in the State of Sokoto in Northern Nigeria. The warm welcome of the delegates by Sultan Muhammadu Saad Abubakar III seems to shed some light onto the "We're defending ourselves against mob's of angry muslims who hate us more because of the gay thing." Namely, it dosen't seem to quite jive all the way.
Also, rumor has it that Bishop Duncan, this time attending the Primates meeting officially and not under the cover of vacationing, has let it slip that he's expecting a "realignment" to be the de facto result of the maneuverings in Dar Es Salaam. He's then going to force those Loyal to TEC out of their buildings, completing the acts of theft committed by the IRD. He may have to then explain himself to a Federal Judge, but details, details.

I DO hope that, when all of this sad sham ends, some one pulls ol' +++Rowan aside and says "see what you get for caving into bullies?"