Bishop Ann Tottenham of the Anglican Church of Canada wrote Preludium with this comment:"For the record, I celebrated and preached at Southwark Cathedral on November 9, 2009 with the permission of the Powers-That-Be in the C.of E. in the presence of the Diocesan Bishop and fully vested including mitre. It was a public service to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the ordination of women to the priesthood in the C. of E. The only restriction place on me was that I was not to "perform an episcopal function". As I was not planning either a confirmation or an ordination this was not a big deal, though the whole process was aggravating. To my mind this makes the insult offered to the Presiding Bishop even more gratuitous. +Ann"
So, let's wrap it up, shall we? Here is what we have:
(i) The miter flap has become a virtual storm. Termed "mitergate" the restriction placed on the Presiding Bishop do forgo wearing a miter or carrying a staff while in the service at Southwark Cathedral and the bits and pieces of identity harrassment that accompanied her getting in the door are appauling. Apparently a number of other bishops have had no such problems - Bishop Tottenham and Presiding Bishop Griswold among others.
(ii) I was cautious in receiving the first reports of this mess because it seemed hard to believe, but I opined that," if true, what happened to hospitality?"
It turns out hospitality for a WOMAN as Primate does not seem to be in place. Women bishops? Limited but OK; Women Primates (there is only one), No.
I see it this way: Mitregate is actually a blessing. If Lambeth had not acted as they did, how many people in the Western World (or even in TEC) knew ++KJS was even in England?
ReplyDeleteBut because of Lambeth's rudeness, most major papers throughout the Western World reported on the insult and multiplied million of people know about this. PR fiasco for Lambeth on all counts.
Score: TEC 1 Lambeth 0.
Tit for tat or hit for hat.
ReplyDeleteWhen the ABC celebrates in some cathedral here may he be as mitreless as Katherine was.
I think the discussion at the Anglican Curmudgeon was fairly relevant. Maybe we shouldn't blow a routine matter out of proportion?
ReplyDeleteSee: http://accurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2009/06/canonical-analysis-of-mitregate.html
The ongoing ignorance of folks like Zack and the Curmudgeon is astounding!
ReplyDeleteZack it is a routine matter the first time it occurs. +Katharine has been through this routine matter in the past with the CoE and this very ABC. Nothing has changed. She is still the Presiding Bishop of TEC. She was ordained a deacon. She was ordained a priest. She was consecrated a bishop. It is all the same as it was when she completed this as a routine matter a few years back.
Should TEC require the ABC to complete the routine process each and every time he journeys to the USA? Might it be different the next time around? Or should 815 just pull the file and issue a new license based on the application the first time it was a routine matter under the previous Presiding Bishop?
As impressed as your are, the Curmudgeon's latest drivel is irrelevant, as are most of his emissions.
Good to see Anglican Curmudgeon not blowing things out of proportion, Zack.
ReplyDeleteI am sorry our Presiding Bishop doesn't get to wear her funny hat, but she looks much better without it, and probably should be grateful bishops aren't required to wear what Jesus wore on his head. I would hope that this would be the opportunity for our church to be forbearing, not petty.
ReplyDeleteAnd November 2009 is not now. There has been a lot of negative energy that has transpired in the CofE regarding women bishops since then.
ReplyDeleteNow is the time for respect for their needs and conversations on the matter rather than insisting on exporting American progressive revisionism on a very delicate compromise going on a full 7 months after Bishop Tottenham's visit.
It IS June 2010 now, not November 2009. The Church of England can run their Church as they see fit, can't they?
After all the TEC apologists often go their way enough.
I note that the ABC celebrated mass at the catholic Basilica of Santa Sabina in 2006...armed with miter and croiser (http://www.catholicpressphoto.com/servizi/2006-11-26-williams/default.htm).
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