Angry in the Great White North

Anglican split will get progressively uglier

The Anglican Church in Canada is on the verge of formal split over same-sex marriage and other liberal changes in Church teaching and practise. The charges flying back and forth on questions of theological correctness are sharp and emotionally charged. But like any divorce, the argument over whose fault this was will seem like children playing happily in a playground compared to what happens once the two sides start fighting over money.

And that's when I expect organizations will jump in to use this fight to promote their own agendas.

A Catholic monarch for England?

The incoming primate of the Church of Ireland, Bishop Alan Harper, had delivered some very controversial comments. Unlike his fellow Anglicans in America, though, he is not suggesting that Jesus is an optional concept or agitating for openly homosexual clergy.

Instead, he said it is well past time for England to move past the ban on Catholics ascending to the British throne. Note that the law, the Act of Settlement from 1701, bans Catholics specifically. It does not require that the monarch be Anglican. He or she could be a Buddhist, a Muslim, an agnostic, or a Scientologist -- just not Catholic. Bishop Harper correctly suggests that the circumstances that gave birth to this law have long since faded into history. The implications of such a change are quite interesting, and I think Bishop Harper knew exactly what those implications were before he made his statements.

Jefferts Schori: Episcopal Church not splintering

On one level, you would think that the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is being willfully blind, stating that the church is not splitting apart over the issue of gay ordinations.

Meanwhile, several parishes in Virgina have done exactly that -- split from the Episcopal Church altogether.

But in a strange way, Jefferts Schori is right. The Episcopal Church is not splintering because gays are being ordained. It is splitting, but because of a disagreement over the fundamental nature of Christianity.

The Anglican Church: Secession and blurred lines of authority

An entire diocese has voted to secede from the Episcopal Church, unhappy with the liberal policies being pursued by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. Schori has offered to appoint special bishops for these diocese, a form of quarantine, but that offer was rejected. Significant though, is that Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Cantebury, has called these demands by the diocese for "alternative primatial oversight", that is, secession, an "interesting" idea.

Now we wait to see how Schori and the Episcopal heirarchy will respond to what could be seen as meddling by a British authority in an internal American church matter.

Rowan Williams: Blogs play a role in Anglican battles between the left and the right

It is fascinating to see where blogs crop up, and just how seriously the content is taken. In this case, the former and current Archbishops of Cantebury, George Carey and Rowan Williams, respectively, are engaged in some serious fighting over the direction the Anglican Church is taking. One of the tools in that fight is a blog maintained by George Carey's son, Andrew. Other Anglican blogs are playing equally significant roles in the fight.

Just as we've seen in the secular political arena, blogs seem to be used more effectively by conservatives to keep up pressure on liberals holding the reins of power.

Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Anglican Church, and Irenicism

Is Katharine Jefferts Schori, recently invested in the position of Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church (the Anglican Church in the US), up to dealing with such subtle theological questions facing her faithful such as irenicism?

Irenicism? Until I started this piece, I had never heard of the word. The worrisome thing is that I wonder whether Jefferts Schori has ever heard of the word either.

Conservative Episcopalians moving to Africa and South America

The Anglican Church is again trying to deal with the schism that is tearing it apart, especially within the United States. A solution is being proposed, but it will never work, because we know from experience it will never be accepted by liberals. So what will happen? American conservative Episcopalians will continue to flock to Africa and South America.

The Anglican Church in Canada: Trying to maintain the faith

A schism, and a schism within a schism, is starting to form in Ottawa.

Gene Robinson: A mixed message hides the deeper truth

Gene Robinson, Espicol bishop and openly gay man, has some words of harsh criticism for the Roman Catholic Church and it is because the Church is cracking down on having homosexuals in the ranks of the priesthood. Ostensibly, this is in response to the sex scandals in the past, but I think the Church is rooting out a fifth column looking to rewrite Church doctrine. I think Gene Robinson's elevation in the Episcopal Church has precipitated this move, and I think Gene Robinson knows it.

Anglicans continue to go where no Christian Church has gone before

The Anglican Church in England continues to come up with new reasons to destroy the Anglican Communion, and drive the conservatives back to Catholicism.

Now it's transsexuals.

Anglican Church, Sarah Jones, Colin Jones, Anthony Priddis, transsexual

Separation of Church and State: Apologies not required

The Church of England is taking it upon itself to apologize for the role the United Kingdom played in the Iraq War. We often see examples of the State interfering in sphere's rightly controlled by the Church. Here is a much rarer example of the Church getting mixed up in purely State matters.