This article from the Church Times reports on a meeting of senior women clergy in the Church of England who are pressuring for women to be consecrated as bishops. What I found interesting was the acronyms of the two groups. One is called WATCH (Women and The Church) the other is called DARC (Deans, Archdeacons and Residentiary Canons) group.
What are we to make of the somewhat sinister name WATCH? Are the women, like some dog collared Fairy Hardcastles watching for anyone who steps out of line and crosses them? Are they vigilant watchwomen--alert for every infraction of their politically correct ideology? Not sure. Just asking.
For those who are unfamiliar with the complexities of Anglican hierarchy--the Deans are deans of cathedrals. The Archdeacons are sort of the equivalent of our Vicar General in a diocese, and a 'residentiary canon' is a high level cathedral-diocesan administrative post. In other words the members of DARC are the ladies most poised to wear the purple and the pointy hat once the legislation goes through. Think Episcopal ladies in waiting...Not really a public relations coup calling themselves DARC I think. Why not LITEN? (Ladies In The Episcopate Now)
Meantime ABC Rowan wants "a change of culture in which the church offers 'a prophetic theology of gender' " Not quite sure what he means here, but I think what he means is, "People in society and other Christians (who are not as brave and enlightened as we are) are still terribly old fashioned patriarchal and bigoted and oppress women and homosexuals and we need to go boldly where no others dare to go. We need to speak out against this injustice and be prophetic..."
ABC Rowan is also calling for "something more profound and prophetic: a complete reappraisal of what it means to be a bishop." Well, here at last is one thing on which we can agree...women's ordination to the episcopate is certainly a "complete reappraisal of what it means to be a bishop."
Are you trying to tell us, Father, that there is not somewhere within the Roman communion a similar group longing for exactly the same development to be sanctioned by the Pope? Catholic Ladies of Serious Episcopal Tendencies - CLOSET?
ReplyDeleteVic, Dude, There's a billion of us. Who knows how many strange people there are who call themselves Catholyc. Doesn't matter. Women cannot be ordained. it's like pretending gravity doesn't exist, until you hit the ground.
ReplyDeleteIndeed Vic, we do have such closet Catholic women who want to be priests!
ReplyDeleteHowever, the Pope has told them that such a thing is impossible.
Ah, yes! PSYCHO - Pope Says You Can't Have Ordination.
ReplyDeleteNo woman who understands the origins of the Christian priesthood, would want to be a priest.
ReplyDeleteAnglican Feminists could join LUNATIC - Ladies Understand Nothing About Tradition In Church...
ReplyDeleteIHS
ReplyDeleteThose letters are more indicative of the whole principle.
I don't care what their goofy little denomination (liberal high-church mainline that few go to) does but they have the right to govern themselves. And look at it this way: WATCH is their CUF (Catholics United for the Faith) and Wanderer. The Catholic Church shouldn't tolerate dissent; why should they? They can and do bring in changes such as women bishops by vote. Done deal.
ReplyDelete