The role of the Queen in the Church of England

On occasion of the 60th Jubilee of the Accession of Queen Elizabeth II, Archbishop Rowan Williams has issued a very good description of the role of the Queen in the Church of England.

(...) Since the 16th century, every English monarch has been Supreme Governor of the Church of England, which doesn't mean that the Queen or the King is the head of the Church of England. It simply means they're the final court of appeal. They're the person who makes the final decision about what the Church can do and can't do in law. One of The Queen's other titles is Defender of the Faith. We still see it on our coins in Latin: Fidei Defensor. It's tied up with The Queen's role as the senior layperson of the Church of England. But I think that The Queen has made something quite fresh of it. She has, in effect, said that by being the guardian of the Christian faith as held by the Church of England, she establishes a real place for faith in public life...

It is important to note that whatever the role the Queen fills in the Church of England, her role is for and in the Church of England, and not relates to Anglican Communion, other than in its historic character of founding church.

You may continue reading the whole transcript or watching the video here

A Sermon I wish I would have Preached...

"What God has made clean, you must not call profane."

If we wanted a theme for today, this verse would do nicely, I think. Whether it is a Gentile Roman soldier or a whole dinner menu previously prohibited to Jews by Torah, God can decide if he will change the rules and now call it clean. This reversal can either seem capricious, if one has a certain view of God that inclines to the suspicious, or it can be seen as a generous next step in God's plan to renew the world following the resurrection.

If God can overcome death, then surely he can overcome cultural and religious divides between humans...

Full sermon at Mad Padre's blog clicking here

A Prayer for the Abundance of Love, Grace, and Patience in the Body of Christ

   Dear God, you have told us – your children – that you have set your mind in never ceasing doing us good come what it may. We thank you for your everlasting mercy, your enduring grace, and your forbearing love even at such times when in our impatience, pride, and narrow-mindedness we grieve our brothers and sisters– those whom you love as dearly as you do love us. As you continue making all things new in your Creation by the working of your Spirit, we pray that you may renew our hearts and minds, and you may open the eyes of our understanding so that we may see and hold dear each one of our brothers and sisters as you see and hold us dear in your beloved Son, Jesus, your Christ. Amen.

The Ordinariate: A still-born option?

After the Vatican's announcement about the Ordinariate, a structure created to receive unhappy Anglicans to the fold of the Roman Church, so far, and as far as I know -- and despite protestations of interest -- not a single priest/congregation has crossed the Tiber. Why there is such reluctance? I don't really know, however there are a few hints-- Stipends and property.

Rome can ill afford to support the imported clergy. And if it were to do so, it would create a even larger problem within its own fold. Anglican clergy is better paid than than diocesan Roman clergy. And to add insult to injury, some of the new starlets will be married, something that for the Roman clergy is a no-no. Therefore, the "Coetibus Anglicans" will have to get themselves a secular job to support themselves, and keep themselves and their spouses away from the locals. To wit,

Clergy in the Ordinariate would have to be in secular employment because the Roman Catholic Church could not raise the money — £64,000 in his case in London — to keep them in a house and stipend. (Church Times, http://www.churchtimes.co.uk/content.asp?id=93683)

For them, then, just plain old conversion may be a better option: "Fr North said that the Ordinariate could become irrelevant: 'If we reach a point where staying is not an option, then traditional conversion is far more likely to offer the kind of enrichment and ministry that we know now.'"

The issue of property is a hot topic as well. Their houses of worship will have to stay on this side of the Tiber. In some places there may be some arrangement for the congregation leasing the old property from the Church, but I doubt the Diocese would be amenable to such a proposition. Litigation? They will have absolutely no chance. There is no court that will support a claim that "they never left the Anglican Communion".

Rome is not new to power plays. I am beginning to wonder if this so-called invitation was not something that Rome devised to get the troublemakers off its back, knowing well in advance that the massive exodus would end in being no more than a few souls here and there- Put up or shut up. If so, hat tip to Benedictus!

Note to TEC, the ACoC, and like-minded folks: Is there a lesson to be learned here?