...began with an early telephone call from the BBC which resulted in my rushing up to London to take part in a TV news debate about the Anglicans having voted to have lady bishops. Then home, and just time to tackle various letters and routine work before scrambling into Best Clothes (outfit carefully chosen by my sister-in-law and small niece, determind to make sure Auntie Joanna didn't let the family down...) and off to Buckingham Palace.
A Garden Party at the Palace is tremendous. Vast numbers of people - some in uniform, a sight never seen in London normally as members of the Armed Forces haven't been allowed to wear their uniforms in public since the start of the IRA bombings more than three decades ago - some in national dress (Scotsmen in kilts, Africans in great robes, sheiks in flowing headgear), most in morning-dress and general elegance...the HATS, oh the lovely, glorious HATS!!!
Military bands playing, Yeomen of the Guard marching in, a tea-tent dispensing delicious sandwiches and slices of Victoria Sponge with freshly-brewed Tea and excellent iced coffee...and a superb, beautifully-timed moment when the band's music drew gently to a close, and everyone rose. The Queen and Prince Philip came out briskly on to the terrace in the sunshine, and halted there...and the glorious surge of the National Anthem filling the air, and everyone stock-still and the music soaring:"God save the Queen!"
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9 comments:
From Fr Dominic Allain's sister: Lady Bishops? I wish Trollope was alive to write a delicious follow up with this development in the saga...my sister-in-law will probably be the first to be elected! It is still the Pomp and Circ of our british heritage which keeps one sane.
Wouldn't it have been more appropriate for an Anglican to comment publicly on the General Synod's recent vote than a conservative Catholic? After all, it is their business, not ours.
No, anonymous, the Anglicans don't claim to be the whole church, but one fragment of it.
As a Catholic I don't entirely disagree with this. They are in a very imperfect communion with the rest of the Church, but they do have a certain amount of contact with the main body, maybe enough to be regarded as part of her.
However that's impaired when their leadership is not only unrecognised, but cannot now be regularised, on our understanding of the nature of the succession from the apostles.
If the Anglicans dropped the claim to be Christian then of course thier internal affairs would cease to be our business. But that isn't likely to happen.
Sounds like a lovely, and memorable day! Can't beleive you squeezed in some work on such a day!
Malcolm Maclean
Fine, but I am not sure that you understand my point. Catholic outsiders of predictable views are not the best commentators on Anglican affairs, not least because the media sees them as Aunt Sallies who add to the fun of life. In return for this they receive a modest fee and bicycle home rejoicing in their notoriety. To understand the pain and confusion of the General Synod's recent vote, or the happiness and vindication if you belong to the other side, needs internal experience that only membership of the Church of England confers. No amount of over-confident. articulate waffle based on a sketchy knowledge of the issues compensates for this. In the end it will only add to confusion and misrepresentation and that is precisely what the media wants in a post-Christian society. The present confusion in the Church of England only becomes our business when Anglicans become converts and we are there to welcome them. Other than that, it is merely a self-referential way of scraping a living.
I think what Malcolm says is entirely apposite, even though I confess that I am a little thwarted mentally by some of his clever sub-clauses. The General Synod's confusion is exceedingly sensitive, the unravelling that started 400 yrs ago or so, is naturally leading to further disembowling and further call for change...the same is unfortunately true of the RC church since 2nd Vatican Council. Malcolm is right when he observes that Catholics are involved de facto in the Anglican churches decisions because of the consequences of further conversions post the event.Certainly it shouldn't be taken lightly. I shouldn't perhaps of cited my sister-in-law with such facetiousness, but she is someone who was always a rampant femnist - her perogative yes, who then became one of the first women vicars in the UK who after a few years of ministery, when she then had a family (and male au pair) said she was taking up teaching alongside some cathedral duties because working the weekends was becoming too difficult for her. Can this be called a serious vocation? Some of the greatest saints in the RC church have been women; incredible examples like Edith Stein, Margaret Clitherow. If I have lost the thread a bit, apologies.
The admission of women to holy orders in the Church of England has proved disastrous in terms of its short- and long-term consequences. The illustration provided by Louise demonstrates the independence of spirit of many 'women priests' and their contempt of a proper understanding of priesthood. Their own agendas are of greater importance to them than ministry and service. Doubtless there are exceptions but their presence will continue to be a subject of discord that leads to fragmentation.
But I still don't understand how this affects the Catholic Church or why laymen should feel the need to comment publicly on a domestic matter. True, it has killed any realistic ecumenical progress, and the ordination of women in the Anglican Church offers encouragement to a tiny minority of attention-seeking women in the Catholic Church to campaign for a similar provision, but how can it affect us beyond providing a new crop of converts whom we should welcome and encourage?
From my experience of the past few days following the General Synod's vote for the ordination of women bishops the subject has been greeted with complete indifference by Catholics, clerical or lay, with the exception of those who take a professional interest in religion.
As for Louise, I understand her concern because she has one of these women in her family and it sounds is if she is a running sore as well as being a monumental bore.
...I think actually Anon one comments as a Catholic because in truth one is quite sad and quite concerned that the Anglican church faces this further schism. Perhaps it is arrogant to comment.
Wouldn't it have been more appropriate for an Anglican to comment publicly on the General Synod's recent vote than a conservative Catholic? After all, it is their business, not ours. Quote from anonymous.
Probably most Anglicans have given up on having their voices heard. Somebody's gotta do it.
Synod fatigue.
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