This page will be updated during the day
Overnight news and comment
Editorial in The Guardian Church of England: Mission impossible
Graeme Paton Telegraph Anglican schools ‘not dominated by middle-class pupils’
John McManus BBC News Church and Stonewall to target homophobic bullying
Nick Baines Approach to Synod
Order paper for Tuesday
Official summary of Tuesday morning’s business: General Synod – Tuesday AM
The contingency business (not in the order paper) was taken before lunch, and this motion was passed.
That this Synod call on the Archbishops’ Council to introduce legislation to enable dioceses of the Church of England to be named by reference either to a city or substantial town or to a geographical area
After lunch the Archbishop of York gave his presidential address.
This was followed by a debate on church schools. This was opened by the Bishop of Oxford with this speech.
Press release on this debate: Synod affirms CofE’s crucial involvement with schools
The final item of business was a motion from the diocese of London calling for a review of the workings of synod: Review on workings of synod rejected.
Official summary of the afternoon’s business: General Synod – Tuesday PM
Nick Baines comments on today’s business: Prophetic imagination.
There are these two report of the Archbishop of York’s address:
Sam Jones The Guardian Church of England must end internal arguments, says archbishop of York
Gavin Drake Church Times Take action to help the ‘new poor’, says Sentamu
Audio recordings of the sessions are available here.
The Mail front page screams Church on the verge of vanishing.
Lord Carey has his usual helpful things to say.
Quite an excellent editorial in The Guardian! A very clearly enunciated understanding of what is at stake in the current session of the General Synod. If the legislation for women bishops fails at this point, the Church of England may never regain its credibility with the general public. The editorial rightly credits Archbishop Justin with the skill of an intentional reconciler in this matter, with the prospect of a good outcome for supporters of women in ministry – but without the threat of a second-class status for a female diocesan. Good work. What will still be scrutinised, however, will be… Read more »
“A Code of Practice will not do” but an Ombudsman/woman will.
Hasn’t Lord Jeremiah Carey read the Scripture concerning the Church that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it”? “On the brink of extinction” within a generation – My eye!
While I am all for supporting Justin Welby in whatever he does to work for reconciliation,Fr. Ron, I think the credit for this piece of work should go to James Langstaff, Bishop of Rochester, who has chaired this committee. I don’t know what input ++Justin has had, but as far as I am aware the lion’s share of the leadership on this one was from +James. Thanks go to, to all those who have served on the committee, of course, but I suspect +James set the tone – a man of patience and grace (and also my Diocesan Bishop, which… Read more »
Yes, Anne2. Point taken. And now they’ve gone and made him Bishop-chaplain to H.M. Prisons – a great job for a reconciler! Of course, we need to give credit where it is due. I’m glad he’s your bishop.
This has been a long time coming – I mean that most sincerely (to channel Hughie Green), I really do. Hopefully this will set everything in train so that the majority of the CofE can do what they’ve been wanting to do for years – while giving those poor benighted refuseniks like me the space to carry on as business as usual. I’m hopeful the system proposed can work for us trad catholics, not sure about the ConEvos but there you go. I still think Synod has only itself to blame for being daft enough to ty and push it… Read more »
Primroseleague,
I have learned a lot from you, definitely. And I thank you for your polite engagement here.
But as for not having to clutter up these boards… we’ll undoubtedly meet again when the church gets round to discussing female Archbishops. This is still only one more step. I have this feeling we’ll be here for years to come yet.
Everyone, of whatever persuasion, should look on the bright side here. This thing is solved. This is a historic settlement. We can all live with it. In this respect it is a triumph for the Church of England.
“I’m hopeful the system proposed can work for us trad catholics” – primroseleague –
Dear Primrose; I, too, consider myself to be a catholic in the Anglican Tradition – but not opposed to the complete Image and Likeness of God being found equally in both genders of humanity. It is on this premise that I applaud the G.S. decision. May your conscience be appeased by any arrangements made for your ‘feeling secure’.