The installation of Sarah Mullally as the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury will take place in Canterbury Cathedral on Wednesday 25 March, starting at 3.00 pm. The service will be broadcast on BBC1 from 2:30pm, and live-streamed on YouTube. You can download the order of service to follow the proceedings.
Here are some previews.
The Church of England Watch the Installation of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury, Sarah Mullally, at Canterbury Cathedral
Diocese of Canterbury Installation of the 106th Archbishop of Canterbury
Church Times Mullally prepares for installation in Canterbury Cathedral
The Saint John’s Bible First Female Archbishop of Canterbury to be Sworn in with Modern Bible, The Saint John’s Bible Heritage Edition
Not too long ago the Archbishop of York was championing a “simpler, humbler, bolder” church. Obviously in the Church of England that doesn’t apply to archbishops.
And the church wonder why many people see it as out of touch and irrelevant.
But I guess that the same ‘many people’ still support the ludicrous monarchy in spite of it being ‘out of touch and irrelevant’ in a modern democratic society. I suspect that the ceremony will reach many non-church people and if only one of the ninety-nine come to faith it will have been worth it.
It’s a very special occasion and goes much wider than the C of E. There is rightly observance of the Feast of the Annunciation (I wonder whether that was a conscious choice; I can see deep significance in it) but alongside the traditional and magnificent liturgy and music there are Gospel singers, prayer in another language and much more. Internationally there is representation by the Anglican Communion (and considerable other acknowledged support from US churches); national and local recognition of the importance are both evidenced by the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales and civic authorities. By no… Read more »
Good to see the ‘Flying Bishops’ involved. My feeling is that they are more tolerant than their previous, now Roman Prelate, Keith Newton. I will never forget a licensing in which I was involved a Deanery lay chair in what was then a resolution parish (now no longer)! There were 2 cathedra, one for him and the other for + Bedford. We had to mark out on the floor of the church in chalk the exact positionings so that they would be seen as equal. Thankfully their successors are more sensible. In another context I have had dealings with +… Read more »
As both of them were suffragans, neither would have been entitled to a ‘cathedra’.
As a Canadian, I want to participate and watch the event. It is a liturgy and there are visual aspects, not to mention music and prayers. It is not too over the top and certainly it is relevant to many. We need to rejoice and offer something to the world.
By all means enjoy it. It probably makes good television. But that misses the point. The Archbishop of York has recognised the need for the church to be simpler humbler but, as is often the case, the church doesn’t live the values it proclaims. One can argue that +Stephen should have said one glory of Anglicanism is the spectacle of our liturgy. That would be honest (and not necessarily wrong) but that isn’t what he said. It’s like claiming safeguarding should be independent but doing nothing to bring it about. Or telling LGBT Christians that they will be offended “a… Read more »
The ABC (designate) cannot win whatever she does, given the many splits in CofE.
I do wonder which of the usual suspects will make a protest at the event.
Survivors of church abuse?
Ticket only. There should be no rudery from Williamsons.
Seated in the nave I neither saw nor heard any protest whatsoever. It’s possible some people might not have joined in the enthusastic acclamation of the archbishop — but if so there were not very many (and I was looking at one person a few seats from me who I thought might not have approved very much). There was a very small protest group outside the cathedral precincts, carrying placards with offensive slogans (“harlot” language on one of them, others I prefer to forget), but it was only a handful of people. One or two other groups also handing out… Read more »
Apparently there was a protest shout – does anyone have any more information?
Nothing that I heard.
I have had a vague feeling of unease when I look at the career of the new archbishop. I’ve never met her and am totally at ease with women bishops/priests. Yet it seems to me to have been so meteoric (in the church anyway) compared to others, that I just don’t understand why. Maybe she is amazingly gifted? I hope so. But after training and ordination, was quite briefly at Salisbury as Canon Treasurer (iirc) before going to be suffragan bishop of Sherborne (iirc) but then goes to be bishop of London- a senior post- without being in another diocese.… Read more »
Sarah was not Suffragan bishop of Sherborne – she was suffragan bishop of Credition (in Exeter ie another) Diocese, before going to London.
Sorry- you’re quite right, but a suffragan nevertheless.
I would not describe eight years as a diocesan in London, the largest of our dioceses, as “a relatively brief period”. It’s one reason why she is among the oldest of the names talked about before during the CNC. Others, such as Michael Beasley or Guli Francis-Dehqani had much less time as a diocesan. Compared to previous Archbishops, she either has more time as a diocesan (more than Welby or Carey), or in a much bigger diocese (Williams), or you are comparing with a previous era where many became diocesans in their mid to late 40s (Runcie, Coggan, Ramsey, Fisher,… Read more »
William Temple became Bishop of Manchester at 39.
Meteoric in the church, but also meteoric in a previous career, being appointed the youngest ever chief nursing officer of England at the age of 37, which does suggest a certain competence.
Actually, er… no. (or not necessarily: quite the converse sometimes.) I suppose that is my worry, as an ex-doctor I have seen quite a lot of people get into admin type roles who, let’s say, were either less than brilliant at the day job, or didn’t like getting their hands dirty, or, indeed, both sometimes.
I suspect the truth is a mix of your point and mine, these things are never simple
And then receiving a Damehood in recognition of her work.
Yes, fairly automatic. This is despite the website of the Honours System lying through their teeth when they say, one doesn’t get an honour for just doing one’s job!
My experience was that doing one’s job well (aka loyally) earned one an honour sooner. (And no, I didn’t stay long enough to get one.)
It suggests to me that she’s recognised by the Establishment as a ‘safe pair of hands’. Which indeed, she has so far turned out to be. Opinions may differ as to whether that’s a good thing – I suggest not.
For myself, I want to give her credit for her competence as a minister and pastor and bridge builder and communicator, all of which can be seen to come out of a significant nursing career. Let us not forget that the nursing vocation developed from the work done by women religious. But what I wonder about is her ability to take charge of the legal and governance systems of the central C of E, especially around safeguarding. Can she see through the problems and impose her own will, or will she be too willing to rely on the advice of… Read more »
She doesn’t have a good record on safeguarding, and has been criticised in a report. I don’t think we can look for any safeguarding improvements under her tenure, or better relationships with survivors.
But she is an experienced manager, and I hope she will be able to restructure some of the C of E’s labyrinthine systems.
I don’t want to disagree with anything you say but ++Justin’s focus was often overseas. If ++Sarah has more of a domestic focus that alone might be helpful.
Hello
I can’t disagree with you about her being criticised in a safeguarding report, but I also wonder if you may be being too harsh. I have had recent experience of her in action on a safeguarding matter, and I was pleasantly surprised at how decisive she was. She had to make an awkward decision and she ‘owned’ it; she impressed me.
She is an experienced manager: she knows where to find the levers of power and then how and when to pull them: people make mistakes but I am quietly hopeful for her and for us.
Thank you for saying this. I want her to do well for so many reasons, so it is helpful to be reassured on the one concern that I had.
I hope you’re right, and glad to hear of your good experience. We’ll have to wait and see.
Quite: or, she did what they wanted her to do and didn’t rock the boat. I’m in favour of turbulent priests!
++Sarah’s ministerial career is not especially meteoric. Of course she is a late ordinand, becoming a priest at age 39. But CNCs pay special attention to pre-ordination experience and in her case it was significant. Including her curacy, she has 11 years’ parish experience, before going to Salisbury, where she spent three years. Her time as Bishop of Crediton was comparatively short (three years – the rule of thumb is that five years is best for the candidate and the sending diocese) but her time in London, eight years, was not short. Compared with a certain predecessor, her breadth of experience, especially in… Read more »
Just watched the enthronement. Thought she radiated a badly needed simplicity and impressed by her emphasis on ordinary people and her vision of an open, listening and available church. Someone with the highest theological qualifications might not be able to communicate and inspire those qualities and I hope she does.
David, I thought Archbishop Sarah carried herself on this occasion both with confidence and with Dignity due to her office, yet a Dignity without Pomposity. I thought too the Livestreaming of this occasion, which I watched from my Laptop at home was excellent and it went off without a hitch. Jonathan
Not worried in the slightest. In my view the only credible candidate, given the scale of the existential institutional challenges ahead.
Jenny W has already made the point about eight years in London Diocese well. But let’s remember the rest: the new Archbishop is in her 25th year in orders. Eleven of those were in parochial ministry; six in a major cathedral and a suffragan see. She has served in the Dioceses of Southwark, Salisbury, Exeter and London. If it still seems ‘weird’ that she is Archbishop, I wonder quite what would stop it feeling so.
I had the privilege of working for++ Sarah before she became a Bishop. She is intelligent, articulate, skilled and competent. The idea that she can’t do the job because she has not spent enough time “in the ranks” is simply incoherent and doesn’t stand the test of reality.
We have been blessed with a new ABC who is a thoroughly decent human being and eminently well qualified for the Office that she has taken up.
A few immediate thoughts looking through the order of service: I don’t think there is the opportunity for a repeat of Justin Welby prancing in front of the then Prince, now King Charles who looked on in appalled bemusement. The post-war tradition of swearing oaths on the Canterbury Gospels has been ditched by a version I have yet to check. We still have the mannered introductory exchanges at the door, which makes me cringe. Perhaps anticipating questions about use of resources, there is fulsome acknowledgement of donors towards the cost of the event, but also a retiring collection for the… Read more »
Is there no room for interpretive dance?
Enthronements don’t do much for me, but for all those for whom this will be a wonderful occasion of celebration – have a truly wonderful day! I pray the new Archbishop will begin to enable the Anglican Church to find a Christ centred vision to counter the crisis of excruciatingly bad theology centred on power, fame and wealth, that is so successfully promoting hate, discrimination, division, uncritical thinking, and lack of empathy. Bad theology injures and kills, and has now led directly to the current attempts to destroy and overturn peace and the fragile world order. The Annunciation is a… Read more »
Can you clarify the directions in which you are aiming your ire? We may all agree, but have a multitude of directions?
For example, is your ire directed at Trump?
This is quite a diatribe. There is plenty of empathy, good theology, and Christian witness still around. These negatives could apply to any church in any age, but there is still good in the church and work to be done.
One of the things I find disturbing about the Annunciation is that Mary is not asked for consent. And one might think that Mary might well, on hearing later from Simeon about the contradicted sign and the piercing of her soul, think ‘that angel wasn’t quite straight with me’. But I suppose that the story is lyrical and magical and questions like that are inappropriate. But they may occur if it one presses the question ‘what does this mean?’
In Luke1:28, Mary says, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Sound like consent to me.
But only after she is told that It’s going to happen anyway.
Doesn’t sound like consent to me.
How very odd. Mary is now a victim of divine abuse. Instead of an obedient Eve (“do whatever he tells you”). I far prefer the response to Pope Leo from the new ABC in respect of Mary. “As you so beautifully recalled the example of Mary, the Mother of God, she remains ever before me – not only in her faithful obedience as the servant of the Lord, but as a profound sign and image of the Church itself: the Body of Christ, called to receive the Word, to bear Him within, and to bring forth life for the sake… Read more »
It would be odd indeed if I presumed to attempt an understanding of how Mary experienced these astonishing events, but I think I may be allowed an opinion on how the author of Luke constructs his narrative.
God knew from the beginning that Mary would consent.
What I find disappointing is the over emphasis on the ABC designate being a woman. BBC RADIO 4 Sunday programme had the director of music commenting “ most of the music will be written by woman”, a woman composed a new anthem for the event”.
Ruth Gledhill, previously The Times Religion Correspondent, “ It’s fantastic to have a woman and I am so pleased “.
While my wife is an ordained priest, with my blessing, I don’t feel the emphasis on woman, rather than on the suitability of the candidate, is helpful.
Probably because you are a man Geoff? The journey to ordination was long, slow and grudging enough No women I know expected this to happen in their lifetime. So it is hugely encouraging and affirming and I too rejoice in it.
Do you think if the Pope were a woman no one should mention it?
I agree. 101% but that’s the BBEb for you.
I think I just heard on nthe Radio 4 news at 11a.m. +Gloucester speak of the apointment of a woman as ABC indicated that ‘people of all genders’ could aspire to any position-that’s pretty inclusive. I’m pleased your wife has your blessing; a very suitable candidate.
I don’t think a gender fluid cleric stands any chance of election as ABC so I think +Gloucester is exaggerating. But, to be fair, a year ago I also said it was impossible for a woman to be elected so maybe I am wrong again.
A gender fluid cleric may have an equal chance. But because the population of them is so small, it isn’t going to happen in my lifetime.
Fact is that having a female ABC is news. I have to wonder whether your ordained wife shares your feeling that this is being over-emphasised – no woman that I know feels that way at all!
As a woman I have mixed reactions, and understand where this comment is coming from. So what that she’s a woman? Haven’t we yet become accustomed to the idea, once novel, that women can do stuff? But – when all that is said and done, it is a Really Big Deal for the C of E!
Good point, but this is obviously going to happen. On the other hand, listening to some of the grim, ignorant misogyny still out there, perhaps it is still news to some that women can be anything at all. This is something of a milestone in these times where social progress seems to be discouraged on so many levels.
Let’s not forget the starring role of David Monteith, the Dean of Canterbury, civilly partnered to David Hamilton, and not afraid to speak out on LGBT issues.
Of course there have been homosexual archbishops and deans in the past, but not so open about it.
I have noticed that one of two commentators have described Archbishop Sarah as “Archbishop Designate” . This is not legally correct she is now Archbishop of Canterbury this took full legal effect at the Confirmation of her election in St Paul’s Cathedral on February the 28th. The Enthronement /Installation does not make her Archbishop of Canterbury, she has already become Archbishop by the Confirmation of her election, otherwise to follow things to their absurd logical conclusion, it would suggest she becomes Archbishop of Canterbury at her Confirmation for the sake of that occasion then cease to be Archbishop to become… Read more »
I understand that after the public announcement on 2 October 2025 that Sarah Mullally was to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, so that she became the ‘Archbishop of Canterbury Designate’, she was referred to in Lambeth Palace as ‘the ABCD’. Presumably that changed to the ABCE after her election by the College of Canons of Canterbury Cathedral on 2 December 2025, and then to just the ABC after the confirmation of that election on 28 January 2026 (28 January, not 28 February, Jonathan).
I am pleased to see the Kyrie in England’s second language, but it is a shame they couldn’t print it in Nastaliq.
Someone should have given the choir some instruction in pronunciation though!
My Lahori neighbours agree with you. By the way, Punjabi is probably more commonly spoken in England than Urdu. That said, chaste Urdu was a good choice.
Its a bit difficult to say. Punjabi and Urdu are as close to each other as Dutch and German, or Portuguese and Spanish, so speakers switch between the two depending on context. Urdu certainly has more of a public presence, and against the views of Mrs Badenoch, I would regard it as a British language on a par with Welsh and Gaelic. It was after all the main language of the British Empire.
Indeed. Urdu also allows its speakers to understand at least basic Hindi. And to add to Mrs Badenoch’s chagrin, there are probably more Bangla speakers than Welsh speakers in the UK.
As spoken languages, Urdu and Hindi are the same. Hindi is a somewhat artificial construct of the late 19th century. Its equivalent would be English with all words of French and Latin derivation purged and replaced with Anglo Saxon equivalents, and then the whole lot written in runes instead of the Roman alphabet.
To advance their chauvinistic ‘Hindutva’ agenda, India PM Narendra Modi and Home Sec Amit Shah have tried to ‘Sanskritise’ Hindi so as to drive a wedge between it and Urdu. South Asian friends tell me that this has had a similar level of success to the French Government’s attempt to eliminate Franglais, despite heavily Sanskritised Hindi being favoured in Government announcements.
Quite. Hindi is unloved. It has no literary history to speak of. The Hindutva movement is now trying to de-Urduise Bollywood.
Just seen a guitar, and some people looking happy. Really hoping its not too much for some of our contributors here.
I noticed this, and it took me back to a recent discussion about whether men and women have different responses to God, or such similar things. This service gives a chance to do some proper quantitative analysis to prove the point
Watching the service when the dancers came on then some people were beaming with joy, and others were stony faced and didn’t get it. And it seemed to me that there was a real gender difference here; the women more likely to radiate happiness, the men less so. And I find that interesting. What’s going on there?
Although liturgical dance should never be attempted by bishops, I found the dancers the most uplifting part of the entire ceremony. Their sheer joy and vitality reminded me that it was also the feast of the Annunciation – the Word made flesh in all humanity.
I saw some happy Sikhs, Jews and Muslims too. Being happy doesn’t make them Anglican.
Quite! I thought we were supposed ot be miserable, like I am.
Where is King Charles today? Shouldn’t he be there as the head of state?
The convention is that the sovereign doesn’t attend because they are the Supreme Governor and would out-rank the Archbishop. So normally the heir to the throne attends to represent the sovereign.
And yet in the traditional understanding of the Church the bishop always outranks the secular ruler. The spiritual is higher than the temporal.
In the secular order of precedence within England and Wales the Archbishop of Canterbury ranks immediately after the King and Royal Family. Without checking, my recollection is that Ebor isn’t far behind.
The rulers of the gentiles lord it over them…but it shall not be so among you.
Among other duties, the King was presenting a George Medal to an incredibly brave man who saved countless lives. Gritty real life, not the unrelatable flummery of Canterbury.
As Tim Evans pointed out, in recent times the Head of State hasn’t attended the enthronement.
I doubt if the Head of State has ever attended an enthronement. Anything on the any scale only came in in the 20 th c…I suspect with Cosmo Gordon Lang. 18c archbishop’s were often installed by proxy! And there wasn’t an Anglican Communion.
Neither was the Confirmation of Election ceremony in former times anything like the trumped-up occasion this year. If memory serves me correct it was first held as a big event for Justin Welby. Historically, I think it had been held in the crypt of St Paul’s; there is a youtube video of, I think, a pathe news film of bits of Michael Ramsey’s confirmation of election – with him looking as bemused as only he could! At the end of the day all that is needed at that point is for the love-in of lawyers in full fig porrecting (sic)… Read more »
Re the applause. The applause in the nave only began when the archbishop emerged through the screen into the nave. The applause before that was from the choir only. You couldn’t tell that from the video of course. Acknowledging applause in this context is a difficult task I fancy. But it represented a very genuine feeling of support and good wishes to her from the assembled company.
Two comments: 1. For bishops in the Province of Canterbury, the ‘Confirmation of Election’, understandably often labelled (with some justification) as an archaic legal ceremony, is a low-profile event, usually held in St Mary-le-Bow Church in Cheapside, London, in the context of an act of worship, such as Evensong. For example, about 50 people attended the Confirmation of Election of the current Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich on 5 September 2025. (I say ‘usually’ as the Confirmation of Election of +Mike Harrison as Bishop of Exeter was held at Lambeth Palace.) 2. Re applause, in my experience this is… Read more »
I also recall David that George Carey’s Confirmation of Election, when he was translated from Bath and Wells to Canterbury took place at St Mary Le Bow and not at St Paul’s Cathedral, which was a break with usual practice. Jonathan
Indeed, the decisions and actions taken by Nathan Newby in talking down a man with a bomb outside St James’s Hospital back in 2023 were incredible, this remarkable man demonstrated courage, compassion, empathy, emotional intelligence and selflessness. Bravo Mr Newby. He received the George Medal from the King yesterday.
Surprised nobody here has mentioned the new ABC’s 87 mile pilgrimage from London to Canterbury over six days. 14 to 15 miles in a day does not sound too much, until you factor in cumulative impact of all those miles. Chapeau!
I have just finished reading ++Sarah’s biography by Andrew Atherstone, having bought a copy at 10% discount at a shop attached to the Baptist church near where I live. A most interesting read.
She’s an ex nurse – spending all day on your feet comes with the job.
But joking apart, it was a brilliant thing to do, in symbolic, spiritual, and social media terms.
As Sarah emerged from the service many of us thought the poor woman is walking into an impossible nightmare of a task.
Lo and behold the savage sniping starts in your columns tragically quickly with the regular obsessives beating their familiar drums and the nit pickery of church politics scratching into action.
Poor brave Sarah.
Perhaps we could be vaguely loving and even slightly given to a mote of charity as she begins this potentially overwhelming ministry.
I agree with you – thank you for saying this. The scripture says, ‘The saying is sure: whoever aspires to the office of bishop desires a noble task’. 1 Tim 3. I take the meaning of that to include, ‘deserves our deep gratitude’. Why does this need saying? Because it was costly then as it is now. ‘
The Bishop of those days had to be ‘given to hospitality’, which strikes a pleasant note
How sad that this has not been received by some as an occasion for rejoicing and unity. The significance of its taking place on the Feast of the Annunciation ought to be obvious to thinking Anglicans of whatever personal persuasion.
a friend of mine, retired priest who spent his last years before retirement as a hospital chaplain and had also chaplained a prison in the past has fallen in love with Sarah because she mentioned chaplains in her sermon! Coal face ministry. She has a direct, unaffected, delivery and has seen how stuff works. And, I feel sure, has absolutely no illusions.
Thank you: well said. ++Sarah needs our prayers and support. The Press will be horrible to her. The online misogyny over her appointment has been disgusting. The folk who call themselves Christians need to get behind her.
Sarah’s Sermon was direct, clear and spoke very well to the TV camera. This is very important.
I for one am immensely glad to have Sarah as Archbishop. I don’t think she will turn out to merely be a “safe pair of hands” that kow-tows to the Establishment. She has a humility I haven’t seen in a bishop before, much less an archbishop, and she knows something of the nitty-gritty of life. London Diocese would have been a baptism of fire for her and she managed that. As for the flummery and spectacle, she deserved the same treatment the previous 105 before her had, and the English seem to love such stuff. It reminds them of a… Read more »
I thought that the installation service was an excellent occasion. Dame Sarah is obviously physically fit so hopefully she’ll have the stamina for a very demanding role. She alluded to her in tray in her sermon. I didn’t think that the CNC would appoint a woman but I’m delighted that they did so.
We first nominated her to London, which started the senior journey! It was a great service. I only spotted what seemed a typo in the OoS (at least in the .pdf I downloaded). The doxology to Psalm 150 excluded the second word ‘be’, but the choir weren’t fazed!! I suspect the print version was correct.
I gather that the last line of the (usually omitted) fourth verse of “Praise, my soul, the King of heaven” was incorrect — presumably someone had copy-and-pasted from the fifth verse. The doxology to Ps 150 was also missing the word “ever”. And, no, these mistakes were also in the printed version. No doubt the choir had the right words!
The final line of “Frail as summer’s flower”, verse four of “Praise my Soul” as written by Henry Lyte is “Praise the high eternal One.” I’m very doubtful that the order of service words were a ‘typo’. This may be a case of ‘judicious’ editing – updating? Words in other verses will be found to have been changed in some hymnals, especially in the US. The doxology is more problematic. It was a modern music setting of Psalm 150 to the BCP words. There would be no obvious reason for doing so, but it is more like the contemporary RC… Read more »
Well the choir sang: Praise *be* to the Father ….. !
Now I’m more confused – where has “Praise be” come from? I didn’t offer any infallible explanation! As I said, it’s problematic.
(It’s an entirely personal thing, but I have to say in the Gloria Patri I prefer ‘Holy Spirit’ which I think is now universal, if not mandatory, in the RC church.)
As only the choir was singing the end result would have been correct!
Meant Glory *be* to the Father!!
I would never have guessed! Simon Kershaw also noted the word “ever” was missing, both being features of the RC version which I quoted and qualified as having no apparent reason for being used. RIP, I suggest.
The modern version “Glory to the Father … now and for ever” is ecumenically agreed and used in Common Worship. Those who use the CW daily offices will say it several times. So that is most likely where these typos originated, I’d have thought. Either in a faulty copy-and-paste or in a faulty memory of a compiler. The choir, singing no doubt from music copies, sang the right words.
The very final word. My experience in the C of E has been almost entirely BCP so I have little knowledge of Common Worship. (I do however have an old BCP which includes the Offices for the Feast of King Charles the Martyr.)
The point I was making in all of my posts was, irrespective of printed words, the cathedral choir would have got it right in any event!
Not all previous Archbishops received the same treatment. Some were enthroned by proxy.
“She deserves the same treatment the previous 105 before her had”. Not, I hope, the same treatment as the 40th.
Nor the 70th or 78th.
106th. And 35th since Henry VIII’s failure to procure an annulment, and the brief tenure of Reginald Pole. The hybrid claims of the CofE are in sharp relief as time marches on (I see #104 wondering publicly about the future of Anglicanism). We have, as well, a “Global Anglican Communion” claiming to be heirs of 16th century Anglican identity, and a CofE gathering to itself continuity with a long Catholic heritage (yea, 106 ABC’s) while now smaller than that same Catholic Church, in 2026 Sunday attendance. We live in interesting times. I thought the letter from the Pope very gracious.
this is another nail in the coffin for the Church of England as a forward I faith follower and the fact we are no longer aligned or have any apostolic succession to saint Peter we are adrift big time.And so is any new priest or Deacon ordained from now on. I had to withdraw my interest in becoming a deacon because of this and the fact we have a bishop who welcomes same gender marriage ,supports abortion and in general a load of woke political agenda tripe,i feel abandoned by the COE and I bet many more do aswell. A… Read more »
Similar feelings William but for different reasons. From the cradle I rarely missed worship on a Sunday. Six years ago that was killed stone dead by Welby. And worsened by the now ABC producing more than 30 pages of compulsory regulations which had to be complied with, too onerous, so the majority of churches remained locked. Full of claims that covid could be caught from hymn books and chairs, when it was already known that you can’t catch covid this way. I’ll never forget the pain of being banned from my mother’s funeral, before national lockdown, because by then churches… Read more »
You may have rarely missed worship on a Sunday, but it seems large swathes of the bible swept over you, and the Holy Spirit of tolerance and forgiveness did not sweep.
I will also celebrate Jesus at home.
Nigel Goodwin – you say that large swathes of the Bible have swept over me. I disagree. However, with your better knowledge of the Bible, perhaps you could tell me why I should tolerate or forgive a vicar whom I thought was a friend. For nearly six years he has ignored all emails and letters from me and is opposed to reconciliation. I learnt from SAR that he’s always had a low opinion of me (I was unaware) and been writing derisory things about me to senior clergy for years, behind my back, rather than to my face, while taking… Read more »
I’m sorry, I should not have been so obnoxious and intolerant. My knowledge of the bible is very scanty.
I don’t think I can get drawn into discussions about your vicar – a lot of queer folk about.
Oh dear William how very difficult for you. Do you feel better now you have written “woke political agenda tripe”,? As a 62 year old gay man married to my husband being “woke” is very important. Why? Because social justice may just matter. Because the four Gospels teach us that social justice matters. Because the NT letters teach us social justice matters. Because the OT prophets tell us social justice matters. William: which Bible are you reading?
“Tripe” to you, the Divine Work of the Holy Spirit to me and, well, thinking Anglicans!
Have we ever had any apostolic succession or been aligned to St Peter since the sixteenth century? The see of Rome doesn’t think we have. You imagine we did until 1992. Others imagine we still do.
I am sure your withdrawal of your interest in becoming a deacon will be a great loss.
Chichester’s “Society” Bishop announced his resignation in Feb, 2.5 years early, which is probably no coincidence – he looked very stony-faced at ABC’s ceremony. After an unbroken 52 years of anti-female ultra-conservative diocesans (Kemp, Hind, Warner) there is zero chance of a woman here, anyone remotely liberal is most unlikely, & another from “The Society” is generally considered most likely.
By the way does anyone absolutely believe in continuous apostolic succession from St Peter?
The same might have been said of the Diocese of London before Sarah Mullally. I should say that it is 100% certain that the next bishop of Chichester will be a woman.
“By the way does anyone absolutely believe in continuous apostolic succession from St Peter?”
Where? In the Church of England?
I suppose there was no Eucharist, because too many of +++Sarah’s own flock would neither concelebrate with her, nor receive the Lord’s Body&Blood from her? Sigh.
The enthronments or installations of Justin Welby and Rowan Williams were not Eucharistic either. I don’t have earlier Orders of Service to hand but I suspect that neither were they.
(And as a side-note, “concelebration” by a few priests or bishops is certainly not a Church of England thing anyway, and I wouldn’t expect that to happen.)
The old pontificals assume that the enthronisation will be followed by a mass, but this would have been celebrated in the presence of the bishop (coram episcopo) rather than by him.
Any pontifical that applies in the Church of England must have been quite some time ago, nearly 500 years, I imagine!
Though it carries no authority, the office for the enthronisation of a bishop in Vaux & Littledale ‘A Priest’s Prayer Book’ (1890) reflects, I guess, what may have been typical Diocesan use at the time. The office concludes with the rubric ‘Then shall follow the Holy Communion’.
Thanks — though I’m not convinced that this does represent practice anywhere in England at that time with regard to the enthronement, but perhaps wishful thinking by the authors. Very happy to be proved wrong though.
(And incidentally I suspect you might be the first person ever to quote this book at me — I have owned a copy since 1994!)
Indeed, I note that the preface of that book says (p.vii in my copy): “Some [of the services] are superfluous in this country; as, for example, those for the Confirmation and Enthroning of Bishops, as there is a fixed legal form here for the one ceremony, and a traditional use for the other in every Cathedral.” Rather, these forms were made as suggestions for the use of provinces outside England.
A pontiff is any bishop; the Pope is Supreme Pontiff.
Nor were the Enthronements of Robert Runcie, Coggan or Michael Ramsey in the context of the Eucharist. Nor I am pretty sure have they ever been since the Reformation.