Category Archives: Diocese of Montreal

The Diocese of Montreal is dismantling anti-black racism

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The diocesan dismantler-in-chief, Rev Christopher Belle seems to think that the diocese is a veritable hotbed of racism, although he did have to reach back to the 1840s in order to find something to dismantle. This, of course, is how the church strives to be relevant.

As an aside, how do you dismantle racism? You can dismantle an electric kettle because it has parts. Islamists like to dismantle humans by removing their heads. But how do you dismantle an idea?

Rev Belle seems to be under the impression that if we all stop singing “Jimmy Crack Corn”, that will be a good start. I know it will be hard, you are probably humming it as you read this, but now you will have to stop. I have and I know I feel better for it.

From here:

Dismantling Anti-Black Racism in the Diocese of Montreal

Our television screens have been inundated with images of racial discord as thousands upon thousands band together to speak out against police brutality aimed at people of colour. There have been cries for justice, racial equality, defunding the police, ‘Enough is enough!’, and so on. For a while, it felt like there was a new instance of racial discrimination, perpetrated in a violent and, all too often, fatal manner, every other week. The rallying cry “BLACK LIVES MATTER” has been heard loud and clear for years now, as people all over the world stand in solidarity with Black people who have had to suffer life-threatening injustice for way too long. Enough is enough, indeed.

[….]

Sooo…why do we need to worry ourselves with dismantling racism in the Diocese of Montreal? We’re a bunch of God-fearing people, who love the Lord, and love each other. So many of us would insist that we don’t have a racist bone in our bodies. Surely there’s no anti-Black racism to dismantle here. Hang on. The lyrics printed at the beginning of this article come from a little ditty called ‘The Blue-Tail Fly’, a song performed during those delightful minstrel shows from the mid-Nineteenth century.

[….]
When it was time, I took my song sheet. I looked it over. I heard somebody say, “Let’s sing Jimmy Crack Corn”. I was on board. I knew this one. I did not know it was a full song. I scanned the page until I found the lyrics. I started to sing. And then I stopped.

Diocese of Montreal celebrates Pride Week

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From here (page 3)

Pride Week at Christ Church Cathedral
The congregation of Christ Church Cathedral is once again looking forward to joining the week long celebrations of Montreal Pride Week in August from 8 to 18 August. This is significant for us both because we have a significant number of members who define themselves as LGBTQ+, but also because we believe that the Gospel commands us to witness to God’s love to all of God’s creation.

Supporting Pride and allowing all our members to experience God’s unconditional love is a long standing tradition at Christ Church, and this has been symbolized by the presence of a pride flag at the back of the Cathedral. Times have moved on significantly since the beginning of the gay liberation movement in the 1960s, but we live in a world in turmoil where the rights that have been granted in the last decades could easily be withdrawn. It is therefore as urgent as ever for Christ Church to publicly celebrate the fact that God loves us all without distinction, and that we are not simply following what civil society is doing but instead responding to the call of the Gospel in our lives in doing so.

The annual pride service will take place on Sunday 11 August at 4 pm at the Cathedral, followed by ice creams on the cathedral forecourt. A group from the Cathedral will take part in the Pride parade on 18 August – you are welcome to join us. We will go there from our 10.30 Choral Eucharist. All welcome.

Once again we see the snide insinuation that Christians who are unwilling to celebrate homosexual activity don’t believe that “God loves us all without distinction”. Utter nonsense, of course he does; that doesn’t mean he approves of everything we do, or that he he willing to let us go through life unchanged.

Are any readers gullible enough to believe: “we are not simply following what civil society is doing” when the the Anglican church today does little else?

The article notes that “we have a significant number of members who define themselves as LGBTQ+”, an odd assertion since the Diocese of Montreal has shrunk so catastrophically in recent years that it doesn’t have a significant number of members of any description, although it does have a high percentage of homosexual clergy.

Anglicans swinging from the rafters

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The Diocese of Montreal is in a state of advanced disintegration. To combat the rot, St. Jax Anglican Church in downtown Montreal has consummated the Anglican Church of Canada’s pilgrimage from Christian denomination to pagan circus by having a troop of acrobats swing from its rafters to the accompaniment of a light show.

The rector, transported from the dark night of penury to a beatific vision of performing elephants (why are Canadian bishops so overweight?), counts it “a fantastic joy to see for the first time, we believe, a circus company permanently installed in an active, consecrated church”.

From here:

An acrobat dangles from the rafters of a 150-year-old church while a lightshow paints the altar in blue, pink and yellow lights.

Call it a leap of faith.

This was the first show of Le Monastère — the monastery, in English — a circus cabaret show held inside a downtown Montreal church.

Le Monastère has partnered with the Anglican church of St. Jax — and it could be the first agreement of its kind.

“It’s been a fantastic joy to see for the first time, we believe, a circus company permanently installed in an active, consecrated church,” said Rev. Graham Singh, incumbent pastor at St. Jax.

With lagging attendance and surging maintenance bills, churches in Quebec and elsewhere have struggled to stay afloat.
Singh’s three-year mission with St. Jax has included not only keeping the old, creaky church standing, but also redefining what it is to be a church in a downtown core.

Diocese of Montreal has a Queer Bible Study

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We are, after all, a peculiar people.

From here (page 8):

Queer Bible Study(ish) is a monthly Bible study for the LGBTQIA+ community. Its purpose is to create a Christian-ish space for queers to have fellowship, study the Bible, and support one another in community in a non-judgemental, non-denominational, trans-positive, inclusive, anti-oppressive space.

If that mouthful of hackneyed gobbledegook is not enough for you, here is some more:

The overwhelmingly positive response we’ve received after the first Bible study is proof of how important affirming spaces like these are for the queer community and for the church. The church, in its historical as well as modern iterations, has perpetuated and still continues to perpetuate trauma against queer and trans folks by remaining non-affirming, upholding harmful standards of sexuality and gender, and participating in practices like conversion therapy. As a result of this trauma, many queer and trans folks who leave the church may never be able to return. But spaces like this Bible study, where queer and trans folks can explore the intersections of their queer and Christian identities in a safe and neutral space, hopefully help to right some of those wrongs.

The irony is, the time has come in the Anglican Church of Canada when those most in need of that most loathsome abstraction “a safe space” are the few remaining orthodox Christians who, despite enormous pressure to do otherwise, still cling tenaciously to the traditional Christian understanding of human sexuality.

Bishop of Montreal and same-sex marriage: today the diocese, tomorrow the world

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VOL has an interesting article on the machinations underway to promote same-sex marriage in the Diocese of Montreal.

The author confirms that, lurking beneath the thin veneer of diocesan civility and impartiality, is a concerted determination to ram same-sex marriage down the throats of clergy and parishioners whether they like it or not.

To summarise: clergy who don’t support same-sex marriage have no future in the diocese (or in the rest of the ACoC for that matter); loyalty to your bishop supersedes loyalty to Christ; Anglican diversity is a hoax; Anglican preoccupation with homosexuality has reached the point where the diocese openly proclaims Christianity to be “queer”; diocesan youth are being indoctrinated with this nonsense; the bishop has delusions of grandeur; the second synod vote in 2019 on changing the marriage canon is meaningless.

Have I missed anything? Oh yes: the Diocese of Montreal is leading a charge into the abyss, with the rest of the ACoC panting queerly at its heels.

Read it all here:

Diocese of Montreal Bishop wants “Whole World” on board with Same-Sex Marriage

Same-sex marriage is a hotly debated issue in the Anglican Church of Canada. Especially now that the General Synod voted in favour of it in 2016 with the narrowest of margins and the advocates of same-sex marriage are getting ready to finalize the change of the marriage canon when the General Synod convenes again next year. Only if the changes are approved a second time will the marriage canon be changed.

Needless to say, the intervening period is marked by intense politicking. Most of the politicking is done by the advocates, as is demonstrated by the pervasiveness of those efforts in the Diocese of Montreal.

It is the position of Bishop Mary Irwin-Gibson that she can’t wait “for the whole world to be on board with same-sex marriage” so she can and must act proactively. Her proactive approach is reflected on all levels. Of course, new priests to be ordained have to follow her lead on this because priests promise to be loyal to their bishops at the time of their ordination. Indeed, the Vicar-General of the said Diocese told me that opposition to same-sex marriage would be a “problem” with a view to ordination. He explained that, of course, the Diocese values diversity but implied that newly ordained priests cannot afford being diverse.

When learning about Jesus doesn’t work

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You can try this, according to Rev. Jean-Daniel, youth pastor in the Diocese of Montreal:

When, “Hey, would you like to learn about Jesus?” doesn’t work, I try, “Hey, can you help me build a mutually supportive community to overthrow the cisheteronormative capitalist patriarchal classist empire and bring about a renewed creation?” Because that’s what I mean.

And if, by some remote chance, you discover no-one knows or cares what a cisheteronormative capitalist patriarchal classist empire is, try painting rainbow steps on your cathedral to advertise a Pride Eucharist. Then you can become just like the Diocese on Montreal: the fastest declining Anglican entity in the western hemisphere.

The Diocese of Montreal to hold a Pride Mass

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The Diocese of Montreal is in radical decline:

Delegates to the annual diocesan synod approved a budget for 2017 with revenue of $2.08 million and expenses of $2.38 million, calling for a $300,856 operating loss, a little less than the $331,975 loss now forecast for this year. The operating losses were $529,482 in 2015 and $400,983 in 2014.
Diocesan treasurer Ron O’Connell told delegates, “Our diocese cannot sustain this rate of loss.” He said, “It’s very important that these things be addressed sooner than later, so that people understand that it’s time for action.” A number of parishes as well are facing threats to whether they can sustain themselves, he said, and some of them need assistance from the diocese in finding ways to “re-purpose” church buildings and other properties.

Fear not! Help is at hand in the form of a Pride Mass to Celebrate Human Diversity:

On Sunday, August 12 at 6pm Christ Church Cathedral will host a Pride Mass for a third consecutive year, as a kick-off to the Montreal Pride Week. Both Bishop Mary Irwin-Gibson and the dean of the cathedral, the Very Rev. Bertrand Olivier, will preach.

The beauty of all this inclusion and diversity is that not only does God love us while we were yet sinners, but, because he made us this way with a sinful fallen nature, he doesn’t want us to change even after we come to him. It’s all a part of being made in his image. It’s very comforting: my sin is all his fault.

The Pride Mass is a sign that we are open to a discussion about what it means to be loved by God for who God created us to be, without having to change or conform.

The Pride Mass is not just for LGBTQ+ persons, but for all who wish to celebrate the numerous ways in which God has created human beings in God’s image, and to celebrate the diversity of the human family.

If that doesn’t solve the problems of a diocese that is crumbling financially, spiritually and physically, I don’t know what will.

How to choose a new Dean in the Anglican Church of Canada

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For six years Paul Kennington was Dean and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral in the Diocese of Montreal. Kennington is a homosexual in a civil partnership with Jonathan Bailey. When Kennington left the diocese in December 2016, a replacement with the right qualifications had to be found:

It is no surprise that it took nearly a year to find the right person to fill the position of Dean of Christ Church Cathedral. After all the qualifications were demanding. Among them, “ The new Dean and Rector of Christ Church Cathedral will bring to all dimensions of the role a strong capacity for leadership in visioning that will inspire others—clergy, parishioners, and supporters— with imagination, energy, and enthusiasm for the Cathedral’s mission.”

What is missing from this dazzling catalogue of clerical virtues is the one which the diocese seems to prize above all: the candidate needs to follow in the footsteps of his predecessor and be homosexual.

The Diocese of Montreal found Kennington in the UK, presumably having scoured Canada for a suitable candidate with the necessary sexual inclinations. It’s hard to argue with success, so the diocese, employing the same strategy, have discovered yet another homosexual UK vicar willing to be imported into Canada. The Very Rev. Bertrand Olivier is the new Dean. His husband is called Paul:

Bishops distressed by Bill 62

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When I applied for a visa to visit China, before my photograph was taken I had to remove my glasses because they are photosensitive and were darkened from being in bright light. My wife had to make sure her ears were not obscured by her hair: the Chinese don’t want unidentified ears entering their country.

When we arrived in China, bleary-eyed and crotchety, we were photographed again by Chinese immigration. None of this was particularly distressing, although, admittedly, wearing glasses is more of a practical consideration than a religious observance.

Quebec’s Bill 62 requires people to uncover their faces while giving and receiving state services. Clearly, this affects niqab wearing Muslim women – or men, I suppose since gender is now fluid – more than anyone else. Showing one’s face to identify oneself before receiving a state service doesn’t seem to me to be a particularly unreasonable requirement. But it has distressed some Anglican bishops whose priority, having largely abandoned Christianity, is now one of defending Islam; when not marrying people of the same sex to each other, that is.

Here is the wail of distress by our Anglislamic bishops:

As leaders of minority faith communities in Quebec we feel compelled to express our deep distress at the manner in which the religious neutrality law passed by the National Assembly implicitly targets another minority religious group in this province.

Although veiled as a question of identification and security , Bill 62’s provisions regarding face coverings will most directly impact a small minority of Muslim women in Quebec, whose freedom to express their religious beliefs is enshrined in the Quebec Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms and the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights. For Christians, these human rights are grounded in the dignity accorded each human being by virtue of having been made in the image and likeness of their Creator.

The January 29 shooting massacre at Quebec City’s Grand Mosque — and other acts of violence before and since — demonstrate that our Muslim neighbours live in a climate of suspicion and fear that threatens their safety. Bill 62 helps foster that climate at a time when we are turning to our governments and public institutions to protect vulnerable minorities in our midst.

We recognize and support the desire for Quebec to be a secular society. However, to be secular means to be pluralistic, allowing freedom of belief both in one’s private and public life. The provisions of Bill 62, however they are applied, unnecessarily put that fundamental freedom —  and potentially people’s security — at risk.

We invite our elected leaders, and all Quebecers, to join us in trying to foster a safe and welcoming environment for all who make Quebec their home, whatever their culture or religion.

The Rt. Rev. Mary Irwin-Gibson, Bishop of Montreal, Anglican Church of Canada

The Rt. Rev. Bruce Myers, Bishop of Quebec, Anglican Church of Canada

The Rev. Michael Pryse, Bishop of the Eastern Synod, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada

Diocese of Montreal evicts witches from rectory

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As I mentioned here, a Diocese of Montreal parish is renting space in its rectory to witches. The original article, published in a pagan news site, The Wild Hunt, was taken down but has now been reinstated.

The diocese has now asked the two witches to leave the rectory belonging to St. Thomas’ Anglican Church, a parish which declares itself to be a welcoming, inclusive church. This can only mean that, even in Canadian Anglicanism, there is such a thing as too much inclusion. This is from the original article:

It is uncommon for Pagan groups to be operating out of an Anglican church facility, which begs the question: how are the Pagans and Anglicans getting along as neighbours?

Jory cannot say enough about how accommodating and cooperative the relationship has been. “They are fine with us doing our Pagan stuff indoors, they just say please don’t do rituals outside, because not everybody will understand. So, that’s our respect for them, we are on their ground.”

This relationship has provided opportunity for both sides to work together on interfaith projects. “They do a bunch of interfaith stuff. They wanted to do something that would help build community,” Jory explains.

Here is the update:

MONTREAL —  On Jan. 11, T. Scarlet Jory, co-founder of Crescent Moon School of Magic and Paganism, announced that The Rectory would be closing down as of February 2017. “This past Friday, January 6, 2017, we were given notice that we will need to leave our stay at the Rectory, due to some very awful miscommunications that led to a lot of anger on the part of the Anglican Diocese of Montreal.”

On Jan 5., TWH reported on a story about the birth of The Rectory, a new facility serving the Montreal Pagan community. According to the founders, Robyn and T. Scarlet Jory, the space was imagined as a place of inclusivity for a very diverse Pagan world, as a well as a proponent of interfaith community support. They had a successful soft opening in the fall, and were preparing for the full launch in January. What happened?

The trouble began after the TWH article was published and members of the greater Anglican community alerted the Diocese to the activities going on in the church. The Diocese and the church were under the impression that the space was being rented for a tutoring program, and neither organization knew of The Rectory founders’ full plans. After the Diocese learned about the scope of programming through internet reports, it immediately contacted the Reverend, who then called Robyn and Jory. In response, the two women asked us to temporarily remove our article in order to allow them to ascertain what exactly was happening. We agreed to do so, but the information was already public. Within hours, the founders had to remove all references to The Rectory in social media, as well as take down the new Rectory website.

In her Jan. 11 announcement Jory states that, after consideration, the Diocese asked them to leave, but it was not the church’s decision. Jory added, “We would like to be clear that the matter of our leaving is not a case of Christians vs Pagans. It is a matter of human error. […]. Rather than fight to stay where we are not welcome, we would like to move forward peacefully, with dignity, and respect for our present hosts who have been perfectly lovely with us to this point.”  Robyn agreed, saying that they are not blaming anyone for what has happened and that they are trying to just move forward.

Our article is available again, and we are currently in touch with the founders to learn more specifically where and how the communication broke down, as well as where the two women are going from here. Tomorrow, we’ll bring you their candid responses and what they have learned from this incident.

And there is yet more information here. One comment in particular from the witch who contacted me caught my eye. The rector of the church is her mother-in-law and knows her daughter-in-law is a “Pagan and deeply spiritual.” The rector ought to know better – much better: being “deeply spiritual” can easily be a recipe for disaster if the spirits in question are less than wholesome. But, as is so often the case with watered down Anglicanism, spirituality seems to have replaced truth.

We spoke with founders T. Scarlet Jory and Robyn about what happened in order to clarify the situation.

“Prior to [publication of The Wild Hunt article], there was nothing to suggest that we needed to hide who and what we were. We were not concerned about the diocese finding out that we were renting the rectory space,” said Robyn, who is co-founder and the daughter-in-law of the church’s reverend.

The women originally located the available church space through this family connection, and Robyn added that her mother-in-law is open-minded and knows that she and Jory “are Pagan and deeply spiritual.” However, the reverend reportedly did not know the full plans for the rectory space, nor did the diocese.

Robyn explained, “When we signed our rental agreement with the church, to rent space within their rectory, it was with the understanding that we were opening and running a tutoring centre, and that we would also run some workshops on the side.”

When asked why they didn’t reveal the full scope of the project from the get-go, she said, “We didn’t know that things would take the direction that they did, or that the workshops and community events would become such a focus for us, until suddenly there was no tutoring happening, but lots of very excited Pagans and others who were interested in coming out.”

As we noted yesterday, it was a TWH article, which is published and available unedited, that led to confusion among the organizations involved. Members read our article and alerted the Anglican Diocese of Montreal, who reportedly became angry and immediately contacted the church.

The reverend, who was at the time on her way to India, contacted Robyn and Jory about the news. The very next day, the women contacted us about misinformation and the anger coming from the church community. Additionally, Robyn reported to an Anglican blog site that we had taken quotes “out of context,” reiterating that the space was only for tutoring. She said:

“Yes, I am a witch by faith, and yes, I rent an office space at the Rectory. What I do there is tutoring, and offer some small spiritual services to a small group of people. We are an interfaith group. The Church itself is Anglican, and friendly, but not involved in my personal activities, or that of my business partner Scarlet. Further, a lot of what Scarlet is quoted as saying in the original article, was taken out of context from a conversation between her and the writer.”

When we recently asked exactly what was out of context and wrong in our report, Robyn simply said, “That is difficult to answer. I think Scarlet said some things casually that she did not realize would go on the record. She was also distracted and caring for her baby while doing the interview, which I was also told.”