The Church of England, having issued a statement saying that sexual activity is only permissible between a married man and woman, has suddenly realised that it has been too decisive. Too binary. Too hurtful. Too divisive. Too Christian.
As a result, a week later, after the inevitable howls of protest, archbishops Welby and Sentamu have issued an apology, dripping with all the right words like “build bridges”, “difficult conversations” and “discern the way forward”.
Apparently, along with the usual sexual befuddlement, the archbishops have “questions of human identity”: they still don’t know who they are. There must be a pill for that.
How could any sane organisation issue two statements, ostensibly from the same individuals, one week apart that completely contradict each other? Unless they are trying to illustrate Mark 3:25. Of course Jesus was talking about Satan in that passage, not archbishops. Although the distinction is diminishing as the years go by.
We as Archbishops, alongside the bishops of the Church of England, apologise and take responsibility for releasing a statement last week which we acknowledge has jeopardised trust. We are very sorry and recognise the division and hurt this has caused.
At our meeting of the College of Bishops of the Church of England this week we continued our commitment to the Living in Love and Faith project which is about questions of human identity, sexuality and marriage. This process is intended to help us all to build bridges that will enable the difficult conversations that are necessary as, together, we discern the way forward for the Church of England.
The Most Rev Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury
The Most Rev John Sentamu, Archbishop of York
The ABC is more interested in obtaining the approval of the civil government than in standing for the GOSPEL. Tragically that disease seems to permeate through much of the Anglican Communion except for the ACNA and ANIC. The time has long since past for the Anglican Communion to take a firm stand for the GOSPEL regardless of what any civil government might do. The result has been that many genuine Christians are and have been persecuted with the church and there is no question that so-called bishops that worship the “god of political expediency” are not only well aware of this fact but promote and endorse said persecution..
“How could any sane organization issue two statements…that completely contradict each other?”
According to one of them in a pre-Synod statement calling for “unity” “the devil” made him do it.
V. ‘Anglican Mainstream’ February 10, 2020.
Sounding more and more like Pope Francis every day…almost to the day,
February 20, 2019 (in that case re. Clergy sexual abuse – still unaddressed, with Archbishop Vigano still in hiding)
when he blamed critics (victims) of The Church as belonging to “the family…of the devil”.