I think I like the new Pope

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Pope-FeetThere is a knack in doing this kind of thing unpretentiously and the Pope seems to have it:

Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of dozens of young prisoners in a Holy Thursday ritual in a gesture of ‘love and service’.

He continued a tradition he began as archbishop of Buenoes Aires by holding a Mass in the Casal del Marmo facility in Rome, where 46 young men and women currently are detained.

Two of the 12 were young women, a remarkable choice given that the rite re-enacts Jesus’ washing of the feet of his male disciples.

[….]

‘This is a symbol, it is a sign -washing your feet means I am at your service,’ Francis told the youngsters. ‘Help one another. This is what Jesus teaches us. This is what I do. And I do it with my heart. I do this with my heart because it is my duty, as a priest and bishop I must be at your service.’

Michael Pollesel to be coadjutor bishop in Diocese of Uruguay after all

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Michael PolleselThe Diocese of Uruguay is a liberal diocese in a conservative province, a misalignment of predispositions that prompted it to ask to be moved to a more simpatico province; the request  was denied.

The diocese of Uruguay says feels “abandoned and unsupported” after the standing committee of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) turned down its request to change provinces.

The diocese, which is part of the province of the Southern Cone, has asked that it be transferred to the province of Brasil, which it says is “more compatible” in terms of theology, mission and philosophy.

Canada’s Archdeacon Michael Pollesel was voted in as coadjutor bishop in the Diocese of Uruguay, but the appointment was rejected twice by the Southern Cone’s house of bishops, possibly because of this:

A source close to the situation told VOL that the issue of women priests and the liberal proclivities of Pollesel and his association with the ultra-liberal Anglican Church of Canada were deciding factors.

Now, the election has been ratified by the house of bishops; perhaps they hope to convert the new bishop:

The Anglican Province of the Southern Cone has reconsidered the Diocese of Uruguay’s appeal and has voted to ratify the election of Archdeacon Michael Pollesel as coadjutor bishop.

The decision came 10 months after the province’s House of Bishops rejected Pollesel’s election. The Uruguayan diocesan synod had appealed the decision, but “for technical canonical reasons the form of the original appeal was not valid” and had to be presented again, said Southern Cone Presiding Bishop Hector Zavala in a press release.

Diocese of Huron hires secular fund raising consultants

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A church employing secular fund raisers to keep itself financially viable is a harbinger of approaching doom. It is an admission that the transcendent principles on which the organisation rests no longer sufficiently motivate its members to part with their cash – probably because the leaders themselves no longer believe them.

In the case of the Diocese of Huron, the fund-raising effort is being disguised by the epithet “Renew”, a word that, when used by a church, usually means spiritual renewal not bank balance renewal.

From here (page 2):

Diocesan Council approved on February 28, 2013, at a Sub-Council meeting, a plan to position the Diocese and direct it forward as Renew will be launched this year at Synod.

The Diocese has been engaged over the last six months in a feasibility and quiet phase study, preparing the Diocese to launch Renew for our parishes. This time also allowed the Diocese to work toward funding costs for materials, planning and labour to provide for this launch of the program.

Diocesan Sub-Council approved the establishment of a new Renew Committee, which is now charged with directing and managing Renew in the Diocese. Part of their mandate is to now recommend consultants to actively work with parishes and the Diocese in raising funds in support of our established needs as a Church.

The Diocese has now engaged the contracted services of Ms. Amanda Gellman and Ms. Lynda McGregor of our Diocese as professional consultants to help lead Renew in Huron.

No Cross, no Christianity

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Giles Fraser is an Anglican clergyman who doesn’t much like evangelicals or Holy Trinity Brompton or any church that is large and successful or Alpha. He thinks that people who have “a personal relationship” with Jesus are creepy.

He reserves a particular dislike, though, for those who believe that Jesus’ death on the cross was a moment of triumph:

Which is why, for the worst sort of Cheesus-loving evangelicals, the cross of Good Friday is actually celebrated as a moment of triumph. This is theologically illiterate. Next week, in the run up to Easter, Christianity goes into existential crisis. It fails.

The disciples run away, unable to cope with the impossible demands placed upon them. The hero they gave up everything to follow is exposed to public ridicule and handed over to Roman execution. And the broken man on the cross begins to fear that God is no longer present.

I suspect what is really rubbing him up the wrong way is that evangelicals believe that, in his time of suffering on the cross, Jesus took upon himself the sins of the whole world – even those of Giles Fraser. He bore the wrath of God the Father for those sins so that we wouldn’t have to, thereby reconciling us to the Father once and for all. How can such a Redemption not be a triumph?

Theological liberals like Giles Fraser don’t like to think about the wrath of God, the innate sinfulness of man and the fact that a holy, just God must punish sin. Theirs is a sub-Christian faith, empty, meaningless, incoherent and worthy of derision.

Without the triumph of the Cross, there is no Christianity.

Justin Welby wants us to be reconciled reconcilers

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Putting this into tangible and local terms: my parish, St. Hilda’s, left the Diocese of Niagara in 2008 because we could no longer go along with the theological drift of the diocese. As a result, the diocese sued St. Hilda’s and ended up owning our building; the building is now up for sale.

Justin Welby believes that “reconciliation” would entail the individuals from both sides “finding a way to love the person with whom you are dealing, quite probably not agreeing with each other but disagreeing in love.”

Is this achievable? Yes, I think so. Will it make any difference? None whatsoever.

From a practical perspective, St. Hilda’s will not return to the Diocese of Niagara because the theological differences have, if anything, increased not decreased. The Diocese of Niagara and, more broadly, the Anglican Church of Canada, could recognise ANiC as a legitimate expression of Canadian Anglicanism. But then their consciences would nag them to give the buildings back, something which would be an act of God akin to his creating a rock too heavy for him to lift.

So while we may end up “disagreeing in love”, we will do so at a respectable distance, making Welby’s brand of “reconciliation” little more than a damp squib.

It’s time for the annual Earth Hour charade

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Earth Hour arrives every year towards the end of March. Celebrities like Yoko Ono, Stephen Fry and Cate Blanchett endorse it and trendy Anglican dioceses, having mislaid the Creeds, exhort their faithful to submit themselves unquestioningly to the replacement eco-dogma.

This is enough to put off any normal person but, for those still tempted to turn off their lights tomorrow and ignite a few high toxicity candles, there is this:

Hypothetically, switching off the lights for an hour would cut CO2 emissions from power plants around the world. But, even if everyone in the entire world cut all residential lighting, and this translated entirely into CO2 reduction, it would be the equivalent of China pausing its CO2 emissions for less than four minutes.

In fact, Earth Hour will cause emissions to increase: As the United Kingdom’s National Grid operators have found, a small decline in electricity consumption does not translate into less energy being pumped into the grid, and therefore will not reduce emissions. Moreover, during Earth Hour, any significant drop in electricity demand will entail a reduction in CO2 emissions during the hour, but it will be offset by the surge from firing up coal or gas stations to restore electricity supplies afterward.

And the cozy candles that many participants will light, which seem so natural and environmentally friendly, are still fossil fuels — and almost 100 times less efficient than incandescent light bulbs. Using one candle for each switched-off bulb cancels out even the theoretical CO2 reduction; using two candles means that you emit more CO2.

The deification of Gandhi

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Reverend Adela Torchia from the Diocese of New Westminster has written a new book about Gandhi.

Here is a synopsis:

This book deals with a Gandhian ethics of economics which helps us to reengage the religion and ecology debate, and to re-envision ecology’s more-with-less philosophy as an invitation to liberation rather than deprivation. Many world religions see creation and nature as sacred, and encourage a responsible rather than wasteful approach to the material world. While traditional asceticism has often been seen as life-negating, a Gandhian inspired neo-asceticism goes beyond kenosis towards a renewed appreciation of the beauty and joy of a life of less consumption, and greater compassion for all living beings. Spiritual masters have often taught the dangers of materialism, and such dangers have taken on new meaning in a 21st century ecological context. Last, but not least, this book recognizes the new paths towards better interreligious dialogue that have opened up as a result of a common concern for the ecological well-being of the earth.

For those who are not already asleep and thirst for more: the book can be yours for a mere $107.75, a price suggested by inspired neo-asceticism.

On the other hand, if, like me, you subscribe to the idea that Jeremiah 17:9 applies to everyone, even Gandhi, you might be more interested in this book about him; the author has  avoided the dangers of materialism by charging the reader only $13.99 for the book.

As British historian Andrew Roberts points out in his review of the book, Gandhi was “was a sexual weirdo, a political incompetent and a fanatical faddist” who was a “ceaseless self-promoter”. He left his wife because he fell for a male body builder, an infatuation which did not prevent him, when in his 70s, from going to bed naked with his 17 year old niece whom he treated with gleefully sadistic disdain.

Other than that, he was an exemplary ascetic.

Anglican Church of Canada: good news and bad news

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The good news is that the 2012 budget deficit is not as bad as expected.

The bad news is that the 2012 budget deficit is not as bad as expected: like a temporarily resuscitated zombie, the ACoC will stagger on for a few more years than is decent.

From here:

An early, unaudited draft of General Synod’s financial results for 2012 expects a lower than anticipated budget deficit for 2012, the financial management committee (FMC) has said in its written report submitted to the Council of General Synod (CoGS).

Although final results are not yet certain pending a completed audit, FMC said, “It is reasonable to expect that the deficit will be in the neighbourhood of $100,000.” A deficit of $287,680 had been forecast for that year.

However, “although 2012 will likely end up more favourably than anticipated four months ago, the outlook for 2013 has not changed,” said the report submitted by committee chair, Rob Dickson. The fall meeting of CoGS had approved a “transitional budget” with a deficit of $513,000.

Rob Bell lends his support to gay marriage

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Rob Bell, clearly dissatisfied with the degree, depth and feeling of the furore he created amongst his fellow evangelicals with his book Love Wins, has decided to have another go by voicing his support for gay marriage:

In response to a question regarding same-sex marriage, Bell said, “I am for marriage. I am for fidelity. I am for love, whether it’s a man and woman, a woman and a woman, a man and a man. I think the ship has sailed and I think the church needs — I think this is the world we are living in and we need to affirm people wherever they are.”

By Rob Bell’s measure, if Christians are to flow gracefully in the currents provided by the “world we are living in”, the early church would have avoided fanatically following Jesus to the exclusion of observing the required pieties towards Roman gods. They would have lived happy, long, affirming lives with no hint of the unpleasantness that usually accompanies martyrdom, persecution and torture.

Then, there would be no Christianity, no Western Civilisation and – no Rob Bell eager to affirm people wherever they are.

The Anglican Church of Canada is “restructuring”

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Read all about it here.

In what I can only assume was an unguarded moment, Archbishop Colin Johnson let slip the real reason for the reorganisation: not to spread the Gospel more effectively or even to dabble more fervently in a spot of “ecojustice”, but to survive. After all, no church, no clergy stipend.

Archbishop Colin Johnson, diocesan bishop of the diocese of Toronto and metropolitan of the ecclesiastical province of Ontario, said the work of restructuring was “a lot like trying to lose weight.” Even losing a few pounds by giving up on some sweets, cutting down on meat and potatoes, and exercising more means one “will last longer,” said Johnson, who is also a member of the structures working group.