Tag Archives: Diocese of Ottawa

Grabbing some wine at St. Alban’s

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Today, the Diocese of Ottawa’s version of St. Alban’s in Ottawa had its first service in the building that used to be the home of an ANiC parish. It has an odd way of advertising the Communion service. Here it is from Twitter:

Grab some wine before brunch on your way to the Market. Eucharist @ 10am. Daly & King Eddy.

Is this a desperate attempt by the author to conceal with a veneer of trendiness his embarrassment at believing in antediluvian, recondite rituals? Have they actually opened a wine bar in the narthex? – some churches have a Tim Hortons, so it’s only natural that Anglicans would have a wine bar. Is the author of the tweet likening the Blood of Christ to an incidental diversion while en route to the important business of the day – brunch?

Or is the Diocese of Ottawa merely confirming to the ANiC parish that it made the right choice when it left the diocese?

Diocese of Ottawa succumbs to flagrant capitalism

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The Diocese of Ottawa is deep in debt and wants to build condominiums, townhouses and offices on diocesan owned land in the hope of generating income to replenish its dwindling coffers.

Although, to convince naysayers, the diocese appeals to its promoting of the arts, non-church events and social programs, not much is made of the fabled “mission” of the Anglican Church – perhaps because the real mission is to stay afloat.

From here:

In a decision that Somerset Ward Coun. Diane Holmes argued lacked transparency, city council’s planning committee today approved the Christ Church Cathedral development plan.

The committee’s decision included sending the proposal for a final approval to city council tomorrow. This, Holmes said, is “short-circuiting the public process” because there have been more private meetings to discuss the proposal than public consultations.

The proposed developments include a 21-storey condominium, a row of four townhouses and a 12-storey office building that currently does not have confirmed ownership.

The land affected by the proposed development is bordered by Bronson Avenue to the west, Sparks Street to the south and Queen Street to the north, with St. Peter’s Lutheran Church to the east.

Several individuals and community group representatives attended the meeting to express either support or opposition. Some of the key areas of opposition circulated around continued debates on the height of the 21-storey proposed condominium, availability of affordable housing and lack of available visitor parking.

Bronson Avenue resident James McGraw said the proposed plans will “overwhelm the cathedral” because of the height.

Supporters, however, cited the development as a source of stable revenue for the cathedral.

Representatives from the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa said the cathedral faces upwards of $100,000 per year in restoration costs and repairs. They said this compromises the church’s ability to contribute to social programs in the city.

The church hosts more than 300 non-church events, is an active promoter of the arts, and assists in the funding of many social programs, they said.

It is the $350,000 of debt “that is overwhelming us” and not the height of the proposed developments.

 

 

Archdeacon David Selzer and the Nazis

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In its battle with ANiC over church property, the Diocese of Ottawa acquired St. Alban’s Church and ANiC retained St. George’s. Not inconsiderable sums of money were also exchanged, with the diocese coming out well ahead – not that the diocese is primarily interested in money. Not at all.

The Diocese of Ottawa has no congregation to put into St. Alban’s, so it is moving a shelter for the homeless there instead. The only problem is, the residents who live close to St. Alban’s don’t want to live next door to a homeless shelter.

Archdeacon David Selzer, exhibiting the kind of tact that distinguishes many ACoC priests, made the point that the residents had no basis for complaining by comparing them to Nazis. The Ven. David Selzer doesn’t live in that neighbourhood himself, of course, nor does he plan on moving there – even after the property values plumment.

From here:

OTTAWA – An Ottawa Anglican Diocese official is comparing neighbourhood opposition to the relocation of a downtown homeless centre and comments by those opposing it to “Nazi Germany.”

After a heated meeting with area residents Monday night, archdeacon David Selzer is “appalled” by comments describing the homeless.

“There was a huge degradation of people using Centre 454 as human beings,” said Selzer.

“People were saying we ought to get rid of these people, carted away. It sounded like Nazi Germany.”

Centre 454 — currently at 216 Murray St. — serves 250 people daily and operates during the day.

Many downtown residents are opposing its move to St. Alban’s Church at 454 King Edward Ave — where it operated from 1976 to 1999. In 2000, the centre moved to its current spot, but that lease expires at the end of January 2012.

Coincidentally, Archdeacon David Selzer appears to have no inclination whatsoever to make any comparisons between the North American abortion industry and the Nazi holocaust – even though the comparison is rather apt. That is because he is staunchly pro-abortion – making him, also, staunchly hypocritical.

The Rev. David Selzer, the rector of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and an outspoken supporter of abortion rights, is leaving Buffalo to start a new ministry in Ottawa.

Selzer, who is 56, will be joined by Pastor Ann Salmon, 51, also of Good Shepherd, to lead a joint congregation of Anglicans and Lutherans in Ottawa, the first of its kind in Canada.

Selzer and Salmon, along with their spouses and children, will be honored Aug. 24 at the church at a special ceremony.

Selzer came to Good Shepherd in November 1995 and became a vocal advocate for abortion rights in Western New York, offering a contrasting viewpoint to local Catholic leaders who are opposed to abortion………

He served as chairman of the board of Planned Parenthood (now Planned Parenthood of WNY) and was the moderator for the WNY Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice.

 

Diocese of Ottawa ordains another homosexual priest

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Lest any doubt remains about the direction of the Anglican Church of Canada, here (page 4) is one of the newly ordained priests in the diocese of Ottawa along with his “spouse”:

“Both of you bring so much to the priesthood, so much to this evening – your own histories,” said Gary in his opening remarks. Both men had responded long ago to Jesus’s call to “follow me” and lived lives of faithful discipleship for many years, he said. “And then came a new call, ‘I’d like you to be a priest in the Anglican Church.’” Gary expressed gratitude to Ross and Robert, both middle-aged, saying “Thank you for saying yes to God’s call. Thank God for calling both of you.”

Ross came to the Anglican Church after serving for 13 years as a member of the clergy in the Free Methodist Church. He has been active with Integrity Ottawa, a gathering of gay men, lesbians, and straight friends, and is married to Albert Klein, who was one of his presenters at his ordination, along with the Rev. Dr. Linda Privitera and Barbara Robertson.

The ersatz-pious waffling of Fred Hiltz and others on “sexuality discernment” at general synod is a mere distraction, a decoy to the real business at hand. Actively homosexual priests will continue to be ordained; same-sex blessings will be permitted in any diocese that is willing; papers on the theoretical legitimacy of same-sex marriage will be existentially overshadowed by common practice; marriage has been redefined; sodomy is Anglican; get used to it; have a nice day.

The Anglican Church of Canada continues its scorched earth policy

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As it loses more and more people, the ACoC is consolidating parishes, selling empty buildings and laying off staff at head office just to stay solvent. Regrettably, this frugality does not extend to negotiating outside the courts with parishes that have left the ACoC. Rather, large sums of money are being paid to lawyers in order to seize buildings for which dioceses have little use – other than to sell – from congregations who are using them for their intended purpose: worship.

The latest salvo is being directed at the Ottawa churches, St. Alban’s and St. George’s; both left the Anglican Church of Canada for ANiC in 2008.

In 2008, the Centertown News published this:

Ross Moulton, executive archdeacon to Bishop John Chapman of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, said the break has brought sadness and sorrow to the Anglican community.

Moulton said it’s too early to tell whether St. Alban’s will be able to keep its church building…..

But Moulton said the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa is adamant about the wish to settle this property dispute in the most cordial manner possible.

“I think it is everybody’s hope that some amicable arrangement could be made,” said Moulton. “To get into long court battles, it consumes a lot of resources, time, and money. And at the end of the day, nobody wins.”

In spite of this welcome intrusion of common sense from Moulton in 2008, the lawsuits are now forging ahead, naming volunteer wardens in the suit – a vindictive, take no prisoners strategy that was also used in Niagara and New Westminster.

In Niagara a clumsy disinformation campaign was also launched to convince parishioners still in ACoC parishes that the lawsuits were instigated by the ANiC parishes. An acquaintance in a local Diocese of Niagara parish walked out of a service when a letter claiming this was read from the pulpit.

Now, as the Hairy Eyeball reports, a similar manoeuvre is being attempted in Ottawa:

Well, it seems that there are rumours circulating around the Diocese of Ottawa about the latest rounds of  lawsuits between the Anglican Church of Canada and ANiC parishes.  Specifically, there’s a rumour circulating that the latest lawsuits involving St. Alban’s Ottawa and St. George’s Ottawa were started by ANiC.  This is absolutely untrue.  The Diocese of Ottawa sued St. Alban’s, not the other way around.

The cliché of the month for the Anglican Church Of Canada is that it is becoming a “missional” church – the word was to be found in every second sentence at the recent Anglican Synod. The precise meaning of “missional” is unclear, but it must have something to do with trying to appeal to those who do not presently attend a church.

Perhaps “missional” means “join now, be sued later.”

More Anglican moaning about funding cuts to Kairos

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The editor of the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa’s paper (page 5), Art Babych reckons that government cuts to Kairos were retribution for Kairos’s anti-Israel bias:

But this isn’t about CIDA’s priorities, is it? The denial of 35 years of government funding for KAIROS, coupled with the recent firings amid a politically charged atmosphere at Rights and Democracy over the funding of some groups critical of Israel, suggest that in government quarters, criticism of Israel is the new anti-Semitism. And that should send a shudder through all who value free speech, not only those groups who criticize Israel.

I wouldn’t be particularly surprised if Art is correct; I wouldn’t be particularly upset, either. In fact I’d be rather pleased.

Whatever the reason, though, this is in no way a curtailing of free speech. By not giving taxpayer money to Kairos, the government is not preventing Kairos from saying whatever it wants; it is just not being paid to say it by you and me.

I wonder if Babych’s devotion to free speech would extend to allowing Ann Coulter to speak in his city?