It appears that the Crown Nominations Commission, the consultative body for senior appointments in the Church of England, which is trying to decide who should be the next Archbishop of Canterbury, has been unable to make up its mind whom to recommend and so the decision may well become that of David Cameron.
That is, of course, the Dave Donald Cameron who, when asked whether he was going to do anything about the Barnett Formula subsidy to Scotland, despite representing an English seat, said that he wouldn’t do anything about it because “I am a Cameron and there is quite a lot of Scottish blood flowing in these veins”; the same Cameron who said he didn’t support an English Parliament; the same Cameron who said he didn’t support the English celebrating St George’s Day because “I want to be the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom not just of England”; and the same Cameron who has said “I’ll take on the sour Little Englanders, I’ll fight them all the way” and who heads a political party previously headed by William Hague who said that “English Nationalism is the most dangerous form of all nationalisms”!
In addition it is about as obvious as it can be from David Cameron’s conduct that by no sensible definition can he be described as a sincere Anglican. So all in all David Cameron is the last person that anyone who cares for the Church of England, or, indeed, England itself, would wish to have playing a decisive role in appointing the next Head of the Church of England.
Let us look at the track record of the three leading contenders to be the Head of the Church of England/Archbishop of Canterbury.
The Bishop of Durham, Justin Welby. He has only been appointed as a Bishop for a year and previously has been a French oil company executive.
The Bishop of Norwich, Graham James - sopping wet “Liberal”. Chair of an advisory committee to the BBC. Never said anything that I can find positive about England or Englishness. Opposes the celebration of St George’s Day and is in favour of gay marriage and the ordination of gay clergy.
The Archbishop of York, John Sentamu was born in Uganda. He is the former Lord Chief Justice of Uganda. He was driven out of Uganda by Idi Amin and threatened with death for having the courage to oppose him. Since coming to England he has been increasingly vociferous supporter for the celebration of St George’s Day, recognition of Englishness and the celebration of England’s historic contribution to world culture. Sentamu is a sincere evangelical Christian with a strong commitment to biblically correct Christian doctrine and, having stood up to Idi Amin, is highly unlikely to do the bidding of our relatively toothless politically correct tin-pot British political Establishment.
If you are an active member of the Church of England you will have little difficulty in identifying who would be the best and most committed candidate as Archbishop of Canterbury. If you are not an Anglican but are politically correct, then you will fear the appointment of Archbishop Sentamu. If you are not an Anglican but are opposed to political correctness and support the celebration of Englishness then he stands head and shoulders above the other two candidates.
If you agree with me that John Sentanmu would make the best Head of the Church of England, indeed, Head of the Anglican community world-wide, then please write in support of him to one of the more accessible of the Crown Nominations Commission, Professor Glynn Harrison by email on g.harrison@bristol.ac.uk
Otherwise this important role in the religious, cultural and social life of England will go by default to David Cameron’s preferred option who will inevitably be a shining example of his Englishness loathing mind-set.
Surely the Crown Nominations Committee is a nominating body and not a consultative body? The procedure is that the CBC nominates its preferred candidate and a stand-by in case the preferred candidate declines. Gordon Brown initiated the current process whereby the preferred option is automatically presented to the Queen (as Head of the Church) for approval, which I understand she cannot refuse to accept. The Prime Minister is effectively a messenger boy.
ReplyDeleteIs there a mechanism for Cameron to step in and impose his own solution? I doubt it. Just as the Cardinals keep voting until a Pope is appointed and the white smoke issues forth, so the CVC will keep on meeting until a decision is reached. The Church of England will not accept a return to the previous practice whereby two nominations were made and the Prime Minster selected from the two the name to be put to the Queen.
With respect, the Constitutional position is clear. The Queen appoints on the "Advice" of the Prime Minister. The route to the making of that "Advice" is merely a convention and one altered as recently as the last government.
ReplyDeleteIf the CNC consultations fail to recomend a clear winner then the Prime Minister will have an officially decisive role - at present he could be merely trying to influence the outcome.
Look here >>> http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/2937808/posts
I agree it is a convention, but in changing it the last government relinquished some of its power. Like the devolution genie, once out of the lamp it is impossible to put it back.
ReplyDeleteTony Blair repeatedly demonstrated how easily "Conventions" are torn up whenever they prove inexpedient to the government of the day.
DeleteThe CNC is a committee of the General Synod of the Church of England, it is not a Crown body. I doubt of Cameron will have bay influence at all, particularly is he pushes on with his gay marriage proposals.
DeleteSentamu should be appointed, given he is Archbishop of York
As an Anglican it has been my misfortune to encounter the C of E and its total surrender to political correctness at close quarters very recently. In the process of complaining about a very disreputable priest the extent to which the local clergy, the diocese, and the bishops have defended, excused and misled in order to protect their 'brother' has been an education in the ways of the world and the devil.
ReplyDeleteThe conclusion that can be drawn is a depressing if all too familiar one, that if Sentamu is all the thing you outline, which he is in part, he will not succeed. The Established church is being ravaged by political fashion. Any priest who castigates openly anti Christian behaviour or lifestyle is a marked man. Sexual and scriptural perverts of all degrees are welcome - those who stand by the Mosaic law and the straight and narrow are at best extremists and at worst 'phobes' of some description.
I always liked the present Bishop of London, George(?) Charters and the maginficent way he conducts the cenotaph service on Remembrance Sunday. A shame he not standing.
ReplyDeleteAs regards Sentanu, I always assumed he was the Archbishop in waiting and given that Anglicanism is world-wide rather than purely English any more I suppose would be a good choice. Does anybody know his stance on women bishops and homosexuals in the clergy which seem to be the two issues dividing anglicanism. The last I heard it was sort of agreed to leave sleeping dogs lie. I went to a Lutheran service in Oslo and apart from the fact that it was in Norwegian, I could have been in my local Anglican church. I never realised they were so close and thought that Lutheranism was closer to Presbyterianism. There were two bishops present, one male and one female and that did not give me any sort of problem. The Church has now been disestablished there, something I only hope will happen if silly Charlie becomes king and wants to be defender of faiths.
As regards homosexuals, the pros seem to be in America and the antis in Africa. Presumably Sentanu would be better at dealing robustly with the latter than any previous wimpish home-grown incumbent, bar Archbishop Carey who being of working class stock and not a middle-class do-gooder was quite a toughie.
My understanding is that a bishop does not 'stand' as a candidate.
DeleteAnd then there's this, a Ugangdan woman I met was a convert to Christianity because when she was a child under Idi Amin, a muslim, all Ugandans were forced to become muslims.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what Sentanu's take on the islamification of England and Christian Europe is therefore.
Yes I think he is as resolute as the recent Bishop Of Rochester was, a man who had also firsthand experience.
DeleteCome back George Carey our Archbishop of Canterbury before Rowan Williams. The Pope's older than you, and you're right, there is nothing racist about curbing immigration (The Mail On Sunday - 07/10/2012)
ReplyDeleteThe state should not interfere in the Church's practices, but the government would be in the right to introduce 'gay marriage' - Eric Pickles in support of David Cameron's policy aimed at making the Tory Party more appealing to gays.
ReplyDeleteIdentifying the English Democrats with Glynn Harrison's views could cost the party votes. The EDs cannot afford to alienate any element of the nation.
Love good hate evil.
DeleteWhy not try and garner a few votes from peadophiles and prisoners. Ask yourself the old question What would Jesus do? - Would Christ have married two men? Er... I don't think so.
In the back of the book of common prayer a list of whom we may not marry exists, it does not mention that we should not marry another of the same sex (not gender) because the proposition is absurd.
Perhaps the C of E needs to learn from the Serbian Orthodox Church - it helped the Serbs survive hundreds of years of Ottoman rule.
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not but many anglican parishes in the North are dropping PC and the multi-culti rubbish as they have learnt that it drives people away.
francis
If that is so, which I hope it is, they are doing it quietly and not standing up for those who want cultural terrorism (pc) removed and are being branded all kinds of things for so doing. I beleieve any brave Christian leader who stood up for biblical morality would be a fulcrum for a huge turn against the tide of filth washing over us now.
DeleteThe Poles have just made a film about the Siege of Vienna of 1683. For those who do not know it this was the moment that Christian Europe halted the Ottoman islamic advance at the gates of Vienna and ensured that Europe remained muslim free until the Marxists began their evil work. The furthest they got before that was Poitiers, half way up France before being defeated. This only goes to show that in Eastern Europe Christianity will not be cowed by Islam. In the west, aided by Marxists and Secularists determined to de-christianise the whole continent and islamify it if needs be, the churches have virtually given up.
DeleteHowever, I am sure that this film will never be allowed to be shown in any cinema in this country. I can just see the Unite Against Fascism fascist thugs beating up anybody who tries to enter the cinema, backed of course by David Cameron. The film will be banned for being islamophobic, racist, pro-Christian, pro-white. My prayer is that, just as Marxism was planted in Russia and has spread over the whole Continent over the last 100 years post-Marxism will spread westwards in similar fashion. And God please make it quick for time is running out.
Camoron is the worst offender when it comes to promoting same sex marriage, the very idea revolts people, Sentanu would be the ideal person to be the Archbishop, the sexual identity agenda is a liberal-left Common Purpose project the Frankfurt School of ideological subversion, Sentanu is of the old school missionary heritage of Anglicanism he has no chance, a man of high moral principles.
ReplyDeleteCameron has told ministers to prioritise the legalisation of gay marriage - the Prime Minister has made clear to Downing Street that he wants to drive through the legislation as quickly as possible. It could be on the statute book by the end of next year. He believes that the government should just get on with it.
ReplyDeleteThe former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey is reported as saying that gay marriage is the first step to the Third Reich
Georgie, porgie pudding and pie stood up to the Marxists and made them cry. Can't this man stand as a Tory mp, become pm and give Cameron a whack over the nut with his trusty crozier in true muscular Christian fashion
DeleteNick Clegg called those who opposed gay marriage bigots. However, has anybody ever carried out a poll on this matter. I think that the vast majority would feel that civil partnerships was going far enough. Looking back 60 years I go back to a time when homosexuality was illegal in this country - but not lesbianism because Queen Victoria could not believe that women would do that sort of thing - that must now be viewed as wrong. However, I think most people would be quite happy if gays quietly got on with their lives in private being confirmed bachelors with best friends the way it used to be. For right of wrong, most people find the flaunting of such relationships as a bit unsettling.
ReplyDeleteYes, George Carey was a very good Archbishop for the reason I have given, namely that he was of working class conservative stock and knew how the working classes lived and suffered. He was a practical man. Since then we have had to cope with an intellectual wet liberal do-gooder who has no idea how ordinary people live or suffer simply because working class people are more likely to be non-conformist if anything for a start.
Switching to another subject the BBC had an item on the Today programme yesterday about two continental euro-mps - I didn't catch the countries they hailed from - who are in the Liberal Democrat grouping ( there's a surprise ) -who have written a book about a federal Europe as being the only way forward. Tell that to the president of the Czech Republic Vaclav Klaus who has said that it will be the end of democracy and sovereignty in Europe. However, what struck me was that Evan Davies proudly spoke of a post-nationalist Europe. It's a done deal folks, in the eyes of the Eurofanatics and the Marxist BBC nationalism in Europe is now officially dead. I don't think so I think that Arthur and his knights, Holger the Dane and Barbarossa and his knights are just in caves sleeping somewhere waiting for the moment when their threatened countries and peoples can be saved by their awakening.
And today we are today the British economy is officially going backwards, as is that of France and Germany. So that's in the north whilst in the south of Europe the countries are on their knees. So thank you to the bankers who have stolen the wealth of nations by using money that never existed and now the whole world economy is going down the plughole. If there are any left who do not believe that the bankers and the marxists have not wrecked the world for all of us, especially Europeans/Whites then I would like to know where they have been burying their heads.
Evan Davies is a bit loose in his loafers tooI believe. Generally, homosexuals are extremely 'liberal' and champion the conservative aspects of society that have restrained them in the past. Hence Mr Davies love of all things anti nation or nationalistic and all the implied moral certainties and caveates associated with absolute moral Christian domga.
DeleteConference Pride - an event for Gay Conservatives. "Join the Conservatives?". "I'm buggered if I will".
ReplyDeleteBlimey. Are you saying Evan Davies is gay. I didn't know that one. I have worked out that Cameron has reached the conclusion that gays, being on the liberal side normally, vote either Labour or Liberal Democrat and he wants their votes, hence his becoming pro-gay all of a sudden.
ReplyDeleteStill, let us bear in mind that the gay Michael Portillo saved the Settle to Carlisle railway. And of course the Conservatives did have the only probably gay prime minister who was unfortunately so liberal that between 1970 and 1974 he got the country into one hell of a mess and we are still dealing with the consequences. Who led us by the nose into the EU Marxist multicultural totalitarian superstate knowing exactly what was planned and who sacked Enoch Powell? I am not saying that it was the fault of his supposed orientation. No names no pack drill.
Cameron also wants to wrench ethnic minority votes off Labour as well. Hence his appointment of Baroness Warsi of the Islamic Republic of Dewsbury to lord it over Jews and Christians. This is another reason why we should fear his having anything to do with the appointment of the new Archbishop. He will look at his past in Uganda and think this chap might actually try to halt the islamification of this country and we so need those votes. Also despite being Ugandan he is just too pro-English and I hate those sour little Englanders. Votes is all that counts to Cameron and personal power. Hence his desire to be pm of Britain. He is on a monster ego trip. I don't understand how the lovely Samantha can live with the bloke. And I see that the poor little late Ivan Cameron was used to political ends again. I have a heart. I have a heart. Oh yes, one dreamed up by his PR team.
Hmmm...or maybe, like most of the people in this country, he just has no problem with gay people or those of Asian background. That thought cross your mind?
DeleteIn the case of Cameron, no, his performance thus far has shown that political expediency is all that counts to the man. As regards the views of the majority of people in this country we will never ever know, any more than we will know on the Continent or in Scandinavia because such is the climate of fear now at being judged politically incorrect ( a Marxist invention ) that most people are too scared to say what they think. After all, Nick Clegg has made it plain that he thinks all those opposed to gay marriage are bigots, so that must include Archbishop Carey. Bigot and racist are the two words they use to ensure that their will prevails, even if it is against the will of the majority. And this has been the case for the last 50 years or more.
DeleteI note the CNC has made its recommendations and they will go to the Queen via the PM for her to rubber-stamp them. The idea that the state or Crown would interfere was preposterous and has been proven to be so.
ReplyDeleteSorry John but that is a naive view. I think it obvious that Cameron has influenced the outcome.
ReplyDelete