In the case of the Bishop of Oxford v Archbishop Cranmer
On 10th May, the Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev’d Steven Croft, instructed his lawyers to demand that a post on this site be taken down. The letter from Birketts…
Accountability
The CofE ‘Independent Safeguarding Board’? A Review
Following a complaint brought Professor Martyn Percy to the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Independent Safeguarding Board (ISB) published Terms of Reference (ToR) for a ‘review’ to commence on 30th May. Dr. Percy’s complaint had detailed abuses (accidental and…
Bishop of Oxford instructs lawyers to censor Archbishop Cranmer
The Bishop of Oxford, the Rt Rev'd Steven Croft, has instructed lawyers to demand that a post on this site be taken down. Never in its 16-year history has the…
Mercy, forgiveness and judgment: Boris Johnson did not lie to Parliament
If you detest Boris Johnson or blame him for the great evil of Brexit and for ruining the country and just want him gone, there's no need to read on.…
Boris Johnson’s ‘disgraceful slur’ against the Archbishop of Canterbury
The Prime Minister sat rather dejected in the House of Commons yesterday, and spent two hours iterating (and reiterating) how sorry he was for sharing the Cabinet Room of No.10…
Is the Church of England about to ban prophets from Synod?
Anyone observing parliamentary debates over the last few weeks will know that the awkward question can be many things. It can be fair or unfair, accurate or misconceived, mischievous or…
Oxford Dons plan litigation against Archbishop Cranmer
In all the recent reporting in the Times and Private Eye about the continuing saga at Christ Church, Oxford, there has been a slight omission. Perhaps it's so slight that…
You can’t be compelled to love your neighbour
The Archbishop of Canterbury was interviewed on Times Radio by John Pienaar, who asked: "Is it the moral thing to do, Archbishop, getting your vaccination?" "Yes," the Archbishop replied, succinctly.…
Anglican Conclave to ‘sift’ all candidates for vacancies to see if they are ‘appropriate’
There is no doubt that the governance structure of the Church of England is labyrinthine, convoluted, inefficient and opaque. It's what comes of half a millennium of Catholic and Reformed…
Fr Alan Griffin (RIP): the buck stops with Bishop Sarah Mullally
Upon taking office as 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman famously placed a sign on his desk to remind himself of the awesome responsibility which the Office…
The immoral, scandalous and disgraceful nature of CofE bullying
'Immoral, scandalous or disgraceful' is a phrase from the Statutes of Christ Church, Oxford: it describes behaviour warranting disciplinary action being undertaken within that institution, but it is also an…
Diocese of Oxford misrepresents the President of Tribunals, leaving Martyn Percy ‘under a cloud’
This is a guest post by Martin Sewell and David Lamming, members of General Synod. The statement posted belatedly on the Diocese of Oxford website on 18th June Decision…
Christ Church Cathedral Oxford blocks its own Canon on Twitter
The Rev'd Angela Tilby is a Canon Emeritus of Christ Church Cathedral Oxford. She is also a writer, broadcaster, columnist, and Canon of Honour at Portsmouth Cathedral. She is thoughtful,…
Institutional narcissism in the Church of England
"The BBC, the NHS and Oxfam have a bad case of institutional narcissism", wrote Matthew Syed in the Sunday Times yesterday. It is a terse but cogent thesis, coming in…
Martyn Percy cleared again: CofE safeguarding goes from tragedy to farce
It has been reported that the Church of England’s Director of Safeguarding, Melissa Caslake, has tendered her resignation after only 18 months in the post, and will be leaving at…
Martyn Percy is challenging an entire cultural mindset of establishment privilege
Reflecting upon the developing Dean Martyn Percy story, I called to mind the famous observation by Abraham Lincoln upon the institution of slavery which was defended at the time by…
General Synod: social and political diversity among Bishops
Quite a few interesting questions have been tabled for the imminent virtual General Synod of the Church of England, ranging from Bishops' Twitter usage (Qs 69-70) to Safeguarding abusage (Qs…
A Christian case for Brexit
If one anti-Brexit argument persists within the clergy hierarchy of the Church of England, it is that the UK's departure from the European Union is a fundamentally 'un-Christian' pursuit. The…
Operation Yellowhammer: political advantage trumps right to privacy
The end of prolonged conflicts can be both brutal and swift. The American Civil War ended with Sherman’s brutal 'March to the Sea' and the First World War ended with…
Nobody knows Nobody’s Friends
People of a certain age might remember that the motorcycle patrolmen of the Automobile Association was once a common sight on British roads. Members sported badges on the fronts of…