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…
Accountability
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 Erastianism forged out of a millennium of Benedictine continental rule…
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…
Clergy sexual abuse: why can’t the Church cleanse its own temple?
"The gross evil of child sexual abuse by Catholic clergy would have gone unexposed had it not been for three principal agencies, all secular." That's the damning opening sentence of…
“Shabby and shambolic” – the CofE still conspires against truth and justice in historic sexual abuse
Anyone wishing the Church of England well might have hoped that the end of the IICSA hearing last month represented the nadir of its unhappy handling of victims complaints. Despite…
Royal Assent: Crown neutrality on Brexit is unsustainable
The last time Royal Assent was withheld from a parliamentary bill was in the wake of the union of England and Scotland in 1707/8, when Queen Anne declined to support…
Before peace, reconciliation and healing, there must come reckoning
Donald Trump is not a modest man. He is not polished, well read, stylish, university educated, 'sophisticated', or a paragon of moral virtue. But he is the duly elected President…
‘General Synod has no confidence in the Church of England’s capacity to regulate its own safeguarding culture’
The laicisation of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick by the Roman Catholic Church was one more step on the long journey towards cleansing that institution of sexual abuse, much of it…
Speaker Bercow: the most powerful commoner in the land
The Speaker of the House of Commons is also known as the First Commoner of the Land, elected by MPs to chair their proceedings without prejudice or partiality, and to…
How far is Bishop George Bell’s reputation restored? When is a cloud not a cloud?
This is a guest post by Synod members Martin Sewell and David Lamming. _______ The Church of England has now published the Briden Report into the further allegations against Bishop…
Bercow, Brexit, conspiracy and coup: the inescapable feeling of betrayal
The most difficult controversies are those in which both sides have a point. Two well known historic examples come to mind. The English Civil War was contended on multiple controversies,…