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…
Transparency
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 Archbishop Cranmer blog received such a censorious order. That it…
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…
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…
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…
One Church of England diocese has spent £500,000 on 20 Non-Disclosure Agreements
It has been disturbing to learn that victims of racism in the Church of England have had to sign Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) before they could receive compensation which might be…
BBC Panorama smears the Church of England as ‘racist’
'Is the Church racist?', asked the BBC's Panorama yesterday evening, as reporter Clive Myrie interviewed a few minority-ethnic clergy who have experienced some awful abuse at the hands (or from…
Why has Cardinal Wuerl (retired) been given $2m by the Washington Archdiocese?
"In 2020, the Archdiocese of Washington allocate more than $2 million for the 'continued ministry' of retired Cardinal Donald Wuerl. For comparison, the archdiocese earmarked $400k for charitable giving", tweeted…
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…
The Church of England – a safer space for abusers than for the abused
The long awaited IICSA report into 70 years of sexual abuse, cover-up and neglect of victims in the Church of England has finally been published. It has been followed by…
Martyn Percy: Synod challenges Christ Church abuse of CofE safeguarding process
This letter is currently being circulated to members of General Synod of the Church of England, in advance of their virtual meeting in July. There will be two Q&A sessions,…
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…
“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…
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…
Sentamu: ‘pure’ (‘real’/ ‘hard’) Brexit is “a childish dream”
On the BBC's Andrew Marr Show on Sunday, the Archbishop of Canterbury was asked about the disparity (/gulf) between the laity and clergy in the Church of England regarding the…
Election of Church Commissioners – how best to assess the candidates
The US Mid-Terms are not the only important elections about to be determined this autumn. The voting papers have just been sent out to the members of the Church of…