New Arch Bishop of the Church of England, a Woman

 


It's fun to see real progress where some stuck in the past have prevailed. An example is a woman was recently named the Arch Bishop of Canterberry. Unfortunately, there was a loud protest.

At her installation ceremony, a right-wing priest shouted out a protest. Instead of the mostly progressive Church of England, this sounds like the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. I remember a well-known Southern Baptist preacher saying, "We in the SBC can bend a little on a few issues. We absolutely cannot allow women preachers." Popes have said there will never be Catholic clergy. 

That women cannot be clergy is either a power play or a misreading of the faith's teaching of both. The highest positions in all of society are shared by both men and women. How could it be different in Christianity?

The Church of England is, of course, the church of England's government. This makes it even more sensitive to current cultural forces than the Southern Baptist Convention or the U. S. Catholic denomination. Being out of synch with taxpayers is a good way to lose tax dollars (or pounds).

I hope all goes well for the new Arch Bishop. With attendance in the Church of England at what must be a all time low her work is cut out for her.  

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