Crannóggy Island

Trevin Wax writes: The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA)  announced  they no longer recognize the authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury as “first among equals.” What’s more, they say that in adopting “innovation in the liturgies of the Church and her pastoral practice” in order to  bless same-sex sexual relationships , the Church of England has “departed from the historic faith passed down from the Apostles” and has thus “disqualified herself” from leading the Anglican Communion. In choosing to move closer to the wishes of politicians and revisionist church leaders in the United Kingdom, the Church of England has signaled that her desire to stay as  a “wife” to the state  is greater than her desire to remain a “mother” to the worldwide Anglican Communion. Perhaps the fear of disestablishment and divorce from the state is greater than the fear of losing “the kids.” But here’s what’s strange. If you read the headlines or peruse the news articles or listen to Chu

Fr. Dwight Longenecker writes:   The contemporary church slogan “All Are Welcome” is certainly warm but it is not only warm, it is fuzzy. On the one hand “All Are Welcome” shouldn’t even need to be stated. It should be part of any church’s basic self understanding ....  Anyway, I think the “all Are Welcome” slogan fits pretty neatly with the Diversity, Inclusion and Equity agenda that is also a current trend in the Synod of Synodical Synods for a Synodical Church of Synods. But of course all are welcome. That’s the mission of the Church. To welcome all to repent and believe the gospel. All are welcome to take up their cross and follow the Lord Jesus Christ. However I feel this is not  really  the message the pastors and prelates of NuChurch have in mind. Instead, it feels to me that the “welcome” is a call to open the church to everyone regardless of their actual relationship to Christ. Indeed, some of the quotes coming out of the synod would suggest just that–that we welcome into

  Kate Forbes, a member of the evangelical Free Church of Scotland, has apologised on Twitter for hurt caused and promised to protect the rights of everybody in Scotland as her faith-informed views on equal marriage, transgender rights and sex outside marriage prompted a bruising backlash. "This election is about independence, who is best equipped, and who has the best plan to achieve it. It is also about the society we want Scotland to be – where tolerance is the ruling ethic, poverty becomes history, equality of opportunity is the birth right of every child. Over the last few days, questions have focused on my faith. I feel greatly burdened and heartsore that some of my responses to direct questions in the media have caused hurt to friends, colleagues and fellow citizens. That was never my intention, but I've listened carefully. I will protect the rights of everybody in Scotland, particularly minorities, to live and to love without fear or harassment in a pluralistic and tol

 

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing

"Pope Francis’ manifest neglect of his duty to defend the Church’s teaching in the face of grave errors urgently calls for a “tough love,” i.e., intervention in which courageous Cardinals and bishops, setting aside customary politeness and deference, frankly tell the pope that this madness must be stopped. Now." There is a struggle taking place within the Catholic Church to stay true to fundamental Church teachings in the face of an onslaught on moral norms. Whilst the infinite power of God’s grace is a foundational aspect of Christian faith, this is now being misrepresented in a  "pastoral approach"  that will exclude no one from  "the life of the church."   The Catholic Church welcomes us all, and since we are all sinners, instructs us on how to grow in the life of grace. At the same time, the Church, following the admonition of St. Paul, warns us that we forfeit that grace if we receive the Eucharist while in a state serious sin. A dmonishing the sinn

Almost 2,000 years ago, St Paul wrote to Timothy about the terrible times to come:  “People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, brutes, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God”   (2 Tim. 3:2-4).  Paul’s vice-filled description appears to describe the 21st century Western world and many of its 'religious' leaders.  The moral practices of Western Christians are essentially the same as those of non-Christians. As Protestant scholar Michael Horton laments: “Christians are as likely to embrace lifestyles every bit as hedonistic, materialistic, self-centered, and sexually immoral as the world in general.”      Paul continues his description of the Last Days by characterising the people as “holding the form of religion but denying the power of it.” The sinful people he’s talking about

In the light of recent ... er ... "developments" in the Church of England, this article from the  Catholoc Herald  is well worth a read. It's an extract from  GK Chesterton’s 1935 book , The Well and the Shallows.  Remarkable that it was written nearly 90 years ago. And yet, even Chesterton, visionary that he was, did not foresee the extent of depravity that actually lay ahead. "I have explained that these are sketches of six separate occasions, on which I should have become a Catholic, if I had not been the one and only kind of human being who cannot become a Catholic. The excitement of conversion is still open to the atheist and the diabolist; and everybody can be converted except the convert. In my first outline, I mentioned that one of the crises, which would in any case have driven me the way I had gone already, was the shilly-shallying and sham liberality of the famous Lambeth Report on what is quaintly called Birth Control. It is in fact, of course, a scheme f

  Just because Happy Jack likes this song!  And loved the singer!

  The Mail on Sunday has revealed that King Charles’s coronation is set to last little more than an hour. The service at Westminster Abbey will have fewer "arcane" rituals and be significantly shorter than the 1953 ceremony when Queen Elizabeth was crowned. King Charles is understood to want his Coronation to set the tone for a streamlined and "modern monarchy". It will be more religiously and culturally diverse, with the language adapted to be understandable to a more modern audience. It will be "a simpler, shorter and more diverse ceremony that reflects modern Britain," and "more religiously and culturally diverse." The day after the coronation, on Sunday, 7th May, a 'Coronation Concert' will be held at Windsor Castle. The concert will feature 'The Coronation Choir' – a diverse group created from the nation’s keenest community choirs and amateur singers from across the UK – including refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing

The Catholic Herald  has reported on that on  Wednesday evening last week, the "Catholics In The Conservative Party" group hosted a formal launch event in the Houses of Parliament.  The group aims to support, recruit and mentor Catholics in the Conservative party and public life to ensure that the Catholic voice is always heard in government. Having been officially founded in 2020 during the trials of the pandemic, the group was at long last able to host a formal reception to celebrate its inception.  Headlining the evening was guest speaker and Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg. In his speech, he stressed the necessity for conservative Catholics to flourish in government.  “Do not allow people to think that the Labour Party is the natural home of Catholics because it isn’t any more. Indeed, it is very difficult to be a Labour Catholic nowadays because on the conscience issues you have to take the conscience of Marx from the conscience of Christ. I admire those socialists