The Wardman Wire

[Update: I've had a note pointing out that the Diocese of Chichester has responded to the article from the Telegraph I have quoted. I have reproduced it here:

October 25, 2009

An article has been published today in the Sunday Telegraph asserting that I have announced that I am about to become a Roman Catholic.

This is not the case.

The report appears to come from a misunderstanding of an answer I gave to questions from the floor at the recent ‘Forward in Faith’ assembly, at which I spoke.

A questioner had asked about the Papal condemnation of Anglican Orders. I responded by speaking about the subtlety of the position. I referred to the moment when it seemed as if the issue of how the Roman Catholic Church sees Anglican orders might be reopened but how the ordination of women to the priesthood and other developments have now made that impossible.

In the light of that I stated that in the event of union with the Roman Catholic Church I would be willing to receive re-ordination into the Roman Catholic priesthood but that I would not be willing to deny the priesthood I have exercised hitherto.

This is clearly a contentious and complex issue and one where it is easy to misunderstand the nuances of the debate. I think I made my position clear in my address at the Forward in Faith assembly. The text is available below and a podcast may be found on the Forward in Faith website.

+ John Cicestr:
25.10.2009

My comment is that we should still watch for Financial Coincidences, and also media reporting.]

I don’t normally do church politics on the Wardman Wire, or at least not the sort of Church Politics which are currently in the news – those about Members of the Church of England who wish to leave and join the Roman Catholic church.

But this is irresistably runcible.

The Pope has offered to create a special “Ordinariate”, which is a sort of Anglican-feeling bubble within each Roman Catholic territory, where Anglican-like rites and practices will be allowed for Anglicans who join the Roman Catholic church.

The Daily Telegraph has a report from Jonathan Wynne-Jones, which presents a willingness to convert by John Hind, the Bishop of Chichester, purely as an act of high principle:

Now Bishop Hind, the most senior traditionalist in the Church of England, has confirmed that he is willing to sacrifice his salary and palace residence to defect to the Catholic Church.

Doug Chaplin, who writes at Clayboy (who has translated the Papal document into English), points out a few facts about the “sacrifice” that – for some reason – were omitted from the Telegraph report.

I assume it will take Bishop Hind a few months – perhaps a bit longer – to make up his mind on such a momentous decision.

Oh, wait – next June he will reach retirement age. Oh, and he’s completed 37 years service already. So he’ll be able to become a Roman Catholic priest with a pension that is larger than the stipend a rank and file priest receives (as well as his state pension).

Such a sacrifice, to leave a Church he feels uncomfortable in, and finding a role in one he prefers, all the while trousering (or at least cassocking) some £25,000 a year from them for doing so.

- which is not quite as impressive.

I’m not questioning the principles, reasons or motives of those going to Rome, or not going to Rome, but I am suggesting that, as in all politics, there will be a lot of financial “coincidences” along the way. Journalists and bloggers need to keep an eye out for these.

So, my cautionary headline for this process:

“All Roads may Lead to Rome, but the Church Commissioners paid the Fare”.