Singling out the Lambeth Conference, Bishop Nazir-Ali said the Windsor Report specifically asked that those who participated in the ordination and consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson not be present at the Anglican gathering. "Despite this, they were invited to the Anglican Consultative Council meeting and they were the dominant presence. They were then invited to the Lambeth Conference."
Anyone hazard a guess as to who said that little gem? Yep, you get three guesses and the first two do not count. It comes from the one and only Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali.
In a recent article from (you know where) he goes on to say:
I asked why were they invited. I have not ever been given a satisfactory response. My concern is about those who laid hands on him. I am being responsible in asking that question. Of course I am willing to sit with people who differ. The Lambeth Conference is the closest thing we have to a Magisterium. I could not gather Eucharistically to teach the common faith. I have attended two Lambeth conferences, 1988 and 1998. It would have been my third conference. However (in conscience) I could not be present."
Now, I thought that the Archbishop of Canterbury was appointed by the Queen (or King) of England. I have studied politics most of my life and I have got to say, these two statements are clearly made by this nifty Bishop with the idea that he is better than the current incumbent; smarter than the current incumbent and in all probability ought to be the incumbent. The problem is that insulting in public the current Crown's choice cannot possibly engender warm and fuzzy feelings for +Nazir-Ali by Queen Elizabeth. He goes on to endear himself with this quote:
The bishop ripped the present state of affairs in England saying, "Religion has stopped being a force in popular culture it had nothing to do with the elites. Politicians do not command enough respect to withstand the enormous challenges in the world."
And finally, as if John Locke came from some alien planet:
"What we need in the business of law making is increasing respect for conscience. Britain has a long respect for conscience. In recent legislation this has been neglected and denied and provision not been made for Christian believers. If we are going to have a strong tradition of public law we must respect conscience.
"Secularization and secularity are a reality, but we can see that in conducting the life of the nation today we still need the Judeo-Christian tradition to guide the nation. To be absolutely clear without it we have a serious threat of totalitarianism on one side or the other."
Now, I am not even remotely royal nor am I a successful politician but I would hazard a guess that the Right Reverend Michael Nazir-Ali is on someone's short list, just not the Crown's.
PS: See hubris below.
1 comment:
It's always a bad sign when folks start referring to themselves in the third person. Mibi is just sayin'
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