I apologise to regular readers for this first quotation from Dom Gregory Dix which I know I have used before ... its style ... its elegance ... its malevolence ... leave me helpless.
" ... even the best and most energetic of bishops will one day have to rest from his labours and the lance of his successor often delivers the diocese from the menace of some different windmill. ..."
But here is an episode from a different Anglican papalist religious, Fr Raymond Raynes, sometime Superior of the Community of the Resurrection at Mirfield.
When he returned from South Africa in 1943 to become Superior, the Bishop, Campbell Hone of Wakefield, interviewed him and asked whether "my liturgical requirements were being observed in the chapel". This riled Father, who had been away for ten years and had no idea what was being done. Hone then produced a wad of typescript from which he began to read. Raynes became increasingly impatient and soon said: "There's no need to go on, because from what I've heard I can tell you that these things are being done, but I can also tell you that speaking for myself and most of the community we find them extremely vexatious."
The Bishop said smugly: 'They are my requirements for the whole diocese', and Father angrily remarked: "I can't see what that has to do with our religious life. You may die tomorrow and then we shall probably have another crackpot with another set of ideas". Hone got up and remarked "I'm not accustomed to being spoken to like that".
Raynes replied with some additional observations about 'the whims of elderly eccentrics.'
That the present Bishop of Rome is a tyrant is not remarkable, in that there have been tyrants previously who sat in Saint Peter's Chair. There have been others also who have caused immense harm in the Church. What is most disheartening phenomenon over these ten years is the lack of courage amongst members of the Curia and Bishops worldwide to resist such a noxious tyranny. Is it that those who remain silent truly believe that the decisions of the Bishop of Rome are the very will of God and must be obeyed? Or do other things motivate them to remain silent (things which I will avoid speculating about)?
ReplyDeleteLord, how long?
Parrhesia exemplified. Surely our beloved Holy Father could not but approve?
ReplyDeleteDear Fr Hunwicke,
ReplyDeleteSome years back you alluded to the existence of a "secret dutch touch archive" in Pusey House containing materials related to the participation of Old Catholic bishops in CofE consecrations in the 20th century. I asked the current librarian about this and she hasn't found anything related to this. I wonder if you can provide some more detail to what this archive contains and where it is located?
Best wishes, R
Methinks anyone who says "I am not accustomed to being spoken to like that" probably needs to be spoken to like that.
ReplyDelete