AFTER WEEKS of speculation Prime Minister Gordon Brown this afternoon unveiled a range of constitutional changes that will see a change to the way that bishops in the Church of England are appointed.
Speaking in the House of Commons, the new Prime Minister announced a raft of changes, in a manner reminiscent of the radical changes announced in 1997 the day after Labour came to power.
At that time the most significant change was giving power over interest rate changes to the Bank of England. But today’s proposals go much further….
Good for him!
Though as a Labour prime minister he will no doubt draw the usual slew of nastygrams here.
wait for the church to roll over and applaud like good boys and girls.
Then look all hurt and surprised when Bishops are removed from the House of Lords, tax benefits are removed from clergy and the Church is pushed further into the margins of society by a government who has no time for religious contribution to politics.
Am I alone in seeing that this is going to lead to a weakening of the church within British society?
The PM has not really chosen bishops for years, simply rubber stamped them. Wake up and smell the coffee please C of E- so little spine and nouse it is alarming!!!
http://www.sbarnabas.com
RPP
Interestingly Brown has withdrawn plans to remove the constitutional disabilities (reported yesterday and with RC reaction today):
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;jsessionid=AMMTWWHV0LXSVQFIQMGSFGGAVCBQWIV0?xml=/news/2007/07/03/nbrown103.xml
I have to say that I agree that spine is needed. The total failure of our bishops to use their seats in the House of Lords to speak out gives nothing but ammunition to those who wish to see them removed. We must fight our corner!
For me the jury is out on Brown but I will give him the benefit of the doubt. You never know how people will rise to the challenge until they are in post.
Also since this is what our synod has been asking for since 1974 perhaps we should consider it more positively.
This is what I posted at Standfirm with the relevant section of the Green Paper (legislation discussion paper for Parliament) as it helps to look at the detail. Thinking Anglicans posted the relevant sections and the full text is as follows:
[blockquote] The Government’s role in ecclesiastical, judicial and public appointments
Appointments in the Church of England
57. The Church of England is by law established as the Church in England and the Monarch is its Supreme Governor. The Government remains committed to this position.
58. Because The Queen acts on the advice of Ministers, the Prime Minister as her First Minister has a role in advising The Queen on certain appointments within the Church. Diocesan and Suffragan Bishops, as well as 28 Cathedral Deans, a small number of Cathedral Canons, some 200 parish priests and a number of other post-holders in the Church of England are appointed by The Queen on the advice of the Prime Minister.
59. In the case of Archbishops and Diocesan Bishops, reflecting the agreement reached between the Church and the State in 1976, the Crown Nominations Commission (formerly the Crown Appointments Commission) passes two names to the Prime Minister, usually in order of preference, who may recommend either of them to The Queen, or reject both and ask for further nominations. The Crown Nominations Commission is a Church based body, with the Archbishop of Canterbury as Chair and the Archbishop of York as Vice-Chair. However, the Prime Minister’s Secretary for Appointments is an ex-officio and non-voting member. The chair of the Crown Nominations Commission is taken by the Archbishop in whose province the vacancy has arisen.
60. For the appointment of Suffragan Bishops the relevant Diocesan Bishop is required by law to submit two names to the Crown. These are passed to the Prime Minister by the Archbishop of the Province concerned with a supportive letter. It has been the convention for more than a century that the Prime Minister advises the Monarch to nominate the person named first in the petition.
61. In the case of Deans appointed by the Crown, it is the practice for the Prime Minister to commend a name to the Queen, chosen from a shortlist provided by the Prime Minister’s Secretary for Appointments and agreed with the Diocesan Bishop, and following consultations with the Cathedral, Bishop, Archbishop of the province concerned and others as appropriate. (The aim is to reach agreement with the Bishop on the preferred order of the list.) In the case of the Crown canonries and parishes, following consultations led by the Downing Street Appointments Secretariat, the Prime Minister recommends the appointment to The Queen.
62. In considering the role which the Prime Minister and the Government should play in Church appointments, the Government is guided by four principles:
the Government reaffirms its commitment to the position of the Church of England by law established, with the Sovereign as its Supreme Governor, and the relationship between the Church and State. The Government greatly values the role played by the Church in national life in a range of spheres;
The Queen should continue to be advised on the exercise of her powers of appointment by one of her Ministers, which usually means the Prime Minister;
in choosing how best to advise The Queen on such appointments, the Government believes in principle that the Prime Minister should not play an active role in the selection of individual candidates. Therefore, the Prime Minister should not use the royal prerogative to exercise choice in recommending appointments of senior ecclesiastical posts, including diocesan bishops, to The Queen; and
the Church should be consulted as to how best arrangements can be put in place to select candidates for individual ecclesiastical appointments in line with the preceding principles.
63. To reflect the principle that, where possible, the Prime Minister should not have an active role in the selection of individual candidates, for diocesan bishoprics the Prime Minister proposes that from now on he should ask the Crown Nominations Commission to put only one name to him, a recommendation he would then convey to The Queen. The Government will discuss with the Church any necessary consequential changes to procedures. The current convention for appointing Suffragan Bishops will continue.
64. The Government respects and understands the different arrangements for Cathedral, parish and other Crown appointments in the Church. Developing any new arrangements for such appointments will require a process of constructive engagement between the Government and the Church, and the Government is committed to ensuring a productive dialogue. The Government is aware that a Church review of certain senior appointments, including Cathedral appointments, is to be debated by General Synod later this month; it hopes that this will be a good starting point for that dialogue. Until new arrangements are agreed, the Secretary for Appointments will continue to assist as appropriate.
65. These changes would also have implications for the Lord Chancellor’s patronage of some 450 parishes and a small number of canonries. It would be sensible for any changes agreed to the procedures for Crown patronage to be also agreed for the Lord Chancellor’s patronage.
66. No changes are proposed to Crown appointments to the Royal Peculiars such as Westminster Abbey and St. George’s Chapel,Windsor, reflecting the personal nature of the relationship of these institutions with the Monarch. Current conventions will continue.[/blockquote]
http://www.thinkinganglicans.org.uk/archives/002486.html
From here it is clear that:-
1. The Church of England will continue at the heart of the Nation as the established Church, conducting all National services of thanksgiving, royal weddings, prominent funerals and available to every English man and woman wherever they live in the country.
2. The legal status of the Queen as supreme governor and defender of the faith continues to ensure we are protected as a church under our laws. Contrast the situation in so many other countries such as Burma or Tajikistan where the church is being outlawed.
3. The PM is stepping out of the role of political interference in church appointments leaving it to the current system under the Crown Nominations Commission to put forward one name. The Crown Nominations Commission consists of the ABC, bishops, church laity and clergy and some representatives from the diocese from for which a vacancy exists as I understand it.
4. The government has undertaken to consult further with the CofE but in the meantime the Crown Nominations Commission system remains in place.
5. Bottom line is that the government is indicating its withdrawal from interference in Church appointments and leaving it to discussion with the CofE what system will be put in place instead.
Hope this is helpful.
It was always a cabal that chose CofE bishops, now this will just reduce the paperwork. Conservative orthodox will continue to be excluded. The only fair solution would be to make the process of selection and appointment entirely open, and to make all appointments fixed term, with a return to other ministry afterwards.