Religious chicanery

When it comes to chicanery the Christian church beats politicians hands down.

A number of Anglo-Catholic bishops (that is bishops who are part of the Church of England) had a trip over to the Vatican to meet their brothers in the Roman Catholic Church. The meeting was secret: certainly the rest of the Church of England did not know. Furthermore the Archbishop of Westminster (Roman Catholic) didn't know either!

According to press reports, one of the concerns of Anglo-Catholics is that the Roman Catholic bishops in England are not happy with the Pope's plan for C of E clergy to become Roman Catholics whilst at the same time preserving some of elements which mark out Anglo-Catholics from Roman Catholics.

Anglo-Catholics are opposed to the ordination of women in particular and the general drift (some would say avalanche) towards 'liberalism' in the Church of England. However, there are some Anglo-Catholics who belong to an organisation called Affirming Catholicism which supports the proposals for women bishops and goes along with the liberal agenda.

The Liberals in the Church of England are opposed also by the strongly Protestant Evangelical wing of the Church, most of whom are opposed to women bishops and the liberal agenda.

In the past Anglo-Catholics and Evangelicals have managed to put a brake on the more liberal elements in the Church, as witness the failure to bring the Methodists back into the Church from whence they came.

Should there be a massive departure to Rome by Anglo-Catholics I anticipate Evangelicals, led by an organisation named Reform, leaving the Church of England within a few years. The Liberals will have triumphed, but there won't be much of the Church of England left.