The following article “Synod in conflict for soul of the Church of Ireland”, by Alan McCann, a rector in Connor Diocese and Clerical Hon Secretary to the diocese, was published on the internet during the synod.
Members of the Church of Ireland General Synod meeting in Christ Church Cathedral in Dublin today heard conflicting voices from the House of Bishops concerning what the Church believed about marriage.
A motion affirming marriage as being between one man and one woman as the only normative context for sexual intercourse was to be brought before synod today (Thursday 10th May). However, the only word to describe what happened when motions 8(a) was about to be introduced is ‘fiasco.’ The general synod was tossed into turmoil by a carefully planned ambush on the motion to affirm christian marriage as being between a man and a woman.
Amazingly Dean Dunne, from Cork diocese, with the support of his Bishop – Paul Colton (famous for having married David and Victoria Beckham), and the support of Bishop Burrows (whose actions as Bishop of Cashel and Ossory in licensing Dean Gordon who is in a civil partnership has brought the Church of Ireland to this crisis), was able to stop the motion even being put to synod by claiming that the motion (which contained only canons of the church and part of the prayer book) altered the doctrine of the church of Ireland on marriage because the order of the reasons for God ordaining marriage were different in Canon 31 than in those stated in Service 2 in the BCP 2004.
The Archbishop of Armagh was left floundering, as was his legal assessor, and a very uncomfortable 10 or so minutes unfolded. All of this before the invited ecumenical dignatories and the media. Lady Shiels, a leading lay liberal, let the cat out of the bag as to the planned sabotage by stating that she was out of the synod room when Dean Dunne spoke but wanted to second his motion and then repeated it almost verbatim.
Then in weighed the Bishop of Cork and the Bishop of Cashel (who did his usual playing the fool who has suddenly had a miraculous insight) to undermine their archbishop and to the very obvious consternation and anger of their colleagues objected to the motion being put to synod. So much for collegiality – the motion was from the House of Bishops, had been agreed by them and now publicly two of them stitched up the Archbishop of Armagh and this in front the whole synod and media present.
We have been told to listen but here was open debate being shut down before a word was uttered. The true colours coming to the fore. They wanted 8(b) and (c) to be put to the synod but the proposers had the wisdom to withdraw them all before anything else happened. Immediately the pro-gay spin (lie) machine went into overdrive – with one of their leading lights even claiming on BBC radio Ulster that it was the conservatives who were trying to change the doctrine of marriage.
This was such a blatant lie as no conservative had even spoken on the issue or the motion. Many members of synod left the hall disgusted with what had just taken place and despite the Archbishop’s plea for them to attend the synod Eucharist later, many stayed away unable to share fellowship with such people after so unchristian behaviour. Friday – the motion was brought back to the synod this morning with some careful wording which did not require leave of synod for it to be debated.
It is to be debated on Saturday (the final day of synod). However, as I email this to you word is coming through of an attempt to change the wording so that the motion will speak of the ‘inherited practice’ of heterosexual marriage and not that ‘heterosexual is the normative place for sexual intercourse’. A very subtle but dangerous change.
This is going to be a very close run thing. As I email you I am not certain as to how the synod will vote. The very obvious divisions have broken open and the carefully choreographed niceness of the Cavan Conference has disappeared.
If there is one good thing that has occurred from Thursday evening’s events it was at breakfast this morning when a leading lay person of synod came to me and said ‘I think you are right and I see now what you mean about the dirty politics of the pro-gay lobby.’
At last some people are having their eyes opened. This is a battle for the very soul of the church of Ireland. This moment has arrived sooner than we anticipated and we will praise Almighty God if we get the motion passed tomorrow.
Published at: www.virtueonline.org