Tuesday 29 May 2012

Try Again (Female Bishop Amendments)

Let's try another scenario (if I can get this right).

PCC Secretary
Parish of Water
Deeping Lake

May 29 2030

Ms Karen Delawney
Lincoln Castle
Lincoln

Dear Ms Delawney

We understand that there is a diocesan scheme that follows the code of practice that gives you the role of finding a priest and bishop for a parish that writes to you in this fashion. Our priest is retiring soon and so we need a bishop as soon as possible. The bishop should be theologically compatible with our views.

The PCC has delegated me, as you are delegated, to outline our views.

As we believe that life starts at conception, we are concerned that a pregnant priest might have two people in one, one unordained, blessing the bread and wine. We do not believe that this has been properly thought through on a theological level.

Secondly, we believe in real presence, that is the production of the body and blood in the appearance of bread and wine. This leads to concerns about women who are menstruating and therefore expelling blood, or indeed the position just after childbirth. Again, we have not seen much written theologically about this in recent times.

We are also concerned about female priests who may be penetrated by men wearing condoms. We believe that this takes away the potential for extending life, and life is a sacred flow, and therefore particularly involves women being so penetrated.

We further believe that these functions of women lead to a greater level of emotional and irrational response to situations and that these could be pastorally prejudicial, for example in an inability to keep a professional distance in the situation of a parishioner's difficult emotional condition.

We also discussed apparent damage that can be done bodily if a man is ordained by a woman, and so we would wish not only that his theological views are agreeable with ours but that he would not come from a line of ordinations involving women (as they may have been pregnant, giving birth or menstruating).

Please recommend some names that we might interview them for theological compatibilty, or perhaps there are some choices already available where such views are recorded on a database.

Thank you. We hope you are in good health.

PCC Secretary
Parish of Water
Deeping Lake



Bishop Karen Delawney
Lincoln Castle
Lincoln

June 5 2030

PCC Secretary
Parish of Water
Deeping Lake

Dear PCC Secretary

Fortunately the diocesan scheme has someone listed who can fulfil these functions and meet your concerns. It is not exactly 'pick your bishop' but this person seems to be theologically compatible on every minute level and concern. So I have already delegated him to be your bishop, although I reassure you that he is bishop by derivation already.

Bishop Karen Delawney
Lincoln Castle

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