This is the latest on the "Not Equal Yet" ticket written by WATCH trustee Georgia Ashwell.
I'm not going to address it fully as I have argued my case and the argument has not been debunked largely because the problem is political.
The first think I note is that I agree fully with Dr Ashwell in that the theology of the CofE is a mess and that mess means that a coherent understanding of the sacraments is impossible. If all theologies are tolerated within the CofE, why not a theology that holds to the traditional understanding of ordination and the concomitant view that significant deviation from that tradition is invalid?
The Catholic Church in its branches (Orthodox, Roman and Anglican Catholic) intends to do what the Church has always done. In ordaining women, the Church of England cannot intend to do what the Church has always done. But some bishops in the CofE do intend to do what the Church has always done and thus have possibly preserved that intention and possibly preserved the sacrament, though the fact that they remain in a Church which, as part of its doctrine, does not intend to do what the Church has always done injects doubt into their orders. Were they to seek priesthood in the Anglican Catholic Church, they would receive ordination sub conditione. There is therefore a theological reason why The Society will only permit consecration by bishops from The Society. It is not misogyny.
This brings me to my next point. Dr Ashwell states that she believes The Society's position to be misogyny and not theology but she does not say how. I certainly sympathise wholeheartedly with those female CofE priests who have suffered abuse from members of the Society - that is not on! I condemn fiercely any spitting, insulting or aggression to any women on the grounds that they are a woman, especially a female priest. I respect the learning and devotion that these women have to answering some call to bring the Gospel to the people who need to hear it, and I know that God smiles on their efforts. But those efforts are limited by the truth that they are ministers and not priests in the eyes of the Catholic Church and that there is necessary some falsehood being disseminated. A declaration of misogyny, however, is a socio-political statement and not a theological one. If Catholics are misogynist to believe in a male-only priesthood, then perhaps God Himself is misogynist for calling only men to the priesthood or for not making His will clearer. Is that what WATCH are saying?
Third, what do WATCH want? In the CofE, women are ordained to all three orders. The third most senior bishop is Dame Sarah Mullally of London. Women bishops are, for the sake of promoting equality, leapfrogging men to enter the House of Lords. Women are eligible to enter every position in the CofE, any at all - except those places inhabited by traditional Catholics and headship Evangelicals. Indeed, at every ordination by the Society, there is always a female bishop (usually Dame Sarah) standing there in chimere and rochet as if to assert their validity among those who cannot (and they truly cannot, Dr Ashwell) believe it for the sake of "mutual flourishing" and the incoherent 5 GPs (Guiding Principles).
So what do WATCH want? I've asked that before. To force everyone to recognise their ministry? But they wouldn't force any other theology on anyone else. They wouldn't insist that everyone stopped believing in Hell, would they? While I appreciate in my ignorance in the matter, It looks to me that WATCH want to be let into those parishes which hold traditional views. That smacks to me, not of equality, but of dominion. Whatever they claim, WATCH is a political lobby, NOT a theological lobby, and that they confuse the two. This is why they cannot see as theology traditional Catholic doctrine that they despise.
They call for people to join them but they don't say their purpose. That's because their purpose is very clear: they want The Society and the Evangelical groups out of the CofE. They want them defunded, deplatformed, demoted and despised. Let's be clear on that.
My own advice to the Society and to the Evangelical groups is: let them have their way. They are not going to rest and will use every means at their disposal, especially their well-rehearsed political rhetoric in a politically correct society to destroy the Catholic Faith.
The Anglican Catholic Church is here for the Catholics. There are good Evangelical groups such as the Church of England (Continuing) that can be joined. There is no such thing as mutual flourishing when WATCH have politicised the term and continue to play the victim rather than see the good that can be done with the 5GPs.
The cost is great but we need to start rebuilding the Catholic Church in this country. This is a challenge and involves great and radical sacrifice. It requires faith, conviction and prayer. We in the ACC are ready to talk whenever people want to talk.
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