I wrote to my Diocesan today….

I have decided to publish a letter I wrote to Bishop Michael in response to his pastoral letter. I have promised to keep his reply confidential- but wanted you all to know that I am putting pressure on those in authority to consider the implications of the last general Synod. I would encourage everybody to do likewise. How lucky we are in Rochester to have a Bishop who voted fairly and with integrity. Bishop Michael is preaching for us in Advent and I rejoice in that invitation following his clear and generous support at Synod

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Dear +Michael,

Firstly I applaud and thank you for being one of the very few Bishops who demonstrated any genuine care for Catholic Anglicans in the voting at General Synod. That fact has been noted by many of our integrity and we sincerely thank you for the consistent witness you present to the church. One sees in you the clear imprint of true biblical faith- and in these dark days for the Church of England it is welcome! How sad that it is increasingly surprising to find someone in high office with ‘ears to hear and eyes to see’! I hope you do not mind me writing candidly but I wish to express my feelings of anger, dismay and abandonment. It would be good to hear your reply and receive your advice. The question is really quite simple- is there to be a place for me in the Church of England? And if so how is that going to be manifest? I have worked tirelessly for the Church and it is wonderful to see such incredible signs of growth and renewal in the parish. In that I must show appreciation for the strong support of the Diocese. But if the wider church is intent on running me out- to what purpose am I working?

I am aware that the cardinal sin within the Church of England is firm belief and a refusal to ‘play the game’. Indeed by speaking out I probably harm my reputation- but enough is enough. I must protest at the treatment of traditional Catholic Anglicans in the name of Jesus Christ! Who is the same, yesterday, today and forever. Thus I will make this letter public. I will however keep your answer strictly private- in order to protect your dignity and not leave you in a difficult position. I am aware you already suffer a heavy load in your defence of orthodoxy- and I sincerely thank you for that. Please be assured of our daily prayers within the parish.

My lividness begins with the House of Bishops. Your Grace these supposed ‘defenders of faith’ seem neither honest nor Christian to me. Why did so many demonstrate no charity at all towards those opposed to women’s ordination? These Bishops seem so very fond of endorsing modern ideals like inclusivity- yet prove singularly vicious in their treatment of those who disagree with them! It is said that if you scratch a liberal- you find a fascist. How true! Why is it that so many Bishops seem blinded by a secularism which clouds their vision? Why they seem actively opposed to orthodoxy-consistently showing a twisted willingness to move ever further from Christ and the faith of the major churches of East and West. Is this not the hand of the devil at work?

Last month Synod clearly demonstrated that traditional clergy are now despised by the majority. We have consistently stated that a Code will not suffice- yet Synod continually offers what they know will not assist us. They throw a few measly crumbs but offer nothing to allow us to flourish. It is a cheap trick and a very dirty one. One person at Synod even had the audacity to claim to me that our expulsion was necessary for a truly Catholic theology of priesthood!! So it is now acceptable to shatter Catholicity in order to usher in women priests- then fix it in order to throw us out!? What outrage and I will not put up with it. We are being bundled out of the door- and yet these cowards still refuse to answer the theology we put before them. (in works such as Consecrating Women?’). I must stress that to my knowledge no one has been willing or able to answer such questions – dare I suggest it is because the innovation of women priests is not in keeping with scriptural orthodoxy? I attach my paper on the subject and would love to receive your feedback.

Thus Synod proceeds as though the theology is done- whilst never answering our questions! I note how your own ‘Rochester report’ has still received scant attention. A clear sign of how people’s hearts have grown hard and many are unwilling to accept the possibility that a grave mistake has been made. We were promised that the ordination of women would lead to a more relevant and vibrant church. In fact it has led to disunity, pain and fracture. More disturbingly still it now seems set to lead to the expulsion of many faithful Christians. Pray where is the evidence of God in all of this? Many women priests are fine, hard working Christians- they deserve our prayers and support- they are our sisters in Christ, but surely it is time to remove their questionable sacramental authority? The experiment failed. Is the church unable to accept this?

In 1992 Forward in Faith warned that if we abandoned the clear teaching of scripture and tradition in this instance, the same twisted theology would be used to endorse the full participation of active homosexuals in the life of the church. And now that has come to pass. The liberals are building a church in their own image- and apparently sin is no longer to be frowned on. This is not just lamentable- it is blasphemy! The state of our spiritual health is at stake.

Bishop Michael I am known to be level headed and not prone to fantasy. Yet I see the hand of the devil at work here- using secular campaigns to bring dishonour to the Bride of Christ. Silencing orthodoxy by appeals to the heart that sound caring – whilst delighting in the collapse of spiritual discipline and obedience to Christ. This is spiritual warfare- and a time for the orthodox to unite. I know that GAFCON is one possible weapon in this spiritual arena- and something you support. But at present it is not really a very hopeful option for Anglo-Catholics. May I ask why it is so evangelically biased? Why does it make such a stand on homosexuality but not women’s ordination? Both are mere symptoms of the deeper malaise- an abandonment of faithful obedience and biblical living. If GAFCON could cease being a one issue organisation- and reach out to Catholics, prayer book Christians and evangelicals alike- calling all to return to Christ- that might be amazing! It could be the start of something wonderful. We could reclaim a truly broad Anglican church but one adhering to scripture, reason and tradition. I think many would rejoice- and such a move might expose the liberal innovators and leave them out on a limb. I fear the innovators benefit hugely by playing ‘divide and conquer’- whilst evangelical and Catholic are not working in unity- we simply come across as splintered monochrome groupings.

Enough of my ramblings! I think it evident that I am deeply angered and concerned. Indeed the pain and hurt this causes me cannot be over emphasised but I DO NOT want some lily livered souls (as the liberals are proving to be) ‘feeling my pain’ whilst colluding in my demise! Such false sympathy is scandalously dishonest. How they can vote against us – then weep for us is deplorable! It is perhaps what angers me more than anything else. Akin to stealing food from the starving then offering to pray for them! Disgraceful.

The depth of darkness besetting our church is now clear for all true Christians to see. The cancer of secular, non-biblical thinking is choking the work of the Gospel – so that now the faithful are persecuted. Bishop Michael why should I be treated under a code of any sort? Why should I – with thirty years ministry ahead of me- be pushed to the margins for simply upholding a theology of priesthood consistent with all Christians down the ages and most Christians throughout the world today? Why does the Anglican church continue down this path despite the clear warnings of Rome and Constantinople? Every innovation that the church introduces is further hampering unity and bewildering traditional Christians globally. What hope is there for our future?

This is perhaps made clearer still when you consider that a man who endorses abortion as choice and who left his wife and two children then entered into a sinful union with another man is now a Bishop in America- but my poor brother priests of the SSC, whose faithful and obedient ministries support the church in areas of utter deprivation, are treated like social outcasts! Just what is going on? And what as my Bishop are you prepared to do in support of Catholic Christianity? We have few friends left it seems. You are one of them and we desperately need you at this time of crisis for priests of our integrity.

I feel very fortunate to find myself serving within a Diocese under your care. Please know that despite my anger at the wider church – things on the ground are fantastic. We continue to grow and reach out to the community and the church remains a place of sincere devotion and joy. This is evident in the fact that we had a minimum of 75 in attendance throughout the entire Triduum last Easter. Be assured of my prayers and good wishes.

Revd Fr. Ed Tomlinson