Why women mustn't be Priests.

This afternoon, as Caliban's Dream warned, a meeting was held in Global Bible-Believer’s HQ (aka Sydney’s St. Andrew’s Cathedral). Since the promotions said “Everyone Welcome”, and since I am at heart really quite a simple & literal soul and figured this might even include me, I intended to go along.

After all, it’s not every day you get a chance to sit down with men who were invited to Lambeth and listen to men who weren’t invited explain why the men who were aren’t going. And why instead they’ll be going to a meeting with the murderous thug who is now Sydney’s very dear and special friend. All explained while the men who were invited to Lambeth nod their heads wisely in agreement, and young clergy desperately seeking the points neccesary to achieve their dream of a seat on Standing Committee ask leading questions (are those of you in other countries familiar with the expression “Dorothy Dixer”?).

Unfortunately the meeting’s time: 1:30 – 3:30 on a Friday afternoon, ultimately made it impossible for me to attend. Contrary to rumours, I'm actually blessed with reasonably gainful employment; and Friday afternoon is probably my busiest time of the week.

This hardly makes me unique. My guess is that this is the same for most working people. If the meeting had been scheduled to start at 6pm it would be far easier for people to have joined the enthralled throng hearing luminaries such as Dean Jensen address the topic of “Should we break fellowship? Why? When? With whom?”, or Duck Thompson explaining “What has happened in World Anglicanism to bring us to this point?”. Sure, a 6pm start would mean we’d have missed Friday night drinks, but since most attending would be Sydney Anglicans it’s a safe bet their colleagues wouldn’t have missed them too much. Pure-in-heart Matthians probably don’t join in office drinks very often anyway.

As I was unable to attend I asked Mrs. Caliban if she’d like to go along and take notes. But she just looked at me strangely, and asked if I’d forgotten to take my medication this morning.

Then she continued: "You know why they won’t let the bishops explain their reasons for not attending Lambeth for themselves? Because they won’t risk the chance that one of them might accidentally let the truth slip out. The real reason they’re not going is because the powerbrokers who lifted them this far up the food-chain have told them not to. And they've scheduled this meeting at a time which ensures as few people like you as possible can attend and try goading one of the bishops into saying this.”

She’s right, of course. Perhaps that’s why Matthians don’t permit women to speak in church, let alone be ordained as Priests. Women are too good at seeing through the spin.

P.S. I just checked the Anglican Church League’s site; the invitation to the meeting is still up, but the words “Everyone Welcome” have been removed. At least they’re being honest. This time.