Show Trials [TEC]

Captain Yips Secret Journal ^ | 7/13/2004 | Jack White

[sionnsar]

Brother Drell has been winchelling the rumors that a bunch of them there Californians are preparing an attack on the Diocese of San Joaquin and Bp. Schofield.  Let’s assume that this is no rumor, and that very soon Bps. Bruno, Swing, and Mathes join to present Bp. Schofield, probably on the grounds of preparing to leave TEC.  Let’s go on a wild ride of interpolation and guess work.  Where are we going?

Some assumptions:

• The deep dyed Revolutionaries are in charge of TEC.  It doesn’t matter if they are a numerical majority: they control the decision making apparatus.  The important thing is the Revolution.

• The Revolutionaries are deadly serious about their revolution.  They don’t care about the Anglican Communion or membership in it.  B033 was passed purely to buy time.  They know that TEC probably will soon be bounced from the Communion, and they don’t care much.  For the time being, it’s convenient.  The important thing is the Revolution.

• The Revolutionaries know that they can no longer prevent the establishment of some form of new Anglican province in North America.  They do want to ensure that it’s as crippled and poor as possible.  The important thing is the Revolution.

• The Revolutionaries want to control the rhetoric in the information war to come.  It will be handy to be able to say, “The deposed bishop of Pittsburgh,” or, “Beckwith, deposed as bishop of Springfield,” or “the schismatic bishop of South Carolina.” The important thing is the Revolution.

• The Revolutionaries want to control as much property as possible.  It won’t matter if the congregations have left.  Control of billions of dollars of property will provide an immense war chest.  Real property can be sold, trust funds can flow into diocesan coffers.  The important thing is the Revolution.

• The Revolutionaries don’t care if orthodox Anglicans leave TEC.  The orthodox are considered fuddy-duddy nuisances at best, recalcitrant kulaks at worst.  Liquidation is the obvious solution.  The important thing is the Revolution.

• Lastly, I’m assuming that the Griz’s lawyers have advised him that if a Diocese acts legally within its own canons to secede, TEC would be in a poor position in any suit filed to recover control of the seceded diocese in a secular court.

Building upon these assumptions, what are the goals of a presentment versus Bishop Schofield?  The answer is, I’m guessing, at least two pronged.  First, presentment muddies the water of any litigation to control the property.  If the diocese acts to remove itself from TEC while the presentment is pending, TEC can probably argue that the secession is invalid.  TEC might win.  Second, if TEC succeeds in presenting and deposing before the diocese can act canonically, TEC can install an interim bishop who will quash moves to secede, and begin a very looooong bishop search.  Again, they don’t care if the sheep leave as long as the Party controls the property.  In fact, it’s good if the kulaks leave. 

Lastly, the trial will be a show trial.  The Revolutionaries will hew as closely as possible to the letter of the canons, but they’ll get this trial and the trials to come done quickly.  The recommended sentence will be deposition, and Frank will sign off on it as soon as possible.  They’ll want to keep Jefferts Shori’s hands as clean as possible.  Also, this presentment will be the beginning of a purge. Orthodox priests in revolutionary dioceses will be next, probably.

What would this strategy on TEC’s part mean to orthodox Anglicans?  If it’s successful, it may mean that orthodox Anglicans will not be able to count on retaining any real property at all.  Even if unsuccessful, the strategy seems aimed at sopping up resources of energy, time, and money.  I don’t have a clue at the moment on how to defend this strategy.  Chime in, readers.

If I’m right, it sort of points out that, in the discussion between Radner+ and Kennedy+ at Stand Firm, both are correct.  On the one hand, we do need to think carefully and deeply about how to preserve the Anglican heritage, how to be authentic and recognized parts of the international Anglican Communion, but on the other, we stand on the brink of crisis that may require ad hoc action.

Am I too dire?  We’ll find out next week.  To shift historical imagery a little, I think that the Phony War period is over, and the blitz is about to begin.

[sionnsar]

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[Martin Tell]

I don’t have a clue at the moment on how to defend this strategy. Chime in, readers.

OK. I'll start:

Fly, you fools!

[Mad Dawg]

The one issue for which Bishops and Standing Committees will go to the mat is real estate and endowment.

Rubrics? Pshaw! Canons? Phooey! Doctrine? Don't be ridiculous! But the mazuma, the gelt, the moolah, the folding lettuce? For that they will fight.

I've said it before and I will no doubt say it again: back when I thought the TEC cared about vows qua vows, I called 815 to talk about the lack of support for someone who was pressured (like $1k per day contempt fine) to violate the seal of the confessional. I was told that breaking the at that time freshly passed rubric that the seal was "morally absolute" was "the way we make theology".

Evidently that is not the case when it comes down to money or real estate. That is the one area of doctrine which most bishops and Standing Committees hold sacred and immutable.

Oh, hey, no, I'm not bitter. After all, I wasn't making a whole lot of money as a priest, and my tweeds were getting threadbare.

[torqemada]

This is where the Archbishop of Canterbury & the rest of the Communion Primates could have a profound effect & they need to act SOON! If the ABC & the rest of the Anglican Communion says that TEC has abandoned the Communion & then recognize the Anglican Communion Network & it's partners as the authentic Anglican Church in the U.S., I think it would cause the Denis Canon to be invalid & unenforceable by the civil courts. You see, the Denis Canon says that the dioceses hold the property in trust for the National Church. If TEC is no longer the National Church in the eyes of the rest of the Anglican Communion, neither the TEC nor their diocesans should not be able to lay claim to parish property, assets, or endowments.

Of course, I've been told that I know just enough about the law to get myself into trouble...but I still think there's certainly nothing to lose & everything to gain if the ABC & Primates would only act decisively to toss TEC out on it's ear & recognize some other entity as the provincial See in the U.S.

[LibreOuMort]

May the Lord hear and grant your petition, and that right swiftly. My intercession is for the Bride of Christ to be rescued by Her husband from the clutches of the apostates.