The new Archbishop of York wore a spectacular cope and mitre. They were based on a picture called The Tree of Life which hung in his private chapel in Birmingham.
Posted on 12/01/2005 11:44:58 AM PST by NYer
The Rt Rev John Sentamu has become the first black archbishop in the Church of England in a York Minster ceremony of ancient ritual and African dancers.
The enthronement ceremony of the 97th Archbishop of York was witnessed by a 3,000-strong congregation.
They saw Dr Sentamu take his oath on a 1,000-year-old Gospel manuscript and a vivid display of costumes, dancing, singing and drumming.
The 56-year-old led the way wearing a brightly-coloured cope and mitre.
Tree of Life
Its design was based on a picture called the Tree of Life which hangs in his private chapel in Birmingham.
Dr Sentamu, who now holds the second highest post in the Church of England, banged on the door of the huge Gothic cathedral with a pastoral staff made from an olive tree grown in Bethlehem before he was allowed to enter.
During Wednesday's service he was presented with a silver pastoral staff symbolizing the pastoral care of the diocese and province.
The staff, known as the Braganza Crozier, has been used in the Minster with little interruption since 1688 and is used by Archbishops when functioning in the cathedral.
The oath is based on a book of the four Gospels, written and decorated by Eadui Basan and other monks of Canterbury in about 1000 and brought to York by Wulfstan, Archbishop from 1003 to 1023.
The Lord Mayor of York led a civic procession through the city before the service began at 1130 GMT.
Bad weather conditions upset royal travel plans for the Duke of Gloucester who had been due to attend the enthronement.
Archbishop Sentamu was educated in Uganda, where he practised as a barrister and was an outspoken critic of Idi Amin's regime, before coming to the UK in 1974.
Celebrate national identity
After his appointment to the post of Archbishop was announced earlier this year, he said he was looking forward to spreading the Christian message.
"It is imperative that the Church regains her vision and confidence in mission, developing ways that will enable the Church of England to reconnect imaginatively with England," he said.
"We just need to reconnect, we just need to revitalise ourselves, we just need a fresh vision."
He has since spoken of his desire to banish homophobia from the Church of England and see the English celebrate their national identity.
"What is it to be English?," he asked. "It is a very serious question. When you ask a lot of people in this country they are very vague.
"Multiculturalism has seemed to imply, wrongly for me, 'Let other cultures be allowed to express themselves but do not let the majority culture at all tell us its glories, its struggles, its joys, its pains'."
Yikes!
Wow!
The new archbishop dances with an African band after his enthronement at York Minister.
Balloons were released outside the Minister as York's new archbishop blesses the city following his enthronement.
or Reverand Ike (on the left):
Oh my goodness. Glad he's not a Catholic Archbishop.
He sounds like a good guy, but this whole inculturation thing is not my thing.
The Lion is on the move.
The Archbishop be Stylin' and Profilin' over in Krakow!
Narnia?
(kidding. The Lion symbolizes the archetypical Christ figure of the gospel of Matthew, from the OT prophetic imagery.)
Tis' better that they celebrate a culture of life rather than a culture of Death as is the current vogue.
Homosexual Agenda Ping.
Who cares what he wears, it's what he says (and does) that's important. And he's said this:
"He has since spoken of his desire to banish homophobia from the Church of England and see the English celebrate their national identity."
Freepmail me and DirtyHarryY2K if you want on/off this pinglist.
Very interesting site. Thank you.
Yes! John Sentamu is a Uganda-born lawyer who fled the regime of Idi Amin. According to Rocco Palmo .......
"A friend who recently wrote Sentamu -- as a couple thousand others did -- to express congratulations just got a personal "thank you" in the mail from the new archbishop."
That speaks volumes! And speaking of volumes .......
Amen to that! If he can turn the Anglican Church around, I won't care if he presides at the high altar wearing a zoot suit!
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