I had intended to write today’s Epistle about the movie Conclave, a fictional exploration of the conclave of cardinals gathering to elect a new pope I found it a fascinating reflection on the nature of vocation in the church, and where that intersects with ambition; and on the flawed nature of all leaders, religious or otherwise. No person is perfect; so how do we decide which sins or limitations are acceptable in a role, and which sins or limitations make someone ineligible to serve?
But yesterday the Archbishop of Canterbury resigned after a report describing his (mis)handling of a significant case of child abuse within the Church of England. Episcopal News Service covers the story here.
Precisely the same issues that were so engrossing in Conclave are at work here. Grievous sin has consequences that reach far beyond the sinner and the one sinned against. A bad decision is compounded by reaffirming that decision over years; and while institutions at their best can bring about radical, wide-reaching change for the sake of Jesus Christ–at their worst they double down on protecting the institution and its leaders.
My heart hurts for the victims in this case, and for all who have suffered abuse in the church and not had their stories be heard, honored, and appropriately responded to.
The selection of the new Archbishop of Canterbury will fall to the Crown Nominations Committee, which makes a recommendation to the monarch, who is ultimately responsible for the decision. You can learn more about who is on the CNC and their process here. This is a vastly different process than how our Presiding Bishop was elected last summer at the General Convention, where the House of Bishops elected from a public slate, and had that election confirmed by the House of Deputies.
It is also a vastly different process than that in Conclave. But similarly: which imperfections, sins, and limitations will still enable the Gospel work and reforms and healing necessary–and which will inhibit it? And how do those in the seats of making decisions see the future of the Church and the mission of Jesus Christ?
