It’s funny for Catholics to hear of the Queen being the head of the Church of England. But she is. Anglican way of doing things is foreign to my experience and so I am intrigued by what I read and hear about the CofE. She gently reminds the bishops and assembled laity that there are crucial challenges to face and exhorts them to heed Saint Paul. The Queen also dares to mention the recent visit of Pope Benedict to England in that protestant hall. As a point of contrast, read through the following address Her Majesty gave today to her ecclesial body: there’s a distinct difference in content and style between what is said by the Queen and how the Pope would say things. We need to pray that the Queen and her family come home to the bosom of Mother Church.
Your Graces, The
Convocations of Canterbury and York, duly called together in obedience to Our
Royal Writs, are on this day joined together in accordance with the Synodical
Government Measure 1969 and the House of Laity is added to them in accordance
with that Measure, so as to constitute the ninth General Synod of the Church of
England.
Those who serve the Church of England in its public ministry are
required to affirm their loyalty to its inheritance of faith as their
inspiration and guidance under God. They also declare their commitment to
bringing the grace and truth of Christ and making him known to those in their
care.
The opening of a new Synod is a moment when we can all give thanks for
the witness of those who have gone before, and pray for wisdom as you seek to
balance change and continuity in the decisions that lie ahead of you.
Next year
will see two important anniversaries. It will be four hundred years since the
publication of the Authorised Version of the Bible commissioned by King James,
and two hundred years since the foundation of the National Society for
Promoting Religious Education. Both developments had a lasting impact on the
life of the Church and the nation.
The Authorised Version has remained one of the defining elements of our heritage. Similarly the Church of England’s initiative to build new schools at the beginning of the nineteenth century created a momentum which led eventually to Parliament establishing a universal right to education.
In our more diverse and secular society, the place of religion has come to be a matter of lively discussion. It is rightly acknowledged that people of faith have no monopoly of virtue and that the wellbeing and prosperity of the nation depend on the contribution of individuals and groups of all faiths and of none. Yet, as the recent visit of His Holiness The Pope reminded us, churches and the other great faith traditions retain the potential to inspire great enthusiasm, loyalty and a concern for the common good.
The new Synod will have many issues to resolve to ensure that the Church of England remains equipped for the effective pursuit of its mission and ministry. Some will, no doubt, involve difficult, even painful, choices. But Christian history suggests that times of growth and spiritual vigour have often coincided with periods of challenge and testing. What matters is holding firmly to the need to communicate the gospel with joy and conviction in our society.
For at the heart of our faith stand not a preoccupation with our own welfare and comfort but the concepts of service and of sacrifice as shown in the life and teachings of the one who made himself nothing, taking the very form of a servant.
A report to the last Synod concluded with St Paul’s encouragement to the Ephesian church to “lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”
Archbishops and members of the Synod, the five years ahead will not always be straightforward. But I am confident that with the encouragement of these words of St. Paul and the certainty of the love of God, you will find the strength and the vision to work together to succeed. May the Lord’s blessing be on you as you embark on your important deliberations.
An interesting headline from the Guardian of the UK which read: “Anglican church faces ‘piece by piece dissolution’, warns archbishop” … it looks like their identity and ways of acting as Anglicans is coming to an end with the internal disintegration. One could posit that the disintegration has been happening in the Church in England since Henry VIII formed his own church. Rowan Williams tries to keep the whole thing together but it seems that he might not be able to do it much longer.
HUMBLE APPEAL TO ALL CHRISTIANS AND JEWS BROTHERHOOD,IN THE WORLD,
IN THE INTEREST OF PUBLIC UNITY AND PEACE.
It may be remembered that in exercise of powers conferred under Holy Quranic verses 17:16
and 28:59,we are sending the following messages that the Holy Quran and Islamic community
are not false for the following reasons:[English Quranic verses are available in the website
http://www.Quran.com.]
1.under the Holy Quranic verses 43:63and 43:64,Our Jesus said that:
43:63. When Jesus came
With Clear Signs, he said:
“Now have I come
To you with Wisdom,
And in order to make
Clear to you some
Of the (points) on which
Ye dispute: therefore fear God
And obey me.
43:64. “For God, He is my Lord
And your Lord: so worship
Ye Him: this is
A Straight Way.
43:65. But sects from among
Themselves fell into disagreement:
Then woe to the wrong-doers,
From the Penalty
Of a Grievous Day!
43:66. Do they only wait
For the Hour—that it
Should come on them
All of a sudden,
While they perceive not?
2.under the Holy Quranic verse 5:82 it is revealed that:
5:13. But because of their breach
Of their Covenant, We
Cursed them, and made
Their hearts grow hard:
They change the words
From their (right) places
And forget a good part
Of the Message that was
Sent them, nor wilt thou
Cease to find them
Barring a few—ever
Bent on (new) deceits:
But forgive them, and overlook
(Their misdeeds): for God
Loveth those who are kind.
5:14. From those, too, who call
Themselves Christians,
We did take a Covenant,
But they forgot a good part
Of the Message that was
Sent them: so We estranged
Them, with enmity and hatred
Between the one and the other,
To the Day of Judgment.
5:82. Strongest among men in enmity
To the Believers wilt thou
Find the Jews and Pagans;
And nearest among them in love
To the Believers wilt thou
Find those who say,
“We are Christians”:
Because amongst these are
Men devoted to learning
And men who have renounced
The world, and they
Are not arrogant.
3.under the Holy Quranic verses 57:27 and 57:28 it is further revealed that:
57:27. Then, in their wake,
We followed them up
With (others of) Our apostles:
We sent after them
Jesus the son of Mary,
And bestowed on him
The Gospel; and We ordained
In the hearts of those
Who followed him
Compassion and Mercy.
But the Monasticism
Which they invented
For themselves, We did not
Prescribe for them:
(We commanded) only
The seeking for the Good
Pleasure of God; but that
They did not foster
As they should have done.
Yet We bestowed, on those
Among them who believed,
Their (due) reward, but
Many of them are
Rebellious transgressors.
57:28. O ye that believe!
Fear God, and believe
In His Apostle, and He will
Bestow on you a double
Portion of His Mercy:
He will provide for you
A Light by which ye
Shall walk (straight
In your path), and He
Will forgive you (your past):
For God is Oft-Forgiving,
Most Merciful:
4.under the Holy Quranic verse 5:116 what happens at the Day Of Ressurection between
Our Jesus and his followers before Our Almighty is also revealed as:
5:116. And behold! God will say:
“O Jesus the son of Mary!
Didst thou say unto men,
Worship me and my mother
As gods in derogation of God’?”
He will say: “Glory to Thee!
Never could I say
What I had no right
(To say). Had I said
Such a thing, Thou wouldst
Indeed have known it.
Thou knowest what is
In my heart, though I
Know not what is
In Thine. For Thou
Knowest in full
All that is hidden.
5.under the Holy Quranic verse 5:110 it is revealed that:
5:110. When will God say:
“O Jesus the son of Mary!
Recount My favour”‘
To thee and to thy mother.
Behold! I strengthened thee
With the holy spirit,
So that thou didst speak
To the people in childhood
And in maturity.
Behold! I taught thee
The Book and Wisdom,
The Law and the Gospel.
And behold! thou makest
Out of clay, as it were,
The figure of a bird,
By My leave,
And thou breathest into it,
And it becometh a bird
By My leave,
And thou healest those
Born blind, and the lepers,
By My leave.
And behold! thou
Bringest forth the dead
By My leave ego
And behold! I did
Restrain the Children of Israel
From (violence to) thee
When thou didst show them
The Clear Signs,
And the unbelievers among them
Said: ‘This is nothing
But evident magic.
6.under the Holy Quranic verse 2:99 it is revealed that:
2:99. We have sent down to thee
Manifest Signs (ayat);
And none reject them
But those who are perverse.
In view of the aforesaid submissions,it is humbly submitted that if the Holy Quran is
false and was created by Prophet Mohamed,it ought not have revealed various verses in favour
of Christians.But due to non co-operation and failure of due consideration and
interpretation of the entire chapters of the Holy Quran,the two largest populations of the
world are fighting with each other.As a result of it,there is no unity and peace in the
world.
Please check our homepage http://www.goldenduas.com.Please cooperate and advertise to all
public to allow all the communities in the world to visit and download from our website
http://www.goldenduas.com.in the interest of public peace,humanity,jobs,business,security,
health and wealth of mankind in the world and oblige.
WITH KIND REGARDS,
IBRAHIM ALI.