Vesture: the House of Bishops Consultation

“…the truth is this: the canon is already very, very permissive. So when you are amending it from mandatory to occasional, look carefully at what it is you are amending”

… so said the Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu, when the Revd Christopher Hobbs’ Private Members Motion was raised at General Synod in July 2014. However, Mr Hobbs’ proposal was first put down for signature in November 2012 and, although scheduled for consideration in February 2014, was only discussed by Synod in the following June. Whilst the media were quick to repeat misguided perceptions of “dress-down Sundays” and “defrocking priests” associated with the proposal, here, here, and elsewhere, important corollaries relating to aspects of safeguarding and those purporting to be priests have tended to be adumbrated. We summarized these issues in our February 2015 post Clerical attire, officiants and safeguarding.

The Church of England is at present considering two aspects of vesture from different points of view: Continue reading