A retired Anglican priest from Australia who has been chosen to lead the Anglican Centre in Rome on an interim basis has sought to rebuff criticism about his beliefs in the resurrection. The former Dean of St George’s Cathedral in Perth, Western Australia, Dr John Shepherd, was appointed as interim director last week following the resignation of Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi.
“Christ is Risen!”, Dr Shepherd said in response to widely reported criticism about his appointment. “There has been speculation in the press and on social media about my views on the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. Part of this is based on a sermon I preached in 2008.
“It is my faith that Jesus rose from the dead and I have never denied the reality of the empty tomb. The risen Christ was not a ghost – he ate and could be touched – but at the same time he appeared in a locked room (John 20. 26) and vanished from sight (Luke 24.31) and he was often not immediately recognised.
“As the Catechism of the Catholic Church states (para 646) ‘In his risen body he passes from the state of death to another life beyond time and space.’ In my Easter sermon in 2010 I said ‘We believe in the resurrection of Jesus after three days, and in this faith we come to know God who raises us from despair to life, day after day.’
“This remains my faith – that Christ is risen indeed.”
The Governors of the Anglican Centre in Rome – the charity’s trustees – will review recent events before seeking a permanent replacement to Archbishop Bernard Ntahoturi, who had been suspended prior to his resignation, following an allegation of sexual misconduct.
It seems to be a meme lately….say things, and then, when there is a furor raised over your heresy, say the opposite. Your Evangelical bishop becomes liberal revisionist and then turns back into evangelical bishop. Your revisionist heretic Australian dean spends decades establishing his revisionist credentials, and then, at the drop of the hat, becomes completely orthodox based upon 2 out of context sentences that might be quotes of something he said 10 years ago.
Hopefully, this should put this to rest!
Well, I’m sold!
Yes, but does this put that to rest?
I might sound like a cynical but I have the impression that he is saying this only to get the job. I have read what he said before about his belief in a non-physical Ressurrection of Jesus. What about the pro-abortion Irish bishop, Michael Burrows? People already forgot him? He seems to be a much worst nomination.
Reading that carefully, he believes that Jesus is Risen, but it sounds like he’s equivocating about the bodily resurrection. Note “The risen Christ was not a ghost – he ate and could be touched – but at the same time he appeared in a locked room (John 20. 26) and vanished from sight (Luke 24.31) and he was often not immediately recognised.”
Now, do we really know how all that worked? Why mention you conclude it wasn’t a bodily resurrection, and not deal with the implications of THAT statement. Is it not possible that Jesus resurrected bodily, but His passing through the walls (or door) of the locked room was it’s own miracle?
So, he’d fit right in with the Church of England these days… “I didn’t say what you said I said when I said what you’re quoting me as having said. When I said what I said I meant what I should have said when I said it. Regarding what I said, you’re taking what I said out of context, I would not have said what you quote me as saying, regardless of what I said.”
And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is part of why the Church of England is in the state it’s in…
Unfortunately, the system only lets me give you one upvote on that.