A parish church has been torn apart by its priest’s decision to defect to the Roman Catholic Church.
On Wednesday, the 26-strong choir of St James the Great will sing for the congregation as they have always done during Holy Week. But this week they will do so a mile down the road in St Anne’s Roman Catholic church, their new home. Led by Fr Ian Grieves, the priest at St James in Darlington for 23 years, 58 parishioners will formally join the Ordinariate, the body set up by the Pope for disaffected Anglicans. They are not alone: this week across England, 200 Anglican worshippers and 20 clergy will cross over to Rome. Many are frustrated by the Church of England’s move to appoint women bishops.
The majority of Anglicans defecting are concerned they will not be “protected” from the introduction of women bishops through special measures — such as occurred during the 1990s with the introduction of “flying bishops” to provide leadership to parishes that could not accept the Church’s decision to ordain women priests. In February, the General Synod, the Church’s national assembly, rejected special provisions for parishes that would not accept women bishops on theological grounds. Next month, the House of Bishops will consider whether it can add further provisions to the legislation before a final vote this summer. But it will be too late for the parish of St James, where the split has severed many old friendships and caused anguish over the church’s future, as it has in others across England. This week, groups in Croydon, south London; Harlow, Essex; Blackpool and Portsmouth will also join the Ordinariate.