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Last Friday, the statistics unit of the Church of England released an ‘early snapshot’ of attendance figures, based on the returns from the count that happens in churches in October last year. The headline looked promising: Attendance at Church of England churches grew for the fourth year in a row last year, preliminary figures show. Before looking at some of the details, it is worth reflecting on this process of collecting statistics. Some will object to the whole exercise; I have clergy friends who refuse to engage in this at all, since weighing pigs does not make them any heavier. My response is: no, but weighing your pig does tell you whether it is growing fatter or thinner, and might lead you to take action as a result. Others will object to the obsession with numbers, saying that it is people and the gospel that matters. The difficulty with this is that these numbers are people, and counting them tells you about whether the C of E is fulfilling the basic mandate that Jesus gave to all his followers to ‘go and make disciples…’ (Matt 28.19). All through Acts, Luke recounts the work of the Spirit in directing, encouraging, and equipping the apostolic community, and the repeated refrain is that ‘the Lord added…the word grew…’ and so on. And for these reasons, the Archbishops’ Council expresses its goals in terms of numbers as well; it is in one sense legally obliged to do so, since charity trustees must act for the good of the charity based on evidence—and numbers are evidence. We should also note that it is often the historic denominations, the ones most commonly in decline, who have historic central resources to undertake this kind of exercise. The ‘new’ churches don’t have the resources, and are busy doing other more productive things. This leads to a skewed impression in the media, since these new churches never send out press releases, so it is only the decline of the historic denominations which hit the headlines—though we will return to this in a while. The full figures have previously been released in the Autumn, a full year after the numbers were counted, but for the last couple of years the early figures have been released, and these have been found to be representative of the fuller picture. To understand the figures, you need to be aware of the four metrics the Church uses: 1. Average Weekly Attendance (AWA) The average number of people attending all services (not just Sundays) in a typical week. This includes: Sunday services, midweek services, and school services if they’re acts of worship. This is used to reflect total weekly church activity and reach. 2. Average Sunday Attendance (ASA): The average number of people attending church services on Sundays. This includes all Sunday services (morning, evening, and so on) but it excludes midweek services. 3. Usual Sunday Attendance (USA) (less commonly used today): Historically, this was a more informal estimate of how many people usually attended Sunday services. It was often self-reported or estimated, rather than calculated over specific data periods, but it has largely been replaced by ASA for more consistent reporting. 4. Worshipping Community Attendance (WC): The number of individuals (not the weekly average) who attend services regularly, not necessarily every week. It is defined as the number of people who attend at least once a month or are otherwise known to be part of the worshipping life of the church. This reflects the breadth of engagement, not just weekly attendance; it is a controversial figure statistically, but it compensates for the fact that you might have the same number of people attending, but they might attend slightly less frequently. This would show as a decline in the above statistics, even though the same number of people are coming. So what did the figures say? Here are the summary paragraphs from the press release: The overall number of regular worshippers across the Church of England’s congregations grew to 1.02 million in 2024, a rise of 1.2 per cent, according to an early snapshot of the annual Statistics for Mission findings.It was the second year in a row in which the Church of England’s “worshipping community” – the combined number of regular members of local congregations – has stood above a million since the Covid-19 pandemic.The numbers in the pews on a typical Sunday [average Sunday attendance] was up by a further 1.5 per cent to 582,000 in 2024, extending rises over recent years.And overall in-person attendance across the week [average weekly attendance] edged upwards by 1.2 per cent in a year, and stood at just over 701,000 last year, according to the early figures. (Note that the USA is not given here.) The big question here is whether we are continuing to see recovery from the loss of attendance during the Covid lock down and the closure of church buildings, or whether there is a change to the underlying trend. This is best assessed when the numbers are presented graphically, as on the right—which a friend has kindly done for me (thanks Amanda!). The three graphs are plotted on the same scale so that you can compare them. All three graphs confirm the comment in the press release: While the overall figures show that in-person attendance has not fully reached pre-pandemic levels, the figures suggest it is moving closer to the pre-pandemic trend. But of course this ‘pre-pandemic trend’ was one of straight-line decline. So, yet again, overall attendance figures have still not even reached the level we would expect if decline had continued at the rate as before—that is, if all our efforts in investing in church planting and rejuvenation, and having a more urgent focus on mission and evangelism and the making of disciples, had not resulted in any slowing of decline, let alone a reversal to overall growth. That is worth pausing on for a minute to take it in. We have not yet reached the attendance numbers at the expected level of decline. The last graph, WC, looks as though there might be hints of a change in trend. But the other two suggest otherwise; the curve since 2021 is concave, not convex or on a straight line, showing that the year on year ‘recovery’ growth is diminishing, and statistically this is what you would expect if the numbers were drifting back to the previous trend, rather than changing it. So what is going on? There are certainly things happening in different parts of the C of E, but what is leading to this overall picture of what appears to be an underlying trend of continued decline? These are the things that strike me, and which I have gleaned from various conversations in the last week. The first is that, with current levels of migration, the country’s population is growing but about 1% a year—so you need to knock that off these statistics to get a real sense of actual growth. Many migrants are coming from areas where Christianity is the norm, and some areas of the country, especially those with cheap and poor housing, will feel the benefit. One clergy friend, in a poor area in the north of the country, told me: ‘our own congregation had 5 or 6 GMH in 2019 and now has c. 80!’ Some anecdotal research suggests that Covid accelerated decline in church attendance particularly in white British communities, especially in the north, but that ethnically mixed areas, cities, and places in and close to London have been more resilient. Many parishes are struggling to recruit incumbents, or are appointing candidates who are not up to the job, and whom they would not have appointed if there were a choice. Another friend reported hearing a suffragan bishop commenting about how few people were applying for posts and how the bishop had to work hard to persuade some parishes to accept a candidate who, in better times, they would never have considered. The mix of longer vacancies and fewer effective incumbents means decline; as I reported seven years ago (!) research by the Church House team demonstrates that having stipendiary ministers who are competent and intentional about growth is the single biggest factor in whether a church grows or not. The real challenge here is that the collapse in the number coming forward for ordination training means that this lack of leadership will be felt for years to come—and the effect is probably only just beginning to bite. Perhaps those seeing the importance of lay leadership in church planting were not so foolish after all? Within the Church, there is a huge differential in where growth and decline is happening. I know of many Anglican churches which are growing, planting, and grafting into existing churches or buildings. At our clergy chapter yesterday, many had tales of seeing people coming for baptism, both children and adults, where numbers had previously been low. And yet in other contexts there is decline and even collapse. I heard this week of a challenging rural context, where a good appointment was made for incumbent a few years ago, but this person has now left—the job of juggling a multi-parish benefice with too many buildings and little vision for growth, and with an elderly age profile, was too much. And it will be very difficult to make another appointment. The age demographic alone in many rural areas, where church attendance has historically been disproportionately high, means that many Anglican churches will simply disappear in the next decade. This will keep a downward pressure on the overall figures—but also means that there is a radical change in the configuration of the Church of England, shifting it from being more rural and ‘middle of the road’ with large liberal elements, to being more urban and suburban, and more evangelical, charismatic, and ‘orthodox catholic’. And if you want to see the variability across the country as a result of different diocesan leadership, just compare Southwell and Nottingham, where I am, with Canterbury. Last year, the numbers of children attending in this diocese had returned to 2019 pre-Covid numbers. In Canterbury, the numbers are 50% of what they were. But here is the big puzzle posed by context: what about the ‘quiet revival’ and its impact in the Church of England? Why are we seeing continued decline, when there is credible news of people, especially young people, coming to faith or expressing interest and curiosity? Some Church of England churches are certainly experiencing this—but many are not. The headlines of the C of E continue to put people off; let me give you some examples. For some reason, while we are still waiting for the serious theological work to be done, the LLF process (looking at questions of marriage and sexuality, in case you’ve been living on Mars for the last few years) still continues on, despite having lost its key staff member in Church House. A ‘consultation’ is happening in dioceses, though it is not clear what this will achieve, and the early feedback is that it feels shambolic. And, bizarrely, the Business Committee has included in the July Synod agenda a Private Members Motion asking for the House of Bishops to remove any requirement of clergy to uphold the Church’s doctrine of marriage in their own lives—despite the fact that theological work is being done on this very questions over the summer, and that it will report to Synod next February. Christopher Landau explains, in a Twitter thread, why this is so important with his customary clarity: Why would clergy entering into same-sex marriages risk splitting the church, in a way that clergy entering civil partnerships has not?First, we need to appreciate one reason why the compromise of the last twenty years or so has (imperfectly) endured. The tendency of ‘conservatives’ to assume that all clergy are living within the stated discipline of the church is (I think) a key, overlooked factor.Ever since the House of Bishops concluded that civil partnerships were not inherently contradictory to church teaching, and thus clergy were permitted to enter them, two increasingly divergent responses have emerged.One group continues to teach the traditional teaching of the church, and I would suggest has continued to work alongside openly gay colleagues on the assumption that there is a shared, ongoing commitment to this teaching.Another group has tended to downplay the church’s continuing teaching on sexual ethics, has quietly ignored it, or has campaigned for that teaching to change – even though many such clergy entered training having assented to ‘Issues in Human Sexuality’.Given the stance in ‘Issues’, it was hardly disingenuous for ‘conservative’ clergy to assume that all clergy were – to paraphrase the ordination service – fashioning their own life and that of their household ‘according to the way of Christ’.Serving clergy entering same sex marriages (as the Jeremy Pemberton employment tribunal case proved, even as far as the Court of Appeal) would indicate a fundamental change to the church’s own understanding of its legitimate discipline.Whatever one’s view, it is surely difficult to describe this as a minor change, or merely something that requires (as ‘Together for the CofE’ has suggested) a ‘pastoral response’.There needs to be a depth of honesty: changing this aspect of clergy discipline would be indicative of a change in conviction about the nature of marriage. Otherwise the Pemberton ruling makes no sense.And to change the current stated teaching on marriage would have implications for everyone, and their deeply personal decisions about what it means faithfully to live out their Christian call – not least in a culture profoundly confused about sex.We are in danger of seeking to change pastoral practice for some clergy, without first having changed the teaching (or doctrine) that logically informs such practice. Not for the first time, I am praying for theological coherence! Secondly, some insist on pressing issues around ethnicity by deploying ideas from critical race theory and ‘racist anti-racism’, and making claims about the legacy of slavery and reparations which do not stand up to scrutiny. So we are appointing ‘racial justice officers’ in dioceses where there is no evidence of there being an issue with racial justice, and make appointments which have been shown not simply to be ineffective but to actually make the problems worse. It is claims that the £100m being set aside for Project Spire (on reparations) is not depriving parishes of badly needed resources—when it obviously is, since this is money that cannot be drawn on. And the whole Project is clearly outwith the Church Commissioners’ charitable aims. These approaches are deeply divisive and demotivating. Thirdly, we still have senior leaders in the Church saying things in public which are just so unhelpful to church growth and mission. This is the comment by a cathedral dean on Facebook this week: Dear Friends, I have been reflecting on my faith, ministry and life and want to say unapologetically, that I am an inclusive, liberal, progressive, liberationist (read justice, inclusion, Liberation Theologian/priest). Jesus is my model and total inspiration. Feel free to call me woke if you wish. I seek to build bridges with all traditions and communities who seek equality, justice, peace and the flourishing of all people. I would not claim there are no virtues expressed here. There is plenty of support for questions of justice and peace in Scripture. But it is interesting that this person sees Jesus as ‘model and inspiration’ rather than ‘Lord and saviour’. The gospel expressed in these terms looks, to many people, like a humanist, political, and left-liberal project. There is an interesting question to be debated about whether the teaching of Jesus is compatible with such an approach. But we need to note that there are no signs whatever that ‘inclusive progressive’ churches are part of this ‘quiet revival.’ As I explored with Dr Rhiannon McAleer in our discussion, the churches which are growing are those which offer a sense of experiential encounter with God—and those which offer (in David Goodhew’s words) ‘full fat faith’ which is distinctive and counter cultural, and not merely replicating a political position that people can find elsewhere. God is doing something in our country. People, especially young people, are being stirred up to ask questions about faith. But the Church of England, through the foolishness of its leadership, appears to be doing its best to sidestep this by continuing to press divisive and demotivating issues. Something needs to change.

By Anugrah Kumar, Christian Post Contributor  CHRISTIAN POST May 20, 2025 A female bishop may become the first woman to hold the position of archbishop of Canterbury in the Church of England, according to odds posted by British betting firms.  Guli Francis-Dehqani, bishop of Chelmsford, has emerged as the leading candidate to become the next archbishop of Canterbury. British betting firms have placed her as the early favorite to succeed the Rev. Justin Welby, who stepped down in January. Francis-Dehqani's odds were placed at evens and 2 to 1 by the firms Ladbrokes and Star Sports, according to The Telegraph. If selected, she would become the 106th archbishop of Canterbury and the first woman to hold the office. Her rise comes at a time of growing visibility for female bishops, a change enabled only in 2014 when the Church of England altered its laws to allow their appointment. According to numbers released last year by the Church of England General Synod, women comprise around 30% of bishops in the denomination. The nomination process is handled by the Canterbury Crown Nominations Commission, which will be chaired by Lord Evans of Weardale, the former director general of MI5. The commission's first meeting will occur later this month, with at least two more in July and September. A nomination requires support from two-thirds of voting members in a secret ballot, with a formal nomination for Welby's successor expected by autumn. Last November, Welby announced his decision to step down in the wake of criticism over the Church's handling of an abuse scandal involving barrister and Christian camp leader John Smyth. Francis-Dehqani, 58, was born in Iran and fled the country with her family following the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Her brother, Bahram, was shot dead in 1980. Her father, then the Anglican bishop in Iran, survived an attempt on his life, as had her mother, who was the daughter of another bishop. The family settled in the United Kingdom, where her father served as a bishop in exile, according to The Times. She later studied at Nottingham and Bristol universities, was ordained in 1999, and became bishop of Loughborough in 2017 before moving to Chelmsford in 2021. Michael Beasley, bishop of Bath and Wells, and Thabo Makgoba, archbishop of Cape Town, are also considered strong candidates. Star Sports has listed Makgoba, the most senior Anglican bishop in South Africa, at 25 to 1. Francis-Dehqani has drawn attention for her criticism of immigration policy in the U.K.  Last week, she responded to Prime Minister Keir Starmer's comment that Britain was becoming an "island of strangers," saying that immigrants "are not 'strangers' but friends who fully participate and contribute as we worship, serve, and live life together."  "Political leaders must acknowledge that words matter because they influence how people perceive and treat vulnerable people. It can never be acceptable to dehumanize migrants as if they are not deserving of dignity, compassion, and rights," she added.  Betting firms caution that early favorites have not always secured the role. When former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey retired in 2002, Michael Nazir-Ali was thought to be the likely successor. But the role ultimately went to Rowan Williams. Likewise, in 2012, John Sentamu and Christopher Cocksworth were seen as front-runners before Justin Welby was appointed, despite not being on most early lists.

COMMENTARY By David W. Virtue, DD www.virtueonline.org May 19, 2025  AS The Episcopal Church sinks slowly into the sunset, attempts to spin its future grow quantifiably by the week. Hope springs eternal in the progressive breast even as church doctors and journalists declare the patient dead and the undertakers are at the door waiting to remove the body.   Such is the recent pronouncement by Kevin Martin in a piece Revisioning the Church in a Post-Progressive Society, in the latest issue of The Living Church. “We are living in a time of monumental change, both politically and          culturally, in North America. This can be an opportunity for the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada to rethink our mission to and role within our respective contexts,” he writes.   Describing himself as a priest educated primarily in classical liberalism, a social moderate, but a Prayer Book Catholic steeped in the creedal faith of traditional Anglicanism, Martin, who has served 50 years in ministry acknowledges that progressives have had a major effect on our society and especially the Episcopal Church. “The latest information from the Pew Research Center points out that the progressive left is a very small portion of the electorate and is predominantly white and wealthy. The Episcopal Church maps onto this demographic; we are 85 percent white, and our main diversity is gender identity. The best way to describe progressives in both our society and in the church is that they are influencers.”   Progressivism and the Episcopal Church   “If progressivism, as a political and social ideology, has been set back in government, it has not been set back in the Episcopal Church. Progressives hold almost all offices of our denomination and continue to be advocates for the justice mandates they uphold. I believe Progressives will remain a significant voice in the Episcopal Church because they are supported by Boomers and GenX who are now in their 50s to 70s and still remain active leaders. Why not?” Martin says he does not identify as a progressive, but readily admits that progressives and their concerns for the justice mandate of Scripture have made contributions to Anglicanism. I believe the recent statement from the House of Bishops about immigration is important and fits with many scriptural statements and Jesus’ concerns for the vulnerable among us. It is appropriate, biblical, and consistent with much of the church’s mission. We are at a significant moment, he says. He talks of decline in numbers, loss of influence and a need for reassessment. “Because of our decline in numbers and loss of influence in our society, our church has already, before the election, begun a reassessment of our life. This is simply repeating what our new Presiding Bishop has said. Bishop Sean Rowe was elected on the first ballot of the House of Bishops and has a very clear mandate to carry out this reassessment of past assumptions and which was called for in two previous General Conventions.”   Martin called for a “big tent vision,” and cited the Protestant Reformation; The Welsh and English evangelicalism of Wesley and Whitefield with its adjunct social consciousness represented by Wilberforce; The rediscovery of patristic faith and Catholic order led by the Oxford Movement; The ecumenical Social Gospel Movement; The post-World War II Ecumenical Movement; The Pentecostal/Charismatic Movement of the 1970s and 80s; The Civil Rights movement that was supported by many of our courageous leaders, such as Presiding Bishop John Hines and the Progressive/social justice of recent decades.   “This Big Tent image is consistent with worldwide Anglicanism which incorporates many of these. We are not a win/lose community,” he says.   Nowhere does Martin mention the horrible mess homosexuality and the passage of a gay marriage resolution into canon law has done to TEC, or the birth of the Anglican Church in North America which came out of that horrific decision to ordain a practicing homosexual to the episcopate.  Not a word. Nothing about all the bishops and hundreds of priests who fled TEC and lost their parishes and pensions over this unbiblical decision. Martin remained in the safe and secure mostly evangelical Diocese of Dallas which stayed in TEC. (Is the diocese evangelical anymore?)   TEC is in a win/lose community. TEC lost. While recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury, it is not recognized by the vast majority of the Anglican Communion – at least 80 percent. TEC and the Global North is dying while the Global South is rising.   Martin says the church has two paths before it. The first option and the dominant voice right now is to “join the resistance,” double down specifically on our DEI commitments, and remain a small, declining community that has lost much of its influence.      “The second option is a re-centering of our mission and our self-narrative. We can recapture the wider voices of Anglicanism, especially those of the Global South. Anglican Churches of the Southern Hemisphere are mostly fast-growing communities that appeal to a much wider demographics of their various countries. How might we speak to the growing diverse communities of our country in our context?”   One wonders if Martin has read the 1998 Lambeth Conference Report or the Jerusalem Declaration (2008) or the GSFA communique issued at the 2024 First Assembly meeting in Cairo which railed against the division caused by those Provinces of the Communion which have departed from the historic faith. The Assembly took an historic step forward to strengthen faithful Anglican unity and witness.   Does Martin know that the GAFCON archbishops and bishops have already severed ties with Canterbury and the GSFA bishops no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as primus inter pares.   The GAFCON movement as a fellowship of confessing Anglicans said the communion was now torn asunder, and they published the Jerusalem Declaration as the basis of the fellowship to counter the moral evil that had invaded the communion. Martin has completely glossed over the “tear” in the communion. In the eyes of the orthodox and majority Anglican Communion TEC no longer exists.   The real issue is that the Episcopal Church has completely lost the plot over gospel proclamation in favor of a bucket load of woke issues that don’t touch souls or save lives. It is doubtful that a single Episcopal priest could defend or preach justification by faith alone in the finished work of Christ at the cross. Failing that you have kissed your church goodnight and all the money in the Church Pension Fund won’t keep the church going or save it.   Furthermore, no one really cares what other people think about TEC and the positions it holds. Do you think Trump or his MAGA followers give a fig about TEC’s General Convention views on sodomy or gay marriage?   Another path for the church is to reach out to the MAGA types with a message that just as they changed the culture, they can change the church.     The first path maintains our isolation and refusal to engage our wider community for the sake of the Gospel proclamation, says Martin. What gospel proclamation? There hasn’t been “gospel proclamation” since before Presiding Bishop John E. Hines died, the last theologically conservative PB who opined; “I have loved the Church more than I have loved the Lord of the Church.”   Martin wants a “revisioning” of TEC that includes the Global South, but the Global South bishops have already blown off TEC and the CofE and they won’t listen any more to what TEC thinks, says or preaches. They are history.   Marriage is not written in stone and all homosexuals will eventually die along with their lesbian cohorts. And if they resuscitate a dying church, they can reap the benefits or if not, at least share in the spoils of its liquidation.   Martin is living in a delusionary world; a world of ecclesiastical make belief; his revisioning of TEC is the stuff of fiction and a B grade movie.   The apostle Paul wrote; “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!” Gal. 1:8-9 (NIV)   TEC has been under a curse (the judgement of God) for at least 40 years, perhaps longer, and death by a thousand cuts will be its epitaph.   END

BabylonBee.com May 15, 2025   NEW YORK, NY — According to sources, a group of Episcopalian parishioners has found a strange old book hidden underneath one of their church's pews.   The book, labeled "Holy Bible" on the front of it, was apparently unknown and completely foreign to everyone at the church, leaving leaders in fear that the church may have been infiltrated by right-wing religious extremists.   "It contained strange text and verses we had never seen before," said Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe. "Just a cursory glance through this ‘Bible' was troubling. It appears to speak of an almighty deity none of us are familiar with in any way. This seems like it would be the sacred text for fringe, right-wing people who adhere to a dangerous set of fundamental values. We've launched a full investigation into how this ‘Bible' could have been brought into our church so we can prevent it from ever happening again."   The congregant who discovered the book was still shaken up over the incident hours later. "I've heard things about this book," said parishioner Lawrence Daly. "Terrifying things. People who read and believe the things in this book believe in a ‘God' who will someday hold unrepentant people accountable for something called ‘sin' and… and… I'm sorry, I can't talk about it. I knew I had to notify the church leaders about it. An Episcopal church is the last place for a book like this."   At publishing time, sources close to the Episcopal Church said an investigation was underway to determine the identity of the book's owner and root out any hint of Christianity from its congregation.

Over the weekend I stumbled across a posting on Calvin Robinson's Facebook    Yes, Calvin. The source of the “misinformation” was from your own Facebook        By Mary Ann Mueller  VOL Special Correspondent  www.virtueonline.org  May 19, 2025      Calvin: You had posted the two communiques from Reformed Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton on Facebook concerning your shifting status with the REC. First, the issuance of License to Service in Word and Sacrament, dated May 5, 2025; and then the Removal of License to Serve in Word and Sacrament, dated May 14.   At which you commented: “But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. (Matthew 5:36) …   “But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea, and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.” (James 5:12)   I simply followed the comments below. And in so doing I found what was obsessively a certificate incardinating you into the Diocese of Florida from Archbishop Nectarios of the Old Dominion Eparchy, and giving you priestly facilities to represent the Orthodox, baptize, celebrate Mass, anoint the sick, marry and bury. There was also a screenshot of the certificate.   I had no need to doubt. The signed and dated “certificate” was posted on YOUR Facebook. YOU HAVE TOTAL CONTROL over your Facebook posts and comments and you a keep close enough eye on comments that you would immediately delete anything which would be deemed as false or questionable.   Nothing was deleted. The last time I checked, a few minutes ago, Steve Victory's posting still wasn't deleted. It still might not be by the time this is posted on Virtue Online.   I was simply reporting on what was found on your own Facebook, no one else's.   It didn't seem as anything unusual considering your history in denominational border crossings – the Church of England, the Free Church of England, the Nordic Catholic Church, the Anglican Catholic Church, and the Reformed Episcopal Church with ties to the Anglican Church in North America. It was perfectly logical to me that a jump into Anglican Orthodoxy would not be all that great a leap.   I also reported: “The next question is who exactly is Bishop Nectarios Victory who granted a Certificate of Incardination to Calvin Robinson? He turns out to be Steve Victory, who identifies himself as the senior pastor at Epiphany Celebration Anglican Church in Eustis, Florida.   However, his credentials seem to be on shaky ground because in February of this year the Orthodox Anglican Church announced the “Removal of Priestly Faculties of Fr. Steve Victory.”   I'm glad Presiding Bishop Joshua A Arena-Gilliam of the Anglican Orthodox Church in North America fleshed out Victory's status: “My response to the article as the Archbishop of the Orthodox Anglican Church:    “In light of the recent publication of this article, I believe it is important to offer clarification on several points.   “The former OAC priest, Steve Victory—now identifying as Bishop Nestarios Victory—had all ministerial faculties removed on May 1, 2025 by the Bishop Ordinary of the Orthodox Anglican Church following a thorough investigation into conduct deemed incompatible with the Gospel and the sacred responsibilities of the priesthood.   “Although he is still listed as the representative for the Orthodox Anglican Church with the Department of Defense for the Armed Forces Chaplains Board, the necessary steps are already underway to appoint a new individual to that role.   “Furthermore, Mr. Victory is not authorized to function in any capacity on behalf of Epiphany Celebration Anglican Church in Eustis, Florida. The spiritual care and oversight of the faithful Orthodox Anglicans in that parish are presently being provided by Father William Barr   “Faithfully, ++ J. A. Arena-Gilliam”    I am sorry Calvin that VirtueOnline generated a false story through me. It was not done intentionally, but the information came from your Facebook.   I do pray for you and hope that you will be able to find an Altar and Pulpit to your suiting soon and that you will be able to settle in for a very long time.   Fr. Richard Bowyer was at St. Paul's for 28 fruitful years before you came along.   But you have to realize you are a lightning rod! You keep a high profile and draw controversy. You seem to relish it.   “As Warren Cole Smith at Ministry Watch comments: “The Anglican Church in North America needs someone with Calvin Robinson’s gifts. And Robinson needs a mentor. He needs accountability and structure. He needs to show up in a pulpit every Sunday morning to preach to people he knows, and who know him, not to thousands of people he doesn’t know at a conference that hired him for the spectacle he might create.”   I pray you can take his words to heart and learn from them.     Prayerfully yours in Christ, Mary Ann Mueller        Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.

PRESS RELEASE   Ambridge, PA 5/14/25     Trinity Anglican Seminary announced the official opening of The Trophimus Center in Ambridge, PA with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 15, 2025 at 4 p.m. and a dedication and consecration service on May 16, 2025 at 6:30 p.m.   The space serves as a place for Trinity students to engage in liturgical formation, hosts classrooms and events, and invites the local community to participate in worship. It also supports the wider Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and other mission partners as a keystone institution for leadership conferences.   The Rev. Cn. Dr. Bryan Hollon, Dean and President, said, “The Trophimus Center’s opening is a major advance in Trinity Anglican Seminary's mission to be a global center for Christian formation in the Anglican tradition. With its beautifully restored worship and meeting spaces, the Center equips our students in the beauty of Anglican liturgy while providing our community and the entire Province a central gathering place for learning, worship, and fellowship.   This incredible facility will enable Trinity to form leaders steeped in our rich tradition and better equip the churches we serve to offer the gospel's beauty, depth, and truth to a world desperately seeking all three." To meet the need for a larger event venue and more flexible worship space, The Trophimus Center was purchased in 2019 by a generous donor on behalf of Trinity Anglican Seminary.   The Center accommodates up to 300 guests and provides a majestic setting for preaching, worship, and hands-on liturgical training. It is equipped with modern audio-visual technology suited to Anglican liturgy and includes adaptable classroom and conference spaces for Trinity and its mission partners.   The space which formerly housed the United Presbyterian Church, has been completely renovated and restored. New features include a bowl for the baptismal font which is custom made of stone from the ancient city of Ephesus, the home of Trophimus—the namesake of the center. Also featured are an elevated pulpit, large restored Tiffany-inspired stained-glass windows, a domed ceiling, and soon a restored 1926 pipe organ.   For more information about Trinity Anglican Seminary, visit tas.edu About Trinity Anglican Seminary Trinity Anglican Seminary is to be a global center for Christian formation in the evangelical Anglican tradition, producing outstanding leaders who can plant, renew, and grow churches that make disciples of Jesus Christ. For more information, visit tas.edu Media Contact: Christina Thornburg Associate Director of Media Relations christina.thornburg@tas.edu Work: 724.385.8026 Cell: 724.494.0913 tas.edu

Calvin Robinson too hot to handle is booted from the Reformed Episcopal Church  By Mary Ann Mueller  VOL Special Correspondent  www.virtueonline.org   May 15, 2025      Well, it didn't take long for the Rev. Calvin Robinson to be “cancelled” again. A mere ten days. He is quickly running out of options.    On May 5 Reformed Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton (XVII REC) graciously offered personal episcopal oversight to Robinson so that he could provide sacramental care to his church St. Paul's Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The congregation voted on May 4 to leave the Anglican Catholic Church – property intact – and temporarily landed under Bishop Sutton's episcopal covering until they can find permanent ecclesial mooring.   Since Robinson has been serving that church as priest under the Anglican Catholic Church, on May 5 Bishop Sutton also granted him faculties – the licensure to preach and provide Sacramental care – for a period of one calendar year “unless revoked by me or my successor.”   Well, Bishop Sutton has revoked Robinson's licensure. With Robinson being notified of the action via email.   “After much prayer and counsel from fellow bishops, who have not required me to revoke licensure, I have decided I must withdraw it effective this day,” Bishop Sutton said in a May 14 email notifying Robinson of his change of status.   Robinson is to receive official documentation of Bishop Sutton's decision through the mail.   “Thank you for your kind and obedient service in the short time you've been under my licensure,” Bishop Sutton continued. “I wish you every best in the service of our Lord.”   Surprisingly Fr. Calvin, as Bishop Sutton calls him, accepted this latest twist in stride.    “It is done,” he posted on Facebook. “Bp. Ray Sutton is a good man. One of the best Anglican bishops I know. If even he can't find a place for me, even temporarily, perhaps God is sending me a message.”   Usually, Robinson excoriates his bishop when he is shown the door. This time he is keeping his tongue.   However, it was Bishop Sutton who ran into a firestorm over shepherding Robinson.     The Reformed Episcopal Church is a founding member of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA) and Robinson's even temporary connection with REC was just too close for comfort for Archbishop Steve Wood (III ACNA) who openly voiced his disdain.   “I am concerned to have the Anglican Church of North America affiliated with a leader whose public comments and persona consistently fail to exhibit the love and grace of Jesus Christ,” he explained on May 12 in an ACNA news release. “I have concerns about Rev. Robinson’s ability to uphold the full commitments of our Anglican tradition, and his ability to model the Christ-like virtues of peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, and love, I know all of our permanent licensed clergy abide by in the daily exercise of their priestly duties. I do not do not personally believe the Rev. Robinson is a good representative of the Anglican Church in North America.”   Fr. Calvin Robinson – who is increasingly becoming a church hopping problematic “Anglican” priest who even now, within a space of two weeks, has broken the very loose ties he had with the Reformed Episcopal Church.   But he has mastered the art of “playing priest.” He's all over the board. His priestly ordination came through the Nordic Catholic Church which is an Old Catholic Church body of high church LUTHERAN patrimony, that is based in Norway. The Old Catholic tradition developed as a response to the actions of Vatican I.   The Living Church reports that Robinson was re-ordained deacon by the Nordic Catholic Church in order to be ordained priest because the NCC did not recognize the validity of Robinson's ordination to the transitional diaconate through the Free Church of England.   After his priestly ordination he quickly connected with the Anglican Catholic Church, which is a part of the ANGLICAN Continuum that grew out of the 1977 Congress of St. Louis. He was seeking an altar – any altar and attached pulpit. He seeks ecclesial legitimacy and fraternal acceptance, but he shows little denominational loyalty.    Calvin Robinson is an Englishman who received his sacerdotal ordination through a Norwegian bishop. Robinson now lives in the United States and is known to travel the world. His American visa was recently yanked when he was in Israel and he had to travel to the land of his birth to have the American visa reissued so he could return to his new home in Michigan.   He also frequently hobnobs with conservative traditional ROMAN CATHOLICS who embrace the Tridentine Latin Mass and who ran a fowl of the late Pope Francis.   Now Robinson is himself apparently celebrating the Tridentine Latin Mass, which is no small feat since he has had to spend long hours learning Latin and all the very specific movements that the Traditional Latin Mass entails.   Robinson’s Latin Mass caught the eye of Jeff Walton of Juicy Ecumenism who is quick to point out that with Robinson celebrating Mass in Latin he has chucked Article 24 of the Thirty-Nine Articles. The Articles of Religion are one of the Anglican Formularies.   Walton writes on Juicy Ecumenism: “Robinson continues to make unexpected theological bedfellows, celebrating a Latin mass soon after his licensure by the REC, a jurisdiction that upholds the 39 Articles of Religion, including Article 24 that states ‘public Prayer in the Church, or to minister the Sacraments, in a tongue not understanded of the people’ is ‘a thing plainly repugnant to the Word of God.’”   Robinson is now left licking his wounds. Where does he go from here?    If Robinson is dipping his toe in the Tiber, he could never swim the Tiber with his priesthood intact. He is dragging too much denominational baggage behind him: too many cancellations, too many broken denominational ties, too many public conflicts with bishops, too many foolish actions – behavior unbecoming a priest.      Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.

By Obianuju Mbah CHRISTIAN TODAY May 11, 20254   Evangelical leader John Stevens has welcomed new findings from the Bible Society’s Quiet Revival report, saying the data should embolden Christians in the UK and give renewed confidence in the Gospel.   The report, based on a study of 13,000 people by YouGov for the Bible Society, challenges the long-held assumption that churchgoing in the UK is in terminal decline.   It found that church attendance among adults has in fact risen from 8% to 12% in the last six years —an increase of over 2 million people.   Most strikingly, attendance among 18 to 24-year-olds has quadrupled, from 4% to 16%, with young men seeing the largest rise, from 4% to a remarkable 21%.   In a new post on the website of the Fellowship of Independent Evangelical Churches, Stevens noted that these changes reflect a deeper spiritual longing: “Young people say they are more spiritual … those who attend church report higher life satisfaction and connection to their communities.   “Secular liberalism has not delivered the happiness and freedom that it promised, with ever-increasing loneliness and mental health issues.   "Young people bear the impossible burden of having to define their own identity, and young men are tired of the relentless castigating of so-called ‘toxic masculinity’.   "Some of the same pressures that have led to a rise in populist policies and alt-right influencers are causing people to turn to church for answers to their pain and frustration.”   This longing has sparked interest not just in evangelical churches but also in Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy.   Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy are attracting those drawn to tradition and transcendence, while Bible-teaching evangelical churches are welcoming seekers with a clear message and community rooted in Scripture.   “The lesson is that people want substance not superficiality,” said Stevens, who is national director of the FIEC.   The Chief Executive of the Bible Society, Paul Williams, said the findings of their study were “highly significant" and should “transform the perception of Christianity and churchgoing in England and Wales”.   “Far from being on a slippery slope to extinction, the Church is alive and growing and making a positive difference to individuals and society," he said.   A co-author of the report, Dr Rhiannon McAleer, added, “These are striking findings that completely reverse the widely held assumption that the Church is dying.   "While some traditional denominations continue to face decline, broad-based growth—especially in Catholic and Pentecostal churches—is painting a very different picture.”   Indeed, the denominational landscape is shifting.   Catholics now make up 31% of UK churchgoers, up from 23% in 2018, and Pentecostals have grown from 4% to 10%.   Meanwhile, the proportion of Anglicans has decreased from 41% to 34%.   Across the Atlantic, similar trends are emerging.   The State of the Bible: USA 2025 report by the American Bible Society found a significant increase in Scripture engagement, particularly among men and younger generations.   In the US, 41% of adults now read the Bible at least three times a year outside of church, up from 38% the year before.   Among Gen Z, Scripture engagement jumped from 11% to 15%, and among millennials, from 12% to 17%.   Notably, Bible use among men grew by 19%, closing a long-standing gender gap.   While the findings are encouraging, Stevens sounded a note of caution as migration has contributed significantly to the church growth in the UK while the UK population itself has grown by nearly 2 million since 2018, highlighting the urgent need of “re-evangelising the indigenous population”.   Furthermore, he cautioned, “We need to bear in mind that churchgoing is not the same as genuine Christian faith, and a rise in cultural Christianity, even if expressed more actively, is not the same as a revival.”   Nonetheless, he believes the data points to a spiritual shift: “There does seem to be a new move of God in Britain and a greater openness and response amongst young people, especially men.   “We can often make evangelism and church growth far more complex than it really is and forget that it is the work of the sovereign Spirit.”   After praising the Bible Society for its investment in the report, Steven concluded with a challenge to pray for a shift from a 'quiet revival' to a "mighty revival".   “These signs of new evangelical life in the UK are an encouragement for us to have confidence in the Gospel and to persevere in Gospel ministry," he said.

ANGLICAN WATCH May 13, 2025   The two Pennsylvania dioceses that previously shared Bishop Sean Rowe as part of a partnership agreement voted on May 3 to end their six-year collaborative effort. The announcement spells bad news for both dioceses. It reflects an unwillingness to face the reality that both dioceses are facing an existential crisis that will only get worse with time.   Soon after Sean Rowe was elected presiding bishop, the Dioceses of Northwestern PA and Western New York launched a study to assess the possibility of electing a new shared bishop. While the study identified some positive outcomes of the partnership between the two dioceses, it also found numerous challenges, including a lack of clarity over resource allocation, cultural differences, a yearning for the past, and lingering suspicion and mistrust.   Soon after, the dioceses voted overwhelmingly to end their partnership and pursue separate bishops.   Numerous challenges confront both dioceses.   Both dioceses have historically been small, and membership has plummeted in recent years. Indeed, the two dioceses had a collective 2023 average Sunday attendance (ASA) of 2,665, making them together roughly 60 percent the size of the average Episcopal diocese. You can read more here: https://www.anglicanwatch.com/decision-by-pennsylvania-dioceses-to-have-separate-bishops-underscores-episcopal-unwillingness-to-accept-reality/

He's sort of landed in ACNA through the Reformed Episcopal Church  By Mary Ann Mueller  VOL Special Correspondent  www.virtueonline.org   May 13, 2025      Well, the Rev. Calvin Robinson is on the move — again. This time he's resting (temporarily?) in the Reformed Episcopal Church which is a foundational partner of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA).    In a YouTube video posted on Monday (May 12) on the Lotus Eaters channel Robinson announced that on Sunday (May 4) St. Paul's Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan – the congregation he has been pastoring – had disaffiliated with the Anglican Catholic Church (ACC) and “landed” in REC for the time being accepting “temporary episcopal oversight” so the small parish has “time to think where they want to be long term.”    Robinson immediately followed the Michigan congregation into REC, turning in his resignation to the ACC on Monday (May 5) and receiving “a license from the denomination and the jurisdiction the church has entered.”    In his YouTube announcement Robinson was careful not to identify the “denomination and the jurisdiction” as the Reformed Episcopal Church.   St. Paul's posted this notice on its webpage: “On Sunday, May 4, 2025 the parish voted to remove itself from The Anglican Catholic Church. It is currently seeking another church body with which to affiliate. We will post updates to this website, Facebook page, and "X" as they occur.”   But it isn't until checking the comments on its Facebook page that it is learned St. Paul's has connected with the Reformed Episcopal Church, and by extension the Anglican Church in North America.    “So are you now in the Reformed Episcopal Church, which, last time I looked, was in full communion with the Free Church of England?” Basil Youdell commented.   Robinson doesn't consider himself church hopping. Even though he has in rapid succession gone from the Church of England into the Free Church of England for diaconal ordination. He sought priestly orders in the Nordic Catholic Church and eventually landed an American curacy through the Anglican Catholic Church. Now he is following his parish into personal episcopal oversight by the Reformed Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop, Ray Sutton.   It all gets very complicated.   “I happen to have been relicensed now in the church I began ministry in,” Robinson tried to explain. “So for those of you looking around thinking this is church hopping again or a denominational hop, I'm back where I began.”    Except Robinson didn't sign up again with the Free Church of England. He connected with the Reformed Episcopal Church – which is in communion with the Free CofE – but the REC is a founding member of ACNA. Big difference, and Robinson's fifth separate denomination.   On May 5 REC’s Presiding Bishop Ray Sutton (XVII REC) granted faculties to Robinson to provide sacramental care to the Michigan parish for 365 calendar days.   “Let it be known that I, Ray R. Sutton, a Bishop of the Reformed Episcopal Church, do hereby license our brother, the Rev. Calvin Robinson, to serve in Word and Sacrament at St. Paul's Anglican Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, such authorization will be in force for one year beginning the 5th day of May 2025, unless revoked by me or my successor.”   An ACNA news release explains: “Bishop Sutton agreed to provide personal oversight of St. Paul's Church during this interim season and has emphasized that Rev. Robinson has not been admitted as a member of the REC or the ACNA.”   Juicy Ecumenism’s Jeff Walton also fleshes out Robinson's problematic situation on his X posting: “I have spoken with Reformed Episcopal Church Bishop Ray Sutton who has provided further information regarding St. Paul's Anglican in Grand Rapids and Fr. Calvin Robinson. Sutton has agreed to provide personal oversight while the church determines its future affiliation. Sutton notes that Robinson was ordained to the diaconate by the REC's sister church, the Free Church of England, and that he has a ‘temporary’ license to minister, but is still on the rolls of the Anglican Catholic Church. Neither the parish nor Robinson have joined the REC. As explained to me [Walton], a bishop may provide temporary episcopal oversight, but that's not the same as the parish or clergy joining the Reformed Episcopal Church (and, by extension, ACNA).   ACNA Archbishop Steve Wood (III ACNA) is up in arms about Robinson's using the Reformed Episcopal Church as a Trojan horse to gain backdoor entrance into the Anglican Church in North America.   “I am concerned to have the Anglican Church of North America affiliated with a leader whose public comments and persona consistently fail to exhibit the love and grace of Jesus Christ,” he explained in an ACNA news release. “I have concerns about Rev. Robinson’s ability to uphold the full commitments of our Anglican tradition, and his ability to model the Christ-like virtues of peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, and love, I know all of our permanent licensed clergy abide by in the daily exercise of their priestly duties. I do not do not personally believe the Rev. Robinson is a good representative of the Anglican Church in North America.”   Robinson is a hot potato to be kept at arm's length. The biggest problem Archbishop Sutton, and by extension Archbishop Wood, is going to have is keeping Fr. Robinson tethered to his pulpit (Word) and altar (Sacrament).   Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.

By David W. Virtue in Tunis www.virtueonline.org May 13, 2025   TUNIS, Tunisia: The consecration of a bishop in the Anglican Diocese of North Africa this week, marked a milestone in Anglican history; in a part of the world that saw Christianity erased for more than 12 centuries. The blood of the martyrs is not always the seed of the church.   The small Anglican Church, St. George’s, in the back streets of Tunis, was packed with some 150 visitors from across the globe who had come to witness and celebrate the consecration of a beloved friend. It was an historic moment, not only in the life of the Anglican Communion, but for the faith itself. Bishop John Ashley Null, duly elected, was given the final seal of approval by archbishops, bishops, clergy and friends drawn from the four corners of the earth in a ceremony that would have made Thomas Cranmer proud.   This historic election of Dr. Null as the first elected Bishop of North Africa sets the stage for a revival of African Anglicanism.   For a white westerner to inhabit a role in a rapidly changing world where religion, cultures and armies still clash, is, in itself a mark not only of his leadership, grace and wisdom, it speaks volumes to the times in which we live. In an overwhelming Muslim culture, to see 150 Christians, (mostly white), bear witness and stand with a man they have known and loved over many decades, and hear him affirm, “I am so persuaded” is of monumental importance. Ashley Null has the heart of a pastor and the brain of a theologian and historian. It is a combination of gifts one rarely finds in one man.   In his address to the congregation, Alexandria (Egypt) Archbishop Samy Fawzy Shehata spoke of the urgency to hear the voice of Jesus.  “You follow in the footsteps of the Good Shepherd. Be a good shepherd, be a bishop of hope,” he exhorted Null. Be marked by the shepherd’s voice, he said.   Drawing on the history of North Africa, Null, citing Ezekiel 37, asked, “Can these dry bones live again? Only you, oh Lord, know. Can we be an Anglican presence in these five countries, can they be repurposed and be a shining light of God’s love and truth?” can North Africa once again be a source of truth and light for the Christian world at a time of uncertainty about what the gospel is and who we serve.”   “I am formed by Paul’s preaching of Christ. I am confident that He who began a good work in us has not done with the Anglican Church in North Africa. As your bishop I invite you to join me to watch God breathe life into new bones and make all things new again,” Null said.   Present on this historic occasion were; The Most Rev. Dr. Samy Fawzy Shehata, (Alexandria); The Most Rev. Dr. Mouneer Anis Egypt (ret.), The Rt. Rev. Dr. Yessir Eric, (Sudan theologian); The Rt. Rev. Dr. Alfred Olwa, (Uganda); The Rt. Rev. Andy Lines, (Anglican Network in Europe) The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Kaziimba, (Uganda primate); the Rt. Rev Robert Duncan ACNA (ret.); The Rt. Martin Reakes-Williams (Horn of Africa). There were a number of local clergy including the Rev. Frank Bernardi and the Rev. Herb Hand. Also present was the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Tunis, Nicolas Pierre Jean Lhernould.   In his role as bishop, the gospel will once again ring out with clarity and conviction in a world torn by religious dissent. St. Augustine would be proud. 1600 years later his legacy lives on.   You can read more here:  The Rev Canon Dr Ashley Null Consecrated as the Second Anglican Bishop of North Africa   BACKGROUND   The diocese comprises five countries: Algeria, Chad, Libya, Mauritania, Tunisia, as well as the territory of the chair of St. Augustine, bishop of Hippo. St. George’s Anglican Church in the heart of Tunis was built and consecrated by the Bishop of Gibraltar in 1901 largely for ex-pats from England. For some 124 years it has been the spiritual home for Anglicans serving the community. This week marked a milestone in the church’s history. A former American priest and canon was consecrated the first Bishop of North Africa in a service that drew more than 150 persons from across the globe. The Rt. Rev. Canon Dr. Ashley Null knelt before the Archbishop of Alexandria, The Most Rev. Samy Fawzy Shehata of Alexandria and several Anglican archbishops most notably Archbishop Mouneer Anis of Egypt (ret.) and several bishops from across the Anglican Communion. Dr. Null is the second Anglican diocesan bishop of North Africa but the first elected Anglican diocesan bishop of North Africa. His predecessor was appointed. Before Null, all the Anglican bishops of North Africa were area bishops (i.e., suffragan or assistant bishops) appointed by and under the authority of the diocesan bishop of Egypt. This is a game changer. Null will come under the authority of the new Archbishop of Alexandria Samy Fawzy Shehata, an Egyptian Anglican bishop. He is the second archbishop and primate of the Episcopal/Anglican Province of Alexandria, the 41st province of the Anglican Communion. Dr. Null, is a world authority on the life and theology of Thomas Cranmer stands in the line of St. Augustine of Hippo, Algeria. The Anglican Communion has an Anglican Church in Algiers, Holy Trinity. The church was consecrated in 1870. The expansion of the Anglican Communion has been steadily growing on the continent of Africa to the point where it is entirely indigenous. It is today among the fastest and largest growing provinces in the Anglican Communion. The election of an American to this post is a first. Dr. Null as well as being an honorary canon of three Anglican jurisdictions and a trained theologian is a sports chaplain, counseling Olympic and other elite athletes. Null maintains close ties to the Anglican realignment movement as a theological adviser to the Anglican Church in North America's Diocese of the Carolinas. The history of Anglicanism in the area is of recent origin; its theology is in keeping with the great African Christian leaders of the past, many of whom fought heresies and sacrificed their lives for the gospel. END

I feel sorry for the new Pope Leo  Life as he has known it has turned upside down      By Mary Ann Mueller  VOL Special Correspondent  www.virtueonline.org   May 12, 2025      Papam Americanum Habemus!    There is now an American pope. But I haven't really connected with him as the Pope, Roman Pontiff, the Bishop of Rome or even as the American Pope. I find I'm connecting with him as a Midwesterner.    I come from Wisconsin and he grew up a little bit south of Wisconsin in Chicago during roughly the same fifties through sixties time frame I did. So I understand his Midwestern ties, his Midwestern family roots, his Midwestern accent, his Midwestern Catholicism.    It took just over 24 hours for the 133 voting Cardinals from 70 countries speaking 23 different languages to come to a consensus and elect the next Bishop of Rome – a Chicago-born Augustanian friar named Bob.   Thursday (May 8) after the fourth Conclave vote was taken, the votes counted and properly tallied, it was apparent that Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost received the required two-thirds-plus-one supermajority of votes cast to be elected Pope.    He was then asked in Latin: "Acceptasne electionem de te canonice factam in Summum Pontificem?" (Do you accept your canonical election as Supreme Pontiff?”)   He replied: “Accepto.” ('I accept')   At that moment Bob Prevost, originally from Chicago, became The Pope – the weight of the Catholic Church descended upon his shoulders and his earthly life, as he knew it, was forever changed. My Midwestern father, whose name was also Robert, used to say “Don't pray for a lighter load, pray for broader shoulders.”   My prayer for Pope Leo is that he has the shoulders of a Chicago Bears defensive end.   Upon giving his consent Robert Francis Prevost was asked in Latin: "Quo nomine vis vocari?" (“By what name do you wish to be called?”)   He replied: “Leonem XIV.”    At this the newly-elected pope was about to be revealed to the world with the first hint of his election being the white smoke which billowed from the Sistine Chapel chimney against an azure sky. The gathering crowd below started cheering as bells rang out announcing his election across Rome.   As Pope Leo XIV steps on the world stage he instantly becomes the most identifiable religious figure on the planet. The Chair of Peter dates back nearly two thousand years to the Apostle Peter (1 BC to 64 AD). Robert Francis Prevost is the 267th man to claim the Keys of the Kingdom as priest, prophet and king-in-chief, with the spiritual authority to bind and loose.    The Archbishop of Canterbury dates back to 597 AD and St. Augustine of Canterbury. Currently that see is Sede Vacante awaiting the appointment of a new Archbishop of Canterbury.   Ephraim Mirvis is Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth.   Siddhartha Gautama – the Buddha – died in the fifth century BC, but at 89-years-old Tenzin Gyatso he is the current sitting Dalai Lama. He is the highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism.   Muḥammad died in 632 AD. There is no recognized central Islamic spiritual leader.    No other religious voices are as loud and persistent as is the Pope of Rome.   As Cardinal Bob assumes the role as Pope Leo he is faced with ongoing religious and political shooting wars in Israel and Ukraine and escalating tensions between India and Palestine; a humanitarian crisis in Gaza; and on the home front an American president who is using draconian methods to deal with immigration, migration and worldwide economic trade issues.   Can Leo XIV use his Church’s voice to help bring Christ’s peace to the world and help mitigate world tensions?   In the hours and days following his first appearance on the loggia every word, gesture, tweet, sermon, speech, dress, mannerism and action is scrutinized and dissected. The criticisms have already begun.   What does it mean that Robert Francis Prevost took the name Leo XIV?   What does it mean that he appeared on the loggia wearing the papal red mozzetta and the wide decoratively embroidered papal stole but not the ruby slippers?   What does it mean that he gave his first Urbi et Orbi blessing in Italian and Spanish but not in English, his native tongue?   Already there are those who feel that the new Pope is not traditional enough – he did not wear the ruby slippers. Or that he is too traditional – earlier tweets show his questioning the German synodal way. Or that his very election is invalid because there were more than 120 cardinal-electors in the Conclave.    In 1975 Pope Paul VI decreed there should only be 120 voting cardinals under the age of 80 assembled in a Conclave. There were 133 voting cardinals in this year's Conclave.    Since the American Pope is a registered Republican will he cozy up to President Donald Trump or oppose his executive order method of governance. Will his knowledge of American politics impact and influence him or give him greater political insight on the world stage.    One reporter has already referred to him as “Pope Prevost.” Many ultraconservative Catholics liked to refer to Pope Francis as “Bergoglio” before his death for they questioned the validity of the Francis papacy because of his liberal theology and questionable actions.   Currently, every nook and cranny of Pope Leo's life is being dug into – his background, his history, his education, his Augustinian ministry, his Chicago upbringing, his politics, his Vatican ties, his Peruvian missionary life, his brothers, his family roots. Every branch, twig and leaf of his family tree is being put under a microscope to discover his mixed race Creole Haitian ancestry through his New Orleanian grandparents and what that means.    However, the United States isn't the only country claiming the new pope as theirs. Peru, too, lays claim to Pope Leo XIV as its “American pope” – South American pope.    As an Augustinian friar, Fr. Bob spent many years as a foreign missionary in Peru. Eventually he was naturalized as a Peruvian citizen and for nine years he was the Bishop of Chiclayo before Pope Francis brought him to Rome as the Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and later created him a cardinal.   As a result, Pope Leo XIV is a citizen of three countries – the United States, Peru and the Vatican City-State. He holds three valid passports.   Right now, I just feel sorry for him. His world has just been turned upside down, left from right, inside out. Nothing will ever be the same again. How will his monastic life of prayer and service be impacted?    Once Pope Leo donned the white papal cassock, he'll never again wear his familiar Order of St. Augustine habit, the black religious habit he has worn since 1978.    He's a Chicago boy. As a young mid-century Baby Boomer his earliest days were shaped by the post war preVatican II Chicago Catholic culture in which Catholicism was at the heart and core of his being. As a grammar school student, he lived through the upheaval of Vatican II and he was also a schoolboy when President Kennedy was assassinated. Those events were defining moments in the lives of mid-century school children.    I, too, as a schoolgirl, lived through those historic events.   As a Chicago boy Pope Leo will have to imagine never being able to go back to a Fourth of July family reunion, or go see a Sox game at Comiskey Park. Not being with his brothers, nieces, nephews and cousins around a Thanksgiving table or opening Christmas presents together. Never again experiencing the snow crunch beneath his boots while getting out of Midnight Mass with the cold Chicago wind stinging his cheeks. Not hearing the squeal and squeak of the Elevated overhead. Not taking a leisurely stroll along Lake Michigan's shoreline on the Lakefront Trail, or watch as the Chicago River turns green on St. Patrick's Day. He'll also miss being able to step out one evening with his brothers to a neighborhood pub for pizza and a brew and do whatever it is that Chicago brothers do when they are on the town together.    From now on he'll be missing every family event – birthdays, anniversaries, births, deaths, weddings, Baptisms, First Communions, Confirmations, funerals ...   He may be Uncle Rob to his brothers' children – Bob to his friends – but now as Pope Leo he's simply out of comfortable reach to his own Prevost family members.   It's like when a young woman joins a strict cloistered order – Poor Clares … Trappistines … Carmelites – she misses out on familiar family events and usually gets to see her family members a few times a year through her monastery grill.    So, now if family members want to see Uncle Rob they have to travel to Rome, unless he is making a papal visit somewhere in the United States and they can arrange to cross paths.    His natural family is now overshadowed by his papal family. The desires of his Prevost family gets crushed by the greater demands of his worldwide Catholic family.     Pope Leo and his brothers John and Louis are very closely knit. Louis is the oldest, John is the middle child, and Robert is the baby of the family.    Before his elevation to the Throne of Peter the brothers kept in daily contact through email and texting, phone calls and playing the Internet game Wordle. Somehow that will all change. At this point all the three Prevost brothers’ lives have been irrevocably changed.   However, the elevation of little brother Robert to Pope Leo came out of left field. It was unexpected. Cardinal Prevost was the dark horse papal candidate. He wasn't on the radar. Conventional wisdom was that a cardinal born in the United States would not be made the Pope, or at least at this time and in this political climate.   Big brother Louis was sick in bed when he learned his kid brother Rob was becoming Pope. When he heard “Robertum” he knew it was either his brother or Cardinal Robert Sarah who was elected pope. But when he heard “Francescum” he knew it would be his brother because there is no other cardinal with the given name Robert Francis. He didn't need to hear “Sanctae Romane Ecclesiae Cardinalem Prevost” to cement the reality that the Cardinal Protodeacon Dominique Mamberti was introducing HIS brother to the world as Papae Leonem XIV.   Louis said it was a good thing he was in bed when he learned about Rob’s election or else he might have fallen over and passed out.   A couple of days ago an Associated Press reporter was interviewing the Pope’s other brother – John, who still resides in Chicagoland – when the Pope called. Right out of the gate John had to warn his brother Rob – now Pope Leo: “First you need to know you are on the air right now. We are being filmed and recorded..."    Pope Leo: “Right now?”   Brother John: “Right this very minute.”    The AP reporter said that the Pope did not want his conversation with his brother to be recorded. However, the reporter revealed that John congratulated the Pope and they talked about John making plans to travel to Rome.    Unfortunately, Brother John couldn't simply answer the phone and just say: "Hey Rob … WOW! You're now the Pope! How's that going?"   Another time when Leo XIV called home and John answered the Pope asked: “Are the reporters gone?”    Brother John: “No.”   Pope Leo: ‘‘OK, goodbye,” and he ended the call.   That's not fair to either brother. They need each other, especially at this time when Pope Leo is trying to maneuver through the early days of his pontificate where there is a massive lifestyle change and shift in ministry and responsibilities.   John has already headed to Rome to see his younger brother – the Pope – and to give him much needed moral support and some brotherly wisdom at this critical time in both their lives.   Both papal brothers – John and Louis – are being dogged by the unrelenting press corps.   “My little brother was just made Pope,” Louis told the media a few days ago. “What do I do? How do I act? Do I have to change the way I live? I better behave now."   Brother Louis, who lives in Florida, asks about the changing dynamics of the family unit and how it will impact the three brothers' close relationship.   “Is this position going to take him away where we don't see him any more? We can't talk to him like we used to anymore?” he asks. “We don't know. He's not Rob anymore – he's Leo XIV.”    I really feel and pray for the three Prevost brothers – Rob (Leo) and John and Louis. There are many challenges facing all of them as their sibling relationships play out in newscasts and splashed in headlines.    “Does that mean that as his (Pope Leo) brothers we’re like outsiders now because he's up on top of the Church?” Brother Louis wonders. “I sincerely hope not. He will always be Rob.”   Louis says when he gets to Rome Leo's exalted stature will melt. He has watched his brother's life develop in the Church. He remembers little Rob playing priest when the rest of the boys were playing cops and robbers or cowboys and Indians. Little Rob's vacation revealed itself early.   “We used to tease him about becoming Pope,” Louis recalls. “And now he is! I feel he’s had this calling since birth.”    “I’ll treat him like my little brother – I'll give him a hug and say ‘Rob, you idiot! What have you done? …’” Brother Louis reveals when he next meets his brother – The Pope – “I’ll take his hat off and give him a noogie.”    Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline.