It's absolutely true, cos I read it in the Daily Mail

[tree_and_leaf]

(Or: more glaringly bad reporting of religious issues than usual).

Daily Fail headline: Church of England row as cathedral opens doors to tarot card readers and crystal healers in 'new age' festival.

The story proceeds:

The event - featuring tarot card readers, crystal healers, dream interpretation, and a fire-breathing vicar - is to be held in Manchester Cathedral in May.

But the move is certain to anger traditionalists, who feel the Church has already strayed too far from tradition.

Hundreds have already defected to the Roman Catholic Church after deep splits over the ordination of gay and women priests.

Anglican leaders in Manchester decided to hold the festival in the historic cathedral in a bid to embrace alternative forms of Christianity.

You will note that the row refered to in the title hasn't actually eventuated (weasel words: 'certain to anger traditionalists'). Good old Daily Mail, ever keen to find an excuse to shoehorn in an extra bit of extra misogyny and homophobia. Actually, I suspect that even the angriest member of FiF is probably not going to do more than role their eyes and mutter something along the lines of "sodding Fresh Expressions", because the event as described by the Diocese of Manchester" is a good deal more innocuous. I mean, in many ways (other than the obvious) my spirituality is pretty traditionalist, and although in many ways it doesn't sound like the sort of thing I'd enjoy (though the icon workshops sound pretty good)... meh. I've heard many more dubious things proposed in the name of Fresh Expressions.

The 'crystal healing' appears to be the thing about the Christian symbolism of gemstones. Which doesn't excite me, but - I've read enough mediaeval literature by perfectly orthodox Catholic Christians to find it boring (Y HALO THAR WOLFRAM!), rather than anything else...

In other words: don't trust the Daily Mail.

Comments

Ooh! It's local, I expect I'll wander along

[legionseagle]

Also, it's worth noting (I'm sure you know it, but for the masses it may come as news) that when Manchester Cathedral was still the Manchester Collegiate Church, before it achieved cathedral status in the 19th century, one of its most celebrated incumbents and, indeed, a direct Royal appointment was indeed Doctor John Dee (of whom, I suspect, the Dean and Chapter are secretly rather proud or, at least, vaguely chuffed). So if the Daily Mail says "Certain to anger traditionalists" it's worth mentioning that the direct tradition in question does involve necromancy (also, incidentally, the Shakers; I think Ann Lee was formally evicted from the Collegiate Church for getting a bit excitable there).

Re: Ooh! It's local, I expect I'll wander along

[tree_and_leaf]

I'd forgotten John Dee - I'm sure he had strong opinions about gemstones, too.

I note, on re-reading the diocesan flyer, that the dodgy new age events includes choral evensong. Where will this PC madness end?

[trialia]

Do you live around here then? I'm in Gorton! :)

[tree_and_leaf]

No, I'm in Cambridge and have no connection with the Diocese of Manchester - but I saw the Mail article on Twitter and checked back with the diocesan website, and was not at all surprised to find things were being blown out of proportion...

[trialia]

Ohhhh, I see. Yeah, I have Kitten Block for Firefox. I try not to look at the Mail's articles at all. But my minister (I attend the Manchester city centre Unitarian chapel, Cross Street) mentioned that service the other day when she was giving out announcements before our own service. I'm thinking of going.

[kerravonsen]

Oh, good Lord!
One can guess where Rowling got her inspiration for Rita Skeeter.