Star Mann

I'm going to go to all the trouble of telling you about a minister in the States, who's gone to all the trouble of being snarky about my favourite trans feminist canon of a cathedral.

Lone Star Parson suggests first up that the Archbishop of Canterbury was not showing his famous negotiating skills when he took a couple of priests who happened to be women to Rome. I've no idea if that is true or not - the Archbishop never calls on me when making these kind of visits, for some reason -  but I love the suggestion he should have made sure all members - ho-ho - of a party to Rome should have been male.

Pope: "So, Archbishop - about these women priests you have?"

Archbishop: "No, none at all, your Holiness."

Pope: "But everybody knows you've got female priests."

Archbishop: "Nosiree. Can you see any here with me?"

Pope: "But we saw the 20 years celebrations, and the vote on women bishops. Lots of women wearing clerical collars."

Archbishop: "No, no. They were... erm.... eunuchs. Yep, eunuchs. That's why they were so feminine-looking."

Pope: "You have eunuchs in the Church of England?"

Archbishop: "Well, let's face it, you had them in the Vatican choir for centuries..."

Afterwards, Justin Welby catches up with his wife on the phone.

Mrs Welby: "So how did it go, Justin?"

Archbishop: "Not so bad. I accidentally mentioned Angela Tilby once, but I think I got away with it....."

The Lone Star Parson then objects to Rachel Mann on the grounds that she's a trans woman, a lesbian, and a feminist (and he nods to her also being a heavy metal fan by including a photograph of her playing the guitar). Which is odd. Because some of us might just think that what he's done there is described some aspects of this multi-talented person. Very important aspects, but then there's lots more as well. She's a decent medium-pace bowler as well, I believe, but no mention of that. Beings he's American, you'd think that would be the worse of the lot. Curiously, he accompanies this rant with another photograph - of the Pope and Archbishop with a load of men in purple frocks. But merely listing somebody's attributes does not count as criticism, in my book.

You know, I'm thinking I'm not his target audience.