Rosie Harper
Canon Rosie Harper is a member of the General Synod of the Church of England and Chaplain to Alan Wilson, the Bishop of Buckingham.[1]
A vicar at Church of St Peter and St Paul, Great Missenden from 2003 until 2021,[2] Harper has been described by Telegraph journalist John Bingham as a "prominent liberal" within the Church.[3] An ordained priest in the Church of England since 1999,[4] Harper has supported the ordination of women in the Anglican Communion as priests and bishops.[5][6] In 2014, she was described by BBC News as a "long-standing campaigner for the promotion of women in the Church".[7]
She has expressed support for a change in the canon law of the Church of England and revising of the Marriage (Same Sex Couples) Act 2013 to allow same-sex marriage in the Church of England.[8] She has also voiced support for assisted dying,[9][10] a minority opinion within the Church clergy.[11] She has also been critical of the Church turning away churchgoers (laypersons as well as clergy) wishing to pray or otherwise use church buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, when such buildings were closed to prevent the spread of the virus.[12] In 2023, she signed an interfaith statement condemning Islamophobia, antisemitism and Hinduphobia in the aftermath of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Davies, Madeleine (31 October 2018). "Oxford bishops offer interim LGBT guidance and support". Church Times.
- ^ "'Churches are still the heartbeat of our community': Vicar set to retire after 18 years". Bucks Free Press. 12 March 2021.
- ^ Bingham, John (18 September 2016). "Church liberals' anger over 'traditionalist dominated' bishops' gay marriage panel". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Stanford, Peter (19 November 2012). "Women bishops: judgment day, at last". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ "Women bishops: Welby urges synod to vote in favour". BBC News. 19 November 2012.
- ^ Burns, John F. (21 November 2012). "Church of England Rejects Appointing Female Bishops". The New York Times.
- ^ "Call for new Bishop of Oxford to be a woman". BBC News. 2 November 2014.
- ^ Duffy, Nick (13 April 2019). "Church of England pressed to end ban on same-sex marriage". PinkNews.
- ^ Gledhill, Ruth (12 June 2014). "Senior CofE priest: Why I am pro assisted dying". Christian Today.
- ^ Macintyre, James (4 January 2018). "Senior Anglican priest slams opposition to assisted dying as 'pure fatalism and superstition'". Christian Today.
- ^ Bingham, John (12 July 2014). "Church of England calls for review on assisted dying". The Daily Telegraph.
... Canon Rosie Harper, one of the few Church of England clergy openly to support assisted dying ...
- ^ Sherwood, Harriet (21 May 2020). "Synod member attacks Church of England's 'self-obsession' in pandemic". The Guardian.
- ^ "Israel-Gaza: Bucks faith leaders unite against violence". BBC News. 26 October 2023.