Anrhydeddu offeiriad hoyw ac ymgyrchydd LHDTC+ mewn cyfrol a darlith goffa newydd.
Bydd etifeddiaeth arloesol y Parchedig James England Cotter, offeiriad Anglicanaidd hoyw ac ymgyrchydd dros hawliau cyfartal, yn cael ei hanrhydeddu wrth ryddhau cyfrol newydd ar awduron ysbrydol Anglicanaidd yr 20fed ganrif a Darlith Goffa Jim Cotter 2024, gan nodi deng mlynedd ers ei farwolaeth.
Roedd Cotter, a oedd yn cael ei alw’n Jim, yn arloeswr mewn gweinidogaeth ordeiniedig ac yn hyrwyddwr hawliau LHDTC+ yn yr Eglwys. Cydsefydlodd The Gay Christian Movement ym 1976, gan ddangos ei ymrwymiad diwyro i gynwysoldeb a chydraddoldeb yn yr eglwys. Roedd ei ddewrder a’i ddilysrwydd i’w gweld mewn rhaglen deledu arloesol yn 1977, "The Lord’s My Shepherd and He Knows I’m Gay," lle y gwnaeth archwilio’n ddi-ofn y croestoriad rhwng ei rywioldeb a’i ysbrydolrwydd.
Bydd Nicola Slee, Athro Diwinyddiaeth Ymarferol Ffeministaidd yn y Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, yn rhoi Darlith Goffa Jim Cotter eleni yng Ngŵyl Farddoniaeth a Chelfyddydau RS Thomas ac ME Eldridge yn Aberdaron, Gwynedd. Dan y teitl "Jim Cotter: Ysgrifennu a byw ysbrydolrwydd rhywiol," bydd yr Athro Slee, diwinydd barddol nodedig, yn ymchwilio i’r modd y gwnaeth Cotter gyfuno ei hunaniaeth hoyw â’i alwad fel offeiriad, gweinidog ac athro, gan herio’r eglwys i groesawu cymhlethdodau ffydd a rhywioldeb.
Mae cynnwys Cotter yn y llyfr sydd ar ddod Anglican Spiritual Writers of the 20th Century yn dangos ei effaith ddwys ar ysbrydolrwydd Cristnogol. Ymhlith ei gyhoeddiadau nodedig mae The Service of My Love: The Celebration and Blessing of Civil Partnerships: A Pastoral and Liturgical Handbook" (2014), sy’n adlewyrchu ei dosturi a’i ymrwymiad dwfn i gyfiawnder cymdeithasol. Mae dealltwriaeth ddofn Cotter yn atseinio y tu hwnt i gymunedau LHDTC+, fel y dangosodd Susan Fogarty, Gweinidog Arloesi Lleyg yn Esgobaeth Bangor, a ysbrydolwyd gan ei waith i eirioli dros gynhwysiant a Bendithio Priodasau o’r Un Rhyw yn yr Eglwys yng Nghymru.
Mae ei gorff helaeth o waith, gan gynnwys cyhoeddiadau ar weinidogaeth, cydraddoldeb, a litwrgi drwy Cairns Publications, sy’n parhau i ysbrydoli cenedlaethau o ddarllenwyr, yn dyst i’w waith oes yn yr Eglwys Anglicanaidd.
Meddai Susan Fogarty, sylfaenydd a chyfarwyddwr presennol Cymdeithas RS Thomas ac ME Eldridge, "Pan gymerais i’r awenau oddi wrth Jim Cotter i barhau i hyrwyddo barddoniaeth RS Thomas, nid oeddwn i’n sylweddoli y byddai’n newid cwrs fy mywyd i ac yn fy arwain i’r weinidogaeth. Mae pobl yn dod fel pererinion o bob cwr o’r byd i ymweld â Sain Hywyn ac Aberdaron i weld y llefydd a’r dirwedd a ysbrydolodd farddoniaeth Thomas. Fel y gwnaeth ysgrifennu
“…… In cities that
have outgrown their promise people
are becoming pilgrims
again, if not to this place,
then to the recreation of it
in their own spirits ….”
Eglwys Sant Hywyn, Aberdaron, yn Ardal Weinidogaeth Bro Enlli oedd plwyf olaf offeiriad a bardd y Parchedig RS Thomas [1967 -78] a Jim Cotter [2008 - 2012]. Pan gafodd Jim ddiagnosis lewcemia yn 2011, cynigiodd Susan Fogarty, aelod o’i gynulleidfa, gynorthwyo gyda hyrwyddo cyhoeddiad newydd Jim sef Etched by Silence ei ddetholiad personol o farddoniaeth RS Thomas. Roedd ei dehongliad o farddoniaeth Thomas drwy fyfyrdod "Stations to the Untenanted Cross" yn ddatguddiad iddi hi ei hun ac i eraill. Aeth ymlaen wedyn i sefydlu Gŵyl Farddoniaeth a Chelfyddydau flynyddol yn canolbwyntio ar RS Thomas ac yn 2017 cydsefydlodd Gymdeithas RS Thomas ac ME Eldridge.
Erbyn hyn, mae Susan yn cael ei chydnabod fel Gweinidog Arloesi Lleyg yn Esgobaeth Bangor sy’n arbenigo mewn darllen gwaith Thomas ac ennyn diddordeb ei chynulleidfa i gysylltu â barddoniaeth mewn eglwysi a’r amgylchedd naturiol.
Mae ysbryd arloesol Cotter yn parhau i ddylanwadu ar Esgobaeth Bangor, sydd wedi cyflogi Caplan Awyr Agored ac Offeiriad Pererinion yn ddiweddar i ymuno â’u cymuned Gristnogol arloesol sy’n ffynnu.
Bydd Darlith Goffa Jim Cotter 2024 yn cael ei chynnal ddydd Sadwrn 15 Mehefin fel rhan o Ŵyl Farddoniaeth a Chelfyddydau RS Thomas ac ME Eldridge. Am fwy o wybodaeth ewch i’r wefan https://rsthomaspoetry.co.uk/
Gay priest and LGBT+ campaigner honoured in a new book and memorial lecture.
The trailblazing legacy of Revd James England Cotter, gay Anglican priest and equal rights campaigner, is to be honoured in the upcoming release of a new book on 20th century Anglican spiritual writers and the 2024 the Jim Cotter Memorial Lecture, marking the ten-year anniversary of his death.
Cotter, affectionately known as Jim, was a pioneer in ordained ministry and a champion of LGBTQ+ rights within the Church. He co-founded The Gay Christian Movement in 1976, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to inclusivity and equality within the church. His courage and authenticity were exemplified in the groundbreaking 1977 television program, "The Lord's My Shepherd and He Knows I'm Gay," where he fearlessly explored the intersection of his sexuality and spirituality.
Nicola Slee, Professor of Feminist Practical Theology at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, will deliver the 2024 Jim Cotter Memorial Lecture at the RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Poetry & Arts Festival in Aberdaron, Gwynedd. Entitled "Jim Cotter: (W)riting and living a sexual spirituality," Professor Slee, a distinguished poet theologian, delves into Cotter's profound integration of his gay identity with his calling as a priest, pastor, and teacher, challenging the church to embrace the complexities of faith and sexuality.
Cotter's inclusion in the forthcoming book Anglican Spiritual Writers of the 20th Century demonstrates his profound impact on Christian spirituality. Among his notable publications is "The Service of My Love: The Celebration and Blessing of Civil Partnerships: A Pastoral and Liturgical Handbook" (2014), which reflects his deep compassion and commitment social justice. Cotter's profound insights resonate beyond LGBTQ+ communities, as evidenced by Susan Fogarty, a Lay Pioneer Minister in the Diocese of Bangor, who was inspired by his work to advocate for inclusion and Blessing of Same Sex Marriage within the Church in Wales.
Susan Fogarty, founder and current director of the RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Society, says, “When I picked up the ‘baton’ from Jim Cotter to continue promoting the poetry of RS Thomas I didn’t realise it would change the course of my life and lead me into ministry. “
Susan, who recently appeared on BBC’s Great Railway Journeys when presenter Michael Portillo visited Aberdaron, adds, “People come as pilgrims from all over the world to visit St Hywyn’s and Aberdaron to see the places and landscape which inspired Thomas’s poetry. As he wrote
“…… In cities that
have outgrown their promise people
are becoming pilgrims
again, if not to this place,
then to the recreation of it
in their own spirits ….”
Susan is now recognised as a Lay Pioneer Minister in the Diocese of Bangor who specialises in reading Thomas’s work and engaging her audience to connect with poetry in churches and the natural environment.
St Hywyn’s Church, Aberdaron, in Bro Enlli Ministry Area was the last parish of priest and poet Rev RS Thomas’s [1967 -78] and Jim Cotter [2008 – 2012]. When Jim was diagnosed with Leukaemia in 2011 Susan Fogarty a member of his congregation offered to assist with the promotion of Jim’s new publication of Etched by Silence his personal selection of RS Thomas’s poetry. Her interpretation of Thomas’s poetry through a “Stations to the Untenanted Cross” meditation was a revelation to herself and others. She then went on to establish an annual Poetry and Arts Festival focused on RS Thomas and in 2017 co-founded the RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Society.
Cotter’s pioneering spirit continues to influence the Diocese of Bangor who have recently employed an Outdoor Chaplain and a Pilgrim Priest who join their thriving pioneering Christian community.
The 2024 Jim Cotter Memorial Lecture takes place on Saturday 15 June as part of the RS Thomas & ME Eldridge Poetry & Arts Festival. For more information visit the website https://rsthomaspoetry.co.uk/