Scathing sermon final blow from troubled priest

The former dean of Napier Cathedral Michael Godfrey has compared his colleagues to president-elect Donald Trump. Photo/File

In a scathing sermon today, the former dean of Napier Cathedral delivered a parting blow to his colleagues.

Until early last year Reverend Dr Michael Godfrey was the dean of Waiapu Cathedral of Saint John the Evangelist but in May was stood down for having extra-marital affairs 25 years previously.

He was reinstated in October after appealing the judgment which saw him kicked out of the Anglican Church after being a priest for 27 years.

In a final sermon which revolved around honesty and lies, and prominently featured president-elect Donald Trump, Dr Godfrey criticised his colleagues' handling of his dismissal early last year.

"When I last voiced thoughts like these a colleague wrote, 'The Dean's Report ... was, amidst a number of inaccuracies and half-truths ... a litany of criticisms involving myself, other clergy and significant laypeople. The Dean himself was always the innocent and injured martyr."

He added: "The priest later expressed the hope that the knife would slip when the barber was here to shave my head in support of "Shave for a Cure".

In March he took part in the Leukaemia and Blood Council (LBC) New Zealand's Shave for a Cure campaign in memory of his late nephew.

Dr Godfrey stated after he had been dismissed, a member of the vestry had written "You should know that I actively pushed for this, and have been working on it for a long time".

He queried whether statements like this were of "Christ-light" or "words of Trump-world, of hatred, of subterfuge".

While Dr Godfrey had since been reminded "that there is love and integrity when a faith community remains a humble people of God".

At the end of his notes, Dr Godfrey invites his congregation to "not fearfully collude with the culture of the lie that has swept Trump into reality on narratives of fear".

"The choice is ours," he states. "Or yours, really. I won't be back."

Dr Godfrey could not be reached for comment.