Priest resigns, cites gay bishop as reason

Washington Times ^ | 9/10/03 | Julia Duin

[kattracks]

A Maryland clergyman is the first Episcopal priest in the nation to resign in response to the denomination's approval last month of its first openly homosexual bishop.

The Rev. Steven R. Randall's resignation, effective Monday, came in a four-sentence letter addressed to his bishop, the Rt. Rev. Robert Ihloff. His farewell sermon at St. Timothy's Church, a historic parish in downtown Catonsville, Md., will be Sunday.

[litany_of_lies]

It's in today's Washtimes. That's "new" enough for me.

The good bishop ought to use this opportunity to follow the road many other Anglicans have followed into the Roman Catholic Church. God only know we could use a really good priest.

If I recall, sometime in the past 5 years or so Anglican priests who left the Church in England after a serious heretical dispute were welcomed with open arms by the Pope. I think they were even allowed to come in if they were already married.

[B-Chan]

Yep. That's us: a formerly Anglican parish, now 100% Roman Catholic -- and, yes, our priest is married. Check out our parish at our website, and the rest of the Anglican Use parishes at the website of the Pastoral Provision.

[polemikos]

There has been a long and often close relationship between
the Anglican and Catholic Churches. In many important areas
there remains a mutual recognition of the validity of key
doctrines, liturgies, and practices. And the Catholic
Church continues to hold and propagate the faith and moral
teachings as handed down by the Apostles.

In 1980 the Holy See, in response to requests from priests
and laity of the Episcopal Church who were seeking full
communion with the Catholic Church, created a Pastoral
Provision to provide them with special pastoral attention.

Three key areas were addresed in this document:
1 - Establishment of parishes for former Episcopalians
2 - Development of liturgies familiar to Anglicans
3 - Ordination of Episcopalian ministers as priests

The establishment of personal parishes in dioceses of the
United States was in response to the many requests of
former faithful of the Episcopal Church. Several have been
set up under this provision:

Our Lady of the Atonement Parish, San Antonio, TX
Our Lady of Walsingham Parish, Houston, TX
St. Mary the Virgin Parish, Arlington, TX
St. Thomas More Parish Fort Worth, TX
St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Austin, TX
St. Anselm of Canterbury Catholic Mission, Corpus Christi, TX
St. Athanasius Congregation, Boston, MA
Church of the Good Shepherd Parish, Columbia, SC
Atlanta Area AU Catholic Laity, Dunwoody, GA
California AU Catholic Laity, St. Francis of Assisi Church, La Quinta, CA

They also retain certain liturgical elements proper to the
Anglican tradition. This Anglican Use liturgy uses the
Book of Common Prayer (with minor updates) for the Mass.
So there is no need to lose the liturgy Anglicans are
familiar with. This Mass is valid for all Catholics as well.

Under the Provision the ordination of married Episcopal
priests was made possible as well. Since 1983, close to 100
former Episcopal ministers have been ordained for priestly
ministry in Catholic dioceses of the United States.
(Yes, there are married priests in the Latin-rite church).

Resources for those interested in the Catholic faith:

Catholic Answers
www.catholic.com
A superb site for clearing away the myths propagated by too many.
Offers free on-line library that examines all the major issues,
free on-line archive of over 1,500 hours of radio/audio material,
plus magazines, books, pamphlets, tracts, videos, and more.

Coming Home Network
www.chnetwork.org
Provides fellowship, encouragement and support for Protestant
pastors and laymen who are somewhere along the journey or
have already been received into the Catholic Church.

Biblical Evidence for Catholicism
www.biblicalcatholic.com
Dave Armstrong's monster site. Eclectic, fun, exhaustingly
detailed, personal, moving, and more.

Resources for those interested in the Anglican Use rite:

Yahoo Discussion Group
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/AnglicanUse/

And our own Sockmonkey and B-Chan are Anglican Use converts.
They have generously made themselves available for answering
questions via FreepMail.

May the Word be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path.

[FlyVet]

Mr. Randall said he has received support from outside the church and has had overtures from the Anglican Mission in America, a breakaway Episcopal group headed by Anglican bishops in Rwanda and Singapore. The group conducts "missions" to U.S. Episcopalians. Since forming 3½ years ago, it has siphoned off 12,000 disaffected Episcopalians into 55 AMIA congregations.

Turnabout is fair play. Who would have imagined third-world countries conducting "missions" to America?

If I was this Rev. Randall, I would consider a "defrocking" a badge of honor. I doubt he will have trouble finding a new congregation, if he wishes to preach the Gospel.

[George W. Bush]

"It's pretty volatile here," he said. "A significant number of people want to stay and fight for the buildings. One woman told me, 'I'm not up for this.' Others said they were leaving, then decided they wanted to be buried in the church. When people have been here six, seven, eight, nine decades literally, they are not ready for a change.

So it becomes about where your ancestors attended and your own burial. Sounds like some of them are a death cult, not Christians. Christianity is about eternal life, not your dead ancestors and burial plot.

This is why sound churches have all property locally owned and do not own boneyards. The Baptists are very consistent in this sound principle.

[LiteKeeper]

SPOTREP -ECUSA

[showme_the_Glory]

I also left that church years ago. Same reason.