Posted on 11/06/2005 6:06:01 PM PST by sionnsar
The first openly gay Anglican bishop, Gene Robinson, has called for the Roman Catholic church's attitude to homosexuals to be confronted.
The Bishop of New Hampshire said the Vatican's ban on ordaining gay men was "vile", in a speech in London.
He received a standing ovation after his speech, in which he spoke of how he had faced prejudice in his role.
Some Anglican conservatives had called for the St-Martin-in-the-Fields church venue to be changed to a secular one. Bishop Robinson said: "We are seeing so many Roman Catholics joining the church.
"Pope Ratzinger may be the best thing that ever happened to the Episcopal Church."
He continued: "I find it so vile that they think they are going to end the child abuse scandal by throwing out homosexuals from seminaries.
"It is an act of violence that needs to be confronted."
His speech at St-Martin-in-the-Fields, in Trafalgar Square, was part of the 10th anniversary of the gay rights group Changing Attitude.
He had been asked not wear his full vestments or take part in the religious service before addressing the audience from a lectern rather than the pulpit.
"I'm here to encourage you to talk about God," he said.
"I am not here to talk about a social agenda. I am not here to grind any axes, I am here to do the thing that Christians do, that is to witness to the good of God."
'Full inclusion'
The London Diocesan Evangelical Fellowship, which includes senior lay and clergy members, had urged the Archbishop of Canterbury to move the Bishop's talk to a secular venue to prevent "damaged relations" between sections of the church.
The Bishop said his home state in the US was "the one place in the world where I am not the gay bishop - I'm just the bishop... it is a wonderful feeling".
He said homosexuals would eventually be fully welcomed in the church but warned that it may take some time.
"This is going to end with our full inclusion," he said. "We won't live to see it, but it's going to happen."
Church rift
On Thursday the New Hampshire bishop met Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and said he wanted to help heal the rift caused by his consecration, but would not give up his post.
His conscecration two years ago attracted widespread criticism from the more conservative African and Asian sections of the church.
Changing Attitude is an organisation which calls for the Anglican Church to "fully accept, welcome and offer equality of opportunity to lesbian, gay and bisexual people".
He is due to address a congregation in Stockport later on Sunday.
We need an ecumenical council to reunify Roman Catholics, Eastern and Oriental Orthodox and traditionalist Anglo-Catholics that will give a stern ANATHEMA to the homosexualist movement and its fellow travelers.
Taking on the Catholic Church? No arrogance in Vicki Jean is there??? Bring it on.
wagglebee. I think you would enjoy Christopher Johnson's blog the Midwest Conservative Journal. Sorry I do not have the url. From there you can also link to such great blogs as Stand Firm, Pontifications, Titusonenine.
The Roman Catholics going over to the Episcopal Church are the ones being kicked out of seminaries.
Otherwise, Episcopalians like me who have heard enough of the sheer stupidity of Anglican/Episcopalian leaders are going Roman Catholic.
Link provided. (You can also find these and more on the webpage in my tagline.)
Yes, a LOT of us are turning to Rome as the insanity unravels the ECUSA.
It would be interesting to know just how many here at FR are current/former Anglicans going Roman. Hubby & I are mid-stream in our "Crossing the Tiber," and I know of several who already have. Our journey is a direct result of the heresy of the ECUSA.
I hear there is a HUGE influx into the Catholic Church. Many of the Protestant denominations have lost their bearings. I refused to be in a church that did 'theology by committee' as the 'Piskies do. Welcome.
amen to that.
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