The Bird is the Word (Diocese of CA)

Midwest Conservative Journal ^ | 2/21/2005 | Christopher Johnson

[sionnsar]

ECUSA liberals flip off the entire Anglican world again.  Integrity's down with the California bishop nominees:

Integrity is pleased by the wonderful diversity of the nominees for the next bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California including both a gay man (the Very Rev. Robert Taylor) and a lesbian woman (the Rev. Bonnie Perry). It was inevitable that another gay/lesbian person would eventually be nominated to the episcopacy.

Because Gene Robinson is a journey, not a destination.

Whether or not Robert or Bonnie is elected by the Diocese of California, it is inevitable that another gay/lesbian person WILL eventually be elected, confirmed, and consecrated to that order of ministry as the Episcopal Church continues to live into its call to fully include all of the baptized into the Body of Christ.

Oh and GenCon?  If Newark West does elect a practicing homosexual pointy hat, don't even think about turning him or her down.

Regardless who is elected to be the Bishop of the Diocese of California, it will be the responsibility of the General Convention of the Episcopal Church to give or withhold consent to that election when it meets this June in Columbus. As it has in the past, Integrity expects General Convention to follow canonical procedures to the letter giving consent to the bishop-elect if there is no justifiable impediment to his/her consecration. The canons clearly state that, "No one shall be denied rights, status or access to an equal place in the life, worship, and governance of this Church because of race, color, ethnic origin, national origin, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, disabilities or age."

And not to put too fine a point on it, rest of the Anglican world, but kiss off.

We realize that some of our brothers and sisters in other provinces of the Anglican Communion will be dismayed by Robert and Bonnie’s nomination and, perhaps, regard it as deliberate disregard for the Windsor Report. However, it must be remembered that the Windsor Report is a set of recommendations with no binding authority. Both the Diocese of California and the Episcopal Church must discern and obey the will of God as faithfully as they know how even if doing so in not consonant with the understanding of other members of our communion.

All you really need to know about the Episcopal Diocese of California is that a pseudo-spiritual goofball like Matthew Fox is still listed among its clergy.  So my money's on the lesbian.  I think the liberals will find her impossible to resist, particularly because of the poke in the eye it would give to Anglican conservatives both in this country and around the world.

The only question, then, is what Episcopal conservatives will do about it.  If California or some other diocese deliberately elects a practicing homosexual bishop and if that bishop is confirmed at GenCon, the Network needs to walk out right then and there.  If the split doesn't come at GenCon, it will never come.

Waiting until Lambeth is not an option.  If ECUSA spits in the face of the Anglican world this provocatively and is allowed to get away with it, many of us will get on with our lives.  If the Network's only response to California's arrogance is more rhetoric, it should be put out of its misery.

[sionnsar]

Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.

FReepmail sionnsar if you want on or off this moderately high-volume ping list (typically 3-9 pings/day).
This list is pinged by sionnsar, Huber and newheart.

Resource for Traditional Anglicans: http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com

Humor: The Anglican Blue (by Huber)

Speak the truth in love. Eph 4:15

[PAR35]

If the Network's only response to California's arrogance is more rhetoric, it should be put out of its misery.

Yes, it is time to fish or cut bait. Or to put it more directly, it is time to force the pseudoconservative Bishops out of their liberal closets.

[PAR35]

By the way - somewhat off topic, I noticed that one of the United Methodist megachurches is advertising a couple of Sunday morning chapel services in the "Anglican Methodist Tradition". Given that the local Episcopal bishop is a moderate, I'm not sure if they are marketing to the liberals or the conservatives. (And to put chapel in context, it is probably large enough to seat the average Episcopal congregation.)

[jecIIny]

I think the so called Network parishes have two moral options, the TAC and attempted reunion with Rome, or Western Rite Orthodoxy. Take your pick.

[LibreOuMort]

There are other options: the Anglican Province of Christ the King and the Diocese of the Holy Cross. Both are pure canonical anglicanism - free of even the C of E compromises of late. I would stay away from the RC church - it is way too liberal (Novus Ordo).

[jecIIny]

Both of the Anglican alternatives you mentioned are pretty small though. This also raises the question of who are you in communion with and are you a part of THE CHURCH or are you a denomination / sect? I think that logically those who want to be a part of THE CHURCH and not "a church" are limited to Rome or Orthodoxy.

Yes you make a good point that in many places the Catholic Church (at least in Europe and the US) are pretty liberal, but there are some positive signs of improvement. It is quite likely that the Latin Church is entering into what will likely be a multi year program of true liturgical reform with two aims. First fixing the mess created by the botched "reforms" carried out after VCII. And secondly implementing an authentic reform along the lines of what the council clearly intended. Also there is evidence of a sea change in Rome with the election of +Benedict XVI. It is very likely that in the next few months a much broader permission will be given for the use of the traditional Roman Rite of the Mass (Tridentine). Also the TAC is involved in what sounds like serious negotiations for the creation of a self governing Anglo-Catholic Rite Church to be in union with the Holy See. I am cautiously optimistic that Rome has seen the light and given up on serious efforts at reunification with Anglican Communion. This is a real possible course for Rome.

However for those who have theological problems with Catholicism there remains the option of Western Rite Orthodoxy (WRO). The Antiochan Orthodox Archdiocese has a growing number of parishes that are Orthodox and worship according to the western liturgical tradition. There are two accepted liturgies. One is a very slightly modified form of High Church Anglican Mass and the other is a very slightly modified form of the pre-Vatican Tridentine Mass. WRO also has the advantage of being in a canonical Orthodox Jurisdiction and being able to commune the sacraments in any other canonical Orthodox church of either Western or Byzantine Rite. For more on this you could look at...

http://www.westernorthodox.com/