Integrity Lauds New Bishop of California’s Policy on Blessings Russell Says Andrus Has Taken “A Real Step Forward”
The key tenets of the Diocese of California’s policy on same-gender blessings, as announced by Bishop Andrus in a letter to the diocesan clergy and as reported by the Rev. John Kirkley’s blog (http://revkirkley.blogspot.com) include:
1) Blessings are subject to the discretion of clergy in consultation with couples.
2) Careful counseling and preparation should precede the rite.
3) The bishop is to be informed of the blessing in advance and consulted regarding the rite, as part of the exercise of his pastoral responsibility.
4) The Diocesan Commission on Marriage and Blessings will identify and/or develop rites of reference for use in the diocese. (This will relieve couples and clergy of the onerous and unfair task of having to reinvent the liturgical wheel for every rite.)
5) These blessings will be a public expression of the church’s common life. “The blessings of same-sex couples in our churches are celebrations of Christian love and vocation, and deserve the same expressions of joy and excitement that others enjoy.”
Seems to me that the Primates have told TEC that this has to stop by 9/30/07. I don't think that TEC's HoB can tell this Bishop to stop this directly, but the Bishop himself can stop this. If he doesn't, then my guess is that he'll find himself uninvited to Lambeth. I think TEC will also find that they'll be told that if they don't discipline this guy (after all, the Canons still clearly state that marriage is for heterosexual couples only), they'll find themselves out of the AC.
Primates? You mean like Gorillas?