Posted on 07/13/2005 12:46:26 PM PDT by sionnsar
This is the Diocese Press Release
This morning, the Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut, inhibited the rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Bristol, the Rev. Mark H. Hansen, removing him from that office, and appointed the Rev. Susan J. McCone to serve as priest-in-charge of the parish, effective immediately.
In March, Fr. Hansen announced to his parish that he would be taking sabbatical for an unspecified period of time. Although Episcopal priests in the Diocese of Connecticut formally apply for sabbatical, Fr. Hansen neglected to notify Bishop Smith of his departure as rector of the parish. In recent months, the bishop has become increasingly concerned for St. John's well-being as a full and healthy member parish of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut.
"I am concerned for the life and ministry of St. John's," said Bishop Smith. "In the past few months Fr. Hansen has made decisions that left the parish without sustained clergy leadership."
A letter formally inhibiting the Rev. Mark H. Hansen, St. John's rector, was delivered by Bishop Smith to St. John's Episcopal Church in Bristol. The Bishop was accompanied by the diocesan Canon for Stewardship and Administration, John ("Jack") W. Spaeth III, the Rev. Susan J. McCone, and Mr. Ed Seibert, who will provide administrative assistance. Fr. Hansen was not at the church or rectory; the bishop has not been notified of an alternate address.
In April, the diocesan Standing Committee, a council of advice for the bishop with specific responsibilities for clergy, recommended that Fr. Hansen be inhibited for abandoning the communion of the church. "Inhibition" means that the Fr. Hansen may not exercise the privileges of ordained ministry in the Diocese for a period up to six months. If before six months is over, the bishop is satisfied that he has returned to the communion of the church, the inhibition will be lifted (removed). If after six months the bishop does not believe Fr. Hansen has returned to the communion of the church, the bishop may depose him, permanently removing the privileges of ordained ministry in this and all other dioceses of the Episcopal Church.
Bishop Smith has appointed the Rev. Susan J. McCone as priest-in-charge of the parish, effective immediately. She now has the responsibility for the worship, ministry, mission, and property, under the bishop's direction. Ed Seibert, an administrative and financial consultant, has been asked to assist in parish administration and to review parish records. The bishop will provide pastoral counselors who will be available to meet with and listen to members of the parish who may wish to speak with them.
A letter is being sent today to the members of St. John's, notifying them of these events and inviting them to a special meeting with Bishop Smith on Sunday evening, July 17. That meeting will be open only to members of St. John's Episcopal Church, Bristol, and closed to the media and non-members of the parish.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Let us not forget St. John Chrysostom’s famous dictum, "The floor of hell is paved with the skulls of bishops."
The tone of the headline seems out of sync with the text.
Is it becoming standard practice in ECUSA to replace recalcitrant orthodox priests with priestesses, as an object lesson to their congregations?
Yes, I saw that too. It came off the CT6 website -- there the headline is in context, with the note (included) that this is the diocese' press release.
They have to put the priestitutes somewhere...usually in small, rural churches or troubled ones such as this one. What a gold-plated mess. ECUSA is an embarrassment to Christendom and ought to be ashamed to display the cross on their buildings.
This story actually brought to mind an incident at mainline presbyterian church a few days ago, with somewhat different results:
Moderator Ufford-Chase leads
group intruding on worship service
With tempers flaring and many congregants bursting into tears, a contingent led by Rick Ufford-Chase, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church (USA), tried unsuccessfully to take over the June 26 worship service being conducted by the majority of First Presbyterian Church in Torrance, Calif.
The service verged on pandemonium as Ufford-Chase and his allies milled around the chancel area, some of them talking loudly during prayers and hymn-singing and one, on at least two occasions, trying to forcibly grab the microphone, which was broken during one attempt. Church officials filed a police report, accusing the intruders of vandalism.
* * *
more, plus some photos here:
http://www.layman.org/layman/news/2005-news/moderator-ufford-chase-leads-group.htm
Unfortunately, becoming an opening and welcoming church will require driving off those who are not open and welcoming. Like Amos, I pray that Bishop Smith can successfully suppress dissent in Connecticut so that ECUSA will be safe for diversity. It is only by eliminating those who refuse to be conform to the rules of ECUSA and be welcoming that we will have true diversity in ECUSA.Nice. A regular Athanasius this guy.
If I may say so, kitty, this is rather uncalled-for. Not all women clergy are whores, or even liberals in their outlook. Some are actually quite conservative and respectable; we have had a few such on FR, and continue to have such.
We can, and do, differ on the validity of their orders. I remember one who noted here on FR that she was leaving ECUSA (lamenting how she had been led astray), renouncing her orders, and joining an orthodox church -- though whether it was Continuing or AMiA, I do not recall.
I know nothing about McCone except the (IMHO bad) company she keeps.
But lumping all female clergy into one singular basket is a mistake.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, we now have an accurate definition of what the Left defines as DIVERSITY!!!
This doesn't exactly sound like a call for "diversity."
She has to know the injustice and oppression being meted out by this bishop, and she not only stays silent, she cooperates with it.
I think it's possible, however, that she is an enthusiastic participant in the "ethical cleansing" of ECUSA.
Which, I am afraid, would make her a priestitute. If she is backing the bishop wholeheartedly (and not because he can do to her what he has done to the rector of this parish), then she has sold herself to what she knows is wrong for power, position, and the approval of the bishop.
I'm unwilling to tar all female priests with the same brush. BUT . . . I will say that since my former ECUSA parish was the main "training parish" for all new priests in the diocese, I saw almost every priestess ordained in the Diocese of Atlanta for 28 years. With one exception, they had received orders for all sorts of reasons except one - to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and him crucified. Most were highly political feminists, many were neurotics, some had something to prove, some were frankly short-haired mean lesbians who were out to beat the church into submission to their way of thinking. Even the one exception, who was a pretty good priest and has done well in her own parish, has been deluded into wholehearted support of GC 2003.
The lunacy that the priestesses by and large brought with them has not been worth it. I won't go so far as to call them priestitutes, but they HAVE contributed a great deal towards destroying ECUSA as we knew it.
I don't know anything about her personal life, but I think its a fair conclusion that she's being put in the parish to as a poke in the eye to the orthodox.
No doubt.
That poster is totally cockeyed. Amos did NOT suppress dissent--he was the dissenter!!!! The biblical knowldege of the revisionists is very minimal indeed, and what little "knowledge" they have is corrupted by their twisted exegesis!!!!
As for women priests/pastors, I never call them "priestitutes", since that is too close to "presstitutes" (like Dan Blather, Geraldo Rivera, etc.). Besides, I know many wonderful orthodox Lutheran women pastors. However, I also know many horrible feminazi and lesbian woman priests/pastors, and every woman "bishop" in the ELCA that I know is a total disaster.
However, McCone, as an "Affirming Anglican Catholic (?)" is a card-carrying feminazi and gaysbian enabler!!!! I posted about this bogus and hypocritical "affirming catholic (?)" movement yesterday.
Remind me again what the Episcopalian objection to Catholicism is.
Something about authority and the potential for its abuse, wasn't it?
"Unfortunately, becoming an opening and welcoming church will require driving off those who are not open and welcoming. Like Amos, I pray that Bishop Smith can successfully suppress dissent in Connecticut so that ECUSA will be safe for diversity. It is only by eliminating those who refuse to be conform to the rules of ECUSA and be welcoming that we will have true diversity in ECUSA"
Behold, the iron fist inside liberalism's velvet glove!
Here's a story from during the days of the Arian crisis. Arian clergy forced an Orthodox Christian catechumen to be baptised. As the lady refused to be baptised by Arian clergy, they forced the issue and so she found she was being baptised against her own will. As she emerged from the font, all dripping wet and with oil running down her body from head to toe, she sweetly said, "Thank you for the bath." Other Orthodox Christians were martyred by the thousands for refusing to receive Holy Communion from the Arian clergy. Some things just never change.
"Other Orthodox Christians were martyred by the thousands for refusing to receive Holy Communion from the Arian clergy. Some things just never change."
Yeah, that was back in the days when Christians acted like Muslims on jihad. At least that much has changed.
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