Episcopal bishop
suspends embattled priest

Hartford, Conn., Episcopal bishop Andrew Smith on Wednesday suspended one of six priests accused of refusing to recognize his authority. The six had requested to be supervised by someone else after Smith announced his support for the 2003 consecration in New Hampshire of the Reverend V. Gene Robinson, the church's first openly gay bishop. Smith on Wednesday used his power to "inhibit" the Reverend Mark Hansen and appointed another priest to lead St. John's Church in Bristol. The inhibition prevents Hansen from leading any congregation in Connecticut for six months. If the situation is not resolved by then, Smith can officially remove Hansen from his pulpit. Smith recently learned Hansen had sent a letter to the parish indicating he was leaving the church and would help the congregation find another priest, said Karin Hamilton, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Connecticut. She said Smith does not have any plans to take immediate action against the other five priests. Hansen's situation is different because he did not notify Smith of his plans to take a sabbatical, she said. "The bishop doesn't really know where Mark is," Hamilton said. "The bishop, for what he believed was the long-term well-being of the parish, decided to act today." A retired priest from Massachusetts had been conducting Sunday services, but there was no one with religious training to deal with the congregation's day-to-day needs, Hamilton said. The Reverend Susan J. McCone, an assistant priest at St. John's Church in Washington, Conn., has been appointed to lead the congregation. Parishioners will be invited to a meeting Sunday night to discuss the situation. A message seeking comment was left with a spokeswoman for the six priests. (AP)