The head of
the Episcopal Church said Wednesday it would create
"definite difficulty" between the denomination and fellow
Anglicans worldwide if the diocese of California elects an
openly gay bishop. The diocese announced additional
candidates for the job last week. Three of the seven
candidates in the May 6 balloting have same-sex partners.
The Episcopal Church caused an uproar in the
worldwide Anglican Communion when it consecrated New
Hampshire bishop V. Gene Robinson in 2003. Robinson
lives with his longtime male partner.
"I do think it would be fair to say that a
bishop in a same-sex relationship would create
definite difficulty in the life of the Communion,"
presiding bishop Frank Griswold said in an interview.
However, he noted that church governance allows each diocese
to choose its leader, and he said it would be
inappropriate for him to interfere.
His comments came as Episcopal bishops ended a
closed-door retreat in Hendersonville, N.C., and
released a statement emphasizing their desire to
remain within the 77 million-member Communion. "The unity,
mission, and faithfulness of the church are matters very
much in our prayers," the bishops said.
It was the last House of Bishops meeting before
the 2006 Episcopal General Convention, set for June
13-21 in Columbus, Ohio, which is expected to
be pivotal in the Communion's efforts to remain unified.
Episcopal delegates will craft a response to requests from
an Anglican commission on unity, which sought a
temporary halt on consecrating bishops in same-sex
relationships and on developing liturgies for blessing
ceremonies for gay and lesbian couples.
The U.S. bishops discussed proposals for that
response but did not reveal details. Griswold said the
goal is to "build communion" and "build trust" with
Anglicans overseas.
Conservative overseas archbishops have been
pressing the spiritual leader of the Anglican
Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, to
censure the U.S. church for confirming Robinson. Episcopal
leaders have apologized repeatedly for the controversy
following Robinson's election, but they have not
apologized for allowing his consecration to go forward.
Williams told the BBC earlier this month that
the Communion faces a possible breakup over the U.S.
church's acceptance of Robinson and if that happens,
it could take "decades to restore some sort of
relationship." Also at issue is the toleration of blessing
ceremonies for same-sex couples in parts of the
Episcopal Church and Anglican Church of Canada. (AP)
