The U.S.
Episcopal Church did an about face on Wednesday on the issue
of ordaining any more gay bishops. The last-minute
move at the church's convention was aimed at
preserving unity within the worldwide Anglican Communion.
For eight days, delegates to the Episcopal
Church's triennial convention in Columbus, Ohio, have
wrangled over the contentious issue of ordaining
bishops who are openly gay. The issue came to a head in 2003
with the consecration of Gene Robinson as the bishop
of New Hampshire. Robinson is the first bishop known
to be in an openly gay relationship in more than 450
years of Anglican church history.
In an attempt to prevent a split with the
worldwide Anglican community, delegates agreed to a
compromise yesterday that reversed a decision
made Tuesday by one of the Episcopal gathering's legislative
bodies, which had rejected a temporary ban against gay
bishops. In the closing hours of the convention, a
resolution was adopted by both the church's bishops
and by lay and clergy diocesan representatives "to
exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration of
any candidate [for bishop] whose manner of life
presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead
to further strains on communion."
The vote came after outgoing Presiding Bishop
Frank Griswold and his newly elected replacement
Katharine Jefferts Schori pleaded with deputies to
approve something that would signal they understand the
anger of Anglican leaders. Immediately after the vote,
Bishop John Chane of the Diocese of Washington, D.C.,
said he was at least one bishop who would not follow
the non-binding resolution. (Sirius OutQ News)