Thinking Anglicans

Connecticut: Bishop cleared of charges

Episcopal News Service has published Charges dropped against Connecticut bishop.

See also, the Connecticut diocesan statement Ecclesiastical charges against the Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith dropped by Episcopal Church review committee.

The full report of the Title IV Review Committee can be downloaded here (PDF, 4.5 Mbytes).

There is another report by the Living Church: Investigation Clears Bishop of Connecticut. It includes this:

At several points in the decision the review committee made comparisons of the actions of the six clergy to recommendations made in the so-called “Chapman Memo,” an unofficial strategy report leaked to the press that called for widespread canonical disobedience with the objective being the replacement of The Episcopal Church in the Anglican Communion.

“The AAC [American Anglican Council] had advised dissenting priests and congregations to plan and prepare to separate themselves from their dioceses but not to say that they were ‘out of communion’ with the dioceses, precisely in order to avoid proceedings under Canon IV.10,” the decision stated. “While it may seem surprising and even ironic that priests could be found to have abandoned the communion of the Church while protesting that they were not leaving the Church and are in fact trying to preserve the Church’s communion with Anglicans worldwide, the canons do not preclude addressing the acts of the six priests described above through Title IV, Canon 10.”

Fr. Hansen was removed from priestly ministry within The Episcopal Church, but the other five continue to serve as rectors of their respective parishes. Based on the review committee decision it would appear there is no impediment to prevent Bishop Smith from immediately removing the other five, but Karin Hamilton, the director of communication for the diocese, said she is unaware of any such plans by Bishop Smith.

Hartford Courant Review Panel Clears Episcopal Leader and this earlier report from Associated Press Church Dismisses Religious Charges Against Episcopal Bishop.
New Haven Register Charges against Episcopal bishop dropped

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Ford Elms
Ford Elms
16 years ago

I can’t wait for the renewed Monty Python-esque cries of
“‘ere, ‘e’s oppressin’ me!” I bet the Connecticut six and their followers are now looking about for the crosses they hope, in vain, to hung upon as a public show of their righteousness. This opportunity to claim martyrdom will be far to good to pass up.

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