George Pitcher writes at the Telegraph A lesbian bishop need not mean Anglican handbags at dawn, his concluding paragraphs are:
…What the American Episcopal direction really means is that we’re moving towards a schism that looks like the Mercedes-Benz logo. In one segment we have the Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions; in another, the conservative and orthodox Anglicans and, in the third, those who push the Reformist tradition alongside Bishops Glasspool and Robinson.
To those who say this last category is taking the Church to hell in a handcart, or possibly a handbag, I would say this: when Anglicans started to ordain women priests in the Nineties, female bishops became a logical and rational extension of that Reformist tradition. As for lesbians, the Bible has even less to say about them than it does about homosexuals. It may very well be that Queen Victoria, for whom lesbianism is said to have been removed from the Labouchere Amendment in 1865 when homosexual acts were outlawed because she simply didn’t believe they existed, was being more obedient than she knew to her scripture study.
But, ultimately, what Bishop Glasspool shows us is a God who is infinitely more interested in love than in sex. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth for his human creatures.
“But, ultimately, what Bishop (-elect) Glasspool shows us is a God who is infinitely more interested in love than sex. Sadly, nothing coukld be further from the truth for his human creatures” – Fr. George Pitcher, Telegraph – Quite a pithy and apt response, by George, to the recent ‘shock, horror’ responses to the selection of Mary Glasspool to the office of a bishop in the Episcopal Church of the USA. It would be nice to see a newly-reformed sodality of the Anglican Communion, jointly headed by Bishops Katharine Schori & Desmond Tutu. This may be the only way that… Read more »
I have two comments:
1. I long for the day when the sexuality of a person is not their defining feature. I am heterosexual, but nobody would think of introducing me as “Meet Anne, she’s heterosexual.”
2. We need to get away from the phrase ‘openly gay’ meaning that someone is in a homosexual relationship. ‘openly gay’ simply means that an individual does not hide his or her sexual orientation.
The most important things are committed, monogamous relationships.
The really shocking thing here is the contrast between the churches reaction on Mary Glasspool and the deafening silence on the new ‘genocidal’ law in Uganda. Apparently it’s OK to imprison and execute homosexuals but God forbid that one should be elected a Bishop ….
It may be true that the Archbishop of Canterbury has special influence over the Church and legislature of Uganda…. in which case….. On the other hand I really think he is deluding himself if he thinks he has that much sway. Seems the truth is it’s easier for him to act as though he is furiously lobbying against this Bill and for us all to let him off the hook. He is therefore curing his own discomfiture. There are things that are truly evil and you just have to speak out about them because history will search for your stance… Read more »
I don’t really disagree with GP, but it isn’t the selective history interesting: women have been ordained priest since the 1970s (and Florence Li Tim Oi in the 1940s) and we’ve had women bishops since the 1980s in the Communion. We’ve had women bishops so long, a number of them are now retired.
“The evil fruits of Lambeth 1:10.” – Craig
Not for much longer. You mark my words.
I was going to remind George Pitcher that we have been ordaining women to the priesthood for thirty-five years, and to the episcopate for twenty. But Judith Maltby beat me to it! The reality is that it has been a very long time since the Church of England has constituted the meaning of “Anglicanism.” But maybe now it’s time for the rest of us in the Communion to reconsider our appellation. If “Anglican” means “homophobic misogynistic establishment,” then I guess the only true “Anglicans” in North America are Bob Duncan and Jack Iker and Martyn Minns, as they claim. You’re… Read more »
Quite true, thank you for pointing it out J M!
As far as a “schism” goes… In the U.S. this is definitely a microschism. Only about 1% of parishes, priests, dioceses have attempted to leave TEC for some schismatic church. If you examine carefully the statistics given by the schismatics, you will see that they rely mostly on other anglican denominations such as the Reformed Episcopal Church or the Anglican Mission in America, most of whom were never members of TEC.
The election of the Venerable Canons is indeed Good News!
“Only about 1% of parishes, priests, dioceses have attempted to leave TEC for some schismatic church. If you examine carefully the statistics given by the schismatics, you will see that they rely mostly on other anglican denominations such as the Reformed Episcopal Church or the Anglican Mission in America, most of whom were never members of TEC.” – Scott Stockburger – Yes, Scott. What you say is the truth. However, the dissidents are relying on their solidarity with the African Churches they are alligned with -through faux bishops consecrated in the several African Provinces which sponsored them. This is the… Read more »