The Presiding Bishop writes to the Bishop of Pittsburgh:The Rt. Rev. Robert Duncan
Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Dear Bob,
There have been numerous public references in recent weeks regarding resolutions to be introduced at your forthcoming diocesan convention. Those resolutions, if adopted, would amend several of your diocesan canons and begin the process of amending one or more provisions of your diocesan Constitution.
I have reviewed a number of these proposed resolutions, and it is evident to me that they would violate the Constitutional requirement that the Diocese conform to the Constitution and Canons of The Episcopal Church. It is apparent from your pre-convention report that you endorse these proposed changes.
I am also aware of other of your statements and actions in recent months that demonstrate an intention to lead your diocese into a position that would purportedly permit it to depart from The Episcopal Church. All these efforts, in my view, display a fundamental misunderstanding of the relationship between The Episcopal Church and its dioceses. Our Constitution explicitly provides that a diocese must accede to the Constitution and Canons of the Church.
I call upon you to recede from this direction and to lead your diocese on a new course that recognizes the interdependent and hierarchical relationship between the national Church and its dioceses and parishes. That relationship is at the heart of our mission, as expressed in our polity. Specifically, I sincerely hope that you will change your position and urge your diocese at its forthcoming convention not to adopt the resolutions that you have until now supported.
If your course does not change, I shall regrettably be compelled to see that appropriate canonical steps are promptly taken to consider whether you have abandoned the Communion of this Church -- by actions and substantive statements, however they may be phrased -- and whether you have committed canonical offences that warrant disciplinary action.
It grieves me that any bishop of this Church would seek to lead any of its members out of it. I would remind you of my open offer of an Episcopal Visitor if you wish to receive pastoral care from another bishop. I continue to pray for reconciliation of this situation, and I remain
Your servant in Christ,
Katharine Jefferts Schori
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My two cents??? BRAVA!
The PB's letter, made public in Jan Nunley's ELO article yesterday, is receiving the usual response from the usual suspects:
"If your course does not change, the Lord has revealed that judgment will promptly follow. Millstones await those who lead his little ones astray" from Mat Kennedy of Stand Firm fame ...
...and the titusonenine intelligentsia are offering comments like: "...you are not a creedal Christian. And, quite frankly, if Jesus is only what you say he is, then who cares what he said. In any event Susan Russel is not “inclusive” accept on her and Integraty’s terms. So spare the crocadile tears as we leave."
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Meanwhile, Mark Harris offers a highly recommended concise and thorough overview at PRELUDIUM: everything you ever wanted to know about Title IV and didn't know enough to ask about!
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[Photo credit: NYTimes]
23 comments:
When our vestry meets in a few days we will be faced with whether or not to voluntarily pledge to our diocese. At least 60% of our vestry questions how a Church with a 1.8 Million in shortfall can afford increasing legal costs to lay claim to Episcopal properties that will have to be sold. Many of those Church properties are heavily mortgaged. With little to no congregation in the Episcopal sites, who will pay for the staggering debts? Do we look forward to lovely old buildings becoming restaurants while their thriving members are growing in a local storefront? This isn't to mention the unseemly chasing of people through the courts.
No. We will not give a full pledge to our diocese to support such a National Church. WE are not amused.
Dear Rev. Russell:
"I call upon you to recede from this direction and to lead your diocese on a new course that recognizes the interdependent and hierarchical relationship between the national Church and its dioceses and parishes. That relationship is at the heart of our mission, as expressed in our polity. Specifically, I sincerely hope that you will change your position and urge your diocese at its forthcoming convention not to adopt the resolutions that you have until now supported.
If your course does not change, I shall regrettably be compelled to see that appropriate canonical steps are promptly taken to consider whether you have abandoned the Communion of this Church -- by actions and substantive statements, however they may be phrased -- and whether you have committed canonical offences that warrant disciplinary action."
Change just a few words and that is pretty much the same sentiment expressed by much of the Anglican Communion when it asked TEC not to go ahead with the divisive actions of GC 2003.
It is startling in its similarity as expressed from one who supported the actions of GC2003 to what Bp. Schori has been asked by many leaders of the Communion.
From one looking from the outside in, just thought it was worth pointing out.
A sinner saved by God's Grace.
Jim from Michigan
Allen,
If the leadership of TEC did not try and stop those who attempt to steal property that does not belong to them, they would not be fullfilling the fiscal and moral responsibilities entrusted to them.
I assure you there are many who would not be amused if they disregarded those responsibilities.
If you tie strings to your gift to the diocese, I really don't think it is a gift, is it? Freely you have received, and freely you give. Don't want to give to the diocese without placing demands on your gift? Then don't.
Personally, I would then deny you voice and vote in any further diocesan decisions, but most likely your bishop is more gracious than I am.
Jim,
There are no "canons" of the Anglican Communion. However, there are canons that bind the actions of bishops who have vowed to be faithful to the doctrine and discipline of TEC. They are now being held accountable for breaking those vows.
Your "apples and oranges" comparison falls short of the mark, it seems to me.
Good Lord!
Where did you get that picture?
Jim,
But the AC is NOT set up to take "canonical actions"---the AC has NO canons! [Beyond the Quad, and the Constitution of the ACC]
Why oh why do reasserters keep making these "X is like Y" comparisons, when X (TEC) is NOT like Y (the AC)?
Proclaiming God's Saving Grace for ALL!* :-D
JCF, also in Michigan
[* And allen, honey, you seem particularly need of. Grace tastes SO much better than bile: try it?]
I don't find this letter threatning, however, I do believe it to be factual and rightly so from my perspective.
Great letter to the point....
Joe
Dear Susan
You missed the other big news of the week out of 815, about +Bennison. All the other sites are agog with it. I would love to hear your comments too
We are NOT Amused
Thanks, Susan. I cannot think of a more appropriate title and picture to communicate the attitudes and actions of 815 towards some honest and faithful Christians.
anonymous--Didn't "miss" the Pennsylvania news. I figured +Chuck's inhibition was getting enough comment elsewhere and other than saying it's a sad, sad situation for everybody involved I really don't have anything else to say.
texican -- New York Times ... just added the photo credit I forgot to to provide. Thanks!
Jake,
I AM the leadership of the Episcopal Church. Those above have nothing to lead without those paying the bills. They are getting fewer.
Those of us who sacrificed (like our ancestors) to build, improve, maintain, and expand property do NOT appreciate the blithe pronoucements of heretics who claim to speak for us. Our property was family-donated, community built, and community maintained for over 60 years before the Dennis Canon was ever imagined. Now we are told that a group of modern nihilists are leading our Church and want to change the faith and order of the Church to reflect their own twisted minds.
We WILL NOT support any such lie and we will not go quietly.
As this plays out in the public eye there will not be enough damage control that 815 and its acolytes can muster to convince new people to attend and invest in such a Church with such leaders. The "canons" are backfiring.
RonF -- unfortunately, the Christians you would like to depict as victims of 815 have neither been honest, nor faithful. It is time they are held accountable for their schismatic words and action. If they can no longer be true to their vows, they can as individuals choose to leave TEC for another denomination. THAT would be the honest and faithful thing to do, and I have known priests who have done so (a priest I knew in my younger years left for the Russian Orthodox church, but he did not whine and fret and foot-stamp his way out the door -- he acknowledged that God was leading him a different way and left with grace, love and dignity). So if the schismatic bishops want to leave, they may, but they cannot take TEC property or congregations with them, end of story.
Each day I give thanks to God for the witness of Susan and Jake and the others who take the time and effort to put forth meaningful and helpful information and encouragement (and suffer the slings and arrows with dignity).
I suppose it is the perversity of human nature that the negative voices are those which tend to crowd out the reasoned and reasonable ones. Perhaps we can annoint those squeaky wheels of self-righteous zealotry with the balm of Gilead.
-J
Bp. Duncan's reply:
The Most Revd Katharine Jefferts Schori
Episcopal Church Center
New York, New York
Dear Katharine,
Here I stand. I can do no other. I will neither compromise the Faith once delivered to the saints, nor will I abandon the sheep who elected me to protect them.
Pax et bonum in Christ Jesus our Lord,
+Bob Pittsburgh
If the leadership of TEC did not try and stop those who attempt to steal property that does not belong to them, they would not be fullfilling the fiscal and moral responsibilities entrusted to them.
Jake, in point of fact the property that the parishes are seeking to retain was in almost all cases paid for by the past and present members of the parish, not the Diocese. Those parish properties belong to the parishioners. The Dioceses certainly have no moral right to them. The theft here is a slow motion one initiated when the Dennis Canon was passed. It's being closed out now because 815 and it's agents in the various Diocesean offices are ignoring the Scriptural exhortation on how disputes among Christians are to be settled and are use the courts and a superior financial position to bludgeon the parishioners into submission.
There are no "canons" of the Anglican Communion.
You know, you're quite right Jake. The National Church is invoking the canons in it's dispute with these parishes. That's in fact hardly comparable to the Anglican Communion's call to the authority of God's own word. It seems to me that when Jesus spoke about a conflict between law and God, law took second place.
Susan,
Bp. Duncan has replied - see http://www.pgh.anglican.org/news/local/pbresponse110207
re "the reply," I repeat what I posted at OCICBW:
+ Bobblehead's ludicrous and preposterously presumptuous response has me ROTFLMAO! Thinks he's Martin Luther??? What a total jerk! Pray that one day he will be enlightened enough to laugh at his own caricature of... of whatever. I'm at a loss for words! Good Grief!
Ronf and allen, you seem to assume that parishioners are unanimous in wanting to take their property away from the Episcopal Church. I would bet in every one of those churches there are loyal Episcopalians, even if they are in the minority. And the buildings are theirs. I left the Methodist Church years ago and guess what???? I didn't get to take the building with me. Theft is theft, and it is stunningly ironic to see thieves calling other people unChristian.
It is stunningly ironic to see Christians calling other people thieves.
ellie -- More ironic that watching Christian people take things that don't belong to them, ignoring the Constitution and Canons they have VOWED to uphold and hijacking Holy Scripture to support their power grab?
No matter what you think, one thing is for sure. 815 does NOT and CANNOT control public opinion. Pronouncements and Dennis Canon claims can be spouted by a top PR firm, but the folks on the street will see their NEIGHBORS subjected to bullying by a NEW YORK Church leadership. This is the kiss of death for the Episcopal Church. The only relevance that property claims will have will be to those who want liberal college town endowed parishes close to Starbucks. The American public will abominate the heavy-handed legal tactics. The empty, decayed Episcopal property sites and the realtor signs out front will gladden many hearts into joining the next Episcopal Church down the street, right?
Good-bye TEC. The new Church will grow without you...and already has.
David Charles,
Can you disagree without the nasty schoolyard name-calling? I thought that liberals were better at toleration than narrow-minded people like me.
(BTW: I like your hymn in 1982 Hymnal).
Oh, ALL RIGHT, Allen! (sigh)
I will take back "Jerk" and "Bobblehead" as being synonymous with the word, "fool," and we both know that Jesus told us not to call anyone that. My bad. I just lost it when I read that letter.
However, I'm still appalled, amazed, and extremely amused at his presumptuous self-importance. But that's just me.
Thank you for reining me in.
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