Monday, March 10, 2008

+New Hampshire Non Grata

This just in from Episcopal News Service:

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Lambeth invitation 'not possible' for Robinson

The House of Bishops was informed March 10 that full invitation is "not possible" from the Archbishop of Canterbury to include Bishop Gene Robinson of New Hampshire as a participant in this summer's Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops.

Robinson, addressing the House, urged the other bishops of the Episcopal Church to participate fully in the conference, and thanked all who are willing to "stay at the table." (A link to Robinson's remarks will follow.)

Robinson told the House that he respectfully declined an invitation to be present in the conference's "Marketplace" exhibit section.

Read the rest here ...

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And while I'll wait to comment further until after I've seen the full text of Bishop Robinson's remarks, if indeed the best the Archbishop of Canterbury could manage was to invite the Bishop of New Hampshire to be "present in the conference's "Marketplace" exhibit section" then the only thing I can think to say at this point is "Shame on him!"


Step right up, ladies and gentlemen ...


You don't want to miss this ...


Live -- in captivity ...


An Actual GAY BISHOP!




Imagine that!

.

Update: Report from Bishops Ed Little, Bruce Caldwell and Tom Ely to the House of Bishops regarding conversations about Bishop Gene Robinson's participation at the Lambeth Conference has just been posted to Episcopal Cafe .

5 comments:

Mary Clara said...

Susan, I've just read +Gene's comments posted over at 'The Lead' and I am so proud of him and so moved by his leadership and vision. As far as I'm concerned he truly is an exhibit! I would put him on display any day, anywhere, as an example of what a bishop of Christ's church ought to look like and act like and sound like.

The insult and the exclusion will backfire, don't you think? I should think this will only encourage more people sympathetic to the cause to show up and be visible in Canterbury -- more people, let's say, than the notorious "30 gay activists" whose potential attendance so frightened poor Abp Akinola that he had to plan on staying away. Yes, I think there will indeed be "exhibits" to see.

Frair John said...

At first I was a bit dissapointed that +Gene wouldn't be going.
And then I read that he would only be welcome in the Marketplace ...
The only image I could muster was that he would be like an exhibit.
Would Lambeth be providing a Carny barker for the show?

cp said...

I think +JDS of the Southern Cone would make a fine exhibit.

I'd pay five bucks to try my hand at knocking his funny hat off with beanbags, wouldn't you?

We could raise funds to minister to farm workers in the Episcopal Dioces of San Joaquin.

Suzer said...

An "exhibit"? How bizarre. Please tell me this doesn't mean exhibit in the usual sense. What exactly is the "Marketplace"?

The first images that come to my mind are rather unfortunate: that of a sideshow exhibit in a circus, or the image of slaves being sold at the market so many years ago.

Have any other bishops ever been invited to be an exhibit, and under what circumstances? I don't know much about what happens at Lambeth, so perhaps I'm missing something. It all seems so very strange, offensive and bizarre to me. Before I get angry, though, I want to be sure I'm not only seeing part of the picture.

Rev. David Justin Lynch said...

ABC's behavior towards + Gene is inexcusable. Sexual orientation is no more a choice than race or eye color or national origin. The conservatives need to grow up and act like adult Christians. My opinion is all of our Bishops (and the American money funding Lambeth) should just stay home.