Bits & Pieces for a Wednesday Lunch Break

So I'm taking a break from conference calls, liturgy generation and confirmation class preparation to post up a few "bits & pieces" of things that caught my attention around the web of late ... in no particular order:

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There's been a call for same-sex marriage in Australia ... good for them!

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Bishop Iker has reacted to the formation of a Steering Committee committed to keeping the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth IN the Episcopal Church by calling them "vigilantes" ... no surprise there, as the same bishop has also invited the Archbishop of the Southern Cone to come to Fort Worth to work on their "exit strategy" from TEC and (but wait ... there's more!) sent a decidely terse missive to the Presiding Bishop in response to her decidedly clear message that such an invitation was an "unwarranted invasion."

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Meanwhile, +Katharine has a letter to the House of Bishops, that "reviews and comments on process related to deposition, inhibition, renunciation and resignation of bishops." ... Perhaps that will finally get everyone "on the same page" ... or not!

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Across the pond, the Archbishop of Canterbury has taken the not-unexpected-but-still-disappointing step of prohibiting the Bishop of New Hampshire from functioning as a priest while in England. Some good points made by the Episcopal Cafe post on this matter:

The email, which came to Robinson through a Lambeth official, says Williams believes that giving Robinson permission to preach and preside at the Eucharist would be construed as an acceptance of the ministry of a controversial figure within the Communion.

Williams has not denied permission to preach and preside to Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, who gave his support to a failed legislative attempt to limit the rights of Nigerian gays and their supporters to speak, assemble and worship God collectively. Akinola has yet to respond to an Atlantic magazine article which suggests he may have had prior knowledge of plans for retributive violence against Muslims in his country that resulted in the massacre of more than 650 people in Yelwa, Nigeria.

Williams has not denied permission to preach and preside to Bishop Bernard Malango, the retired primate of Central Africa and one of the authors of the Windsor Report. Malango dismissed without reason the ecclesiastical court convened to try pro-Mugabe Bishop Nolbert Kunonga for incitement to murder and other charges.

Williams has not denied permission to preach and preside to Bishop Gregory Venables, primate of the Southern Cone, who has now claimed as his own, churches in three others provinces in the Anglican Communion (Brazil, Canada and the United States). Nor has he denied permission to preach and preside to Archbishops Henry Orombi of Uganda, Emanuel Kolini of Rwanda, or Benjamin Nzimbi of Kenya, all of whom have ignored the Windsor Report's plea not to claim churches within other provinces of the Communion.

Sources who have read the email say Williams expresses sorrow for the way the ban on Robinson must appear to the bishop and his supporters, but says he is acting for the good of the Church and the Communion.

My response at this point is a succinct: "Whatever."

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Closer to home, Matt Kennedy (of Stand Firm Fame) has finally managed to egg the diocese of Central New York into suing the congregation he has been trying to lead "out of the Episcopal Church" for lo these many years. (See also: much wailing and gnashing of teeth by the would-be martrys to the cause of "preserving the faith received from the saints through the ages.")

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Here endeth the "bits & pieces" ... (AND the lunch break!) More as they come ...
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