England yet again

By Fr. Wilson ( articles ) | Jun 08, 2003

Yes, it is getting worse for the Anglicans. Here's from the London Times:

"THE Anglican Church has been plunged into its most serious crisis since the ordination of women priests as traditionalist and evangelical clergy united in protest at same-sex blessings and the choice of two gay men to serve as bishops. They expressed dismay over the election in America on Saturday night of Canon Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, making him the first Anglican bishop to be openly living with a gay partner. They are also considering how to respond to the choice of the homosexual theologian, Canon Jeffrey John, to serve as the next Bishop of Reading. Nearly 100 clergy in Oxford, one quarter of all clergy in the diocese, are demanding a meeting with the Bishop of Oxford, the Right Rev Richard Harries, after he used his diocesan synod address on Saturday to defend his choice of Canon John and to attack homophobia. Senior evangelicals in the Church of England said that orthodox clergy would unite in action bigger than anything we have seen before in protest at the appointments."

This may well prove to be the issue that provokes the needed confrontation. In Anglicanism as in our own Church, there has been a tacit condoning and protecting of a gay clerical subculture, although in recent years Anglicans have been much more open about it. The situation in our own Church, of course, has been disgraceful

Perhaps this is what it takes: it has to come out in the open so people feel as though their noses are being rubbed in it.