Episcopal Church gets a caution flag on gays

Episcopal Church gets a caution flag on gays

Reuters -

By Michael Conlon

CHICAGO (Reuters) - A panel to address divisions caused by the U.S. Episcopal Church's consecration of an openly gay bishop recommended on Friday that the church be very cautious about doing so again and make a fresh statement of apology and repentance.

The group's report said its members were divided over whether to go farther and instruct the 2.3-million-member church to "refrain" from putting gays into the episcopate, but in the end settled on telling members to use "very considerable caution" before installing another gay bishop.

The clergy-lay panel, called the Special Commission of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion, also said any bishops who have authorized the blessing of same-sex unions -- something the U.S. church leadership has never sanctioned -- should cease and consider making public expressions of regret.

The commission was formed last year amid turmoil in the 77-million worldwide Anglican Communion -- the global family of Anglican churches -- caused by the U.S. church's consecration in 2003 of Eugene Robinson of New Hampshire. He is the first bishop known to be in an openly gay relationship in more than 450 years of Anglican history.

The worldwide church leadership called on the U.S. church to cease and express regret, and the U.S. bishops a year ago made an apology. They also agreed not to consecrate any more bishops, gay or straight, until at least the church's next convention in June, and to put a moratorium on blessing same-sex unions.

The commission's report contains a number of resolutions that will be offered for discussion at the June gathering of bishops and other representatives of each diocese, called delegates.

One on the election of bishops said those involved in the process should "exercise very considerable caution in the nomination, election and consecration of bishops whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church and will lead to further strains ..."

The commission said it "was not of one mind on the use of the words 'exercise very considerable caution' with some members instead recommending the words 'refrain from.'"

Church members in the San Francisco area are meeting in May to select a new bishop, with gays among those who have been nominated. If a gay candidate emerges, the June convention will have to decide if he or she is consecrated.

Another resolution urges the June convention to repeat a statement the bishops made in March 2005 expressing their "deep regret for the pain that others have experienced with respect to our actions" in the Robinson consecration, "and offer our sincerest apology and repentance for having breached the bonds of affection" in the Anglican church.

The report is designed to be the "beginning point of a conversation" for the June meeting, Frank Griswold, the presiding bishop said in a cover letter accompanying it.

"It is intended to start the conversation and not conclude it," so those at the meeting can "respond in the wisest possible ways."

There have been reports of a weakening of support for the consecration of another gay bishop or the blessing of same-sex unions.

The Church of England newspaper reported earlier on Friday that a survey of 298 current and retired U.S. bishops taken by a lay group found that 58 percent of them would not support blessing gay unions and 56 percent said they were opposed to Robinson's 2003 consecration.

One bishop said before the report was issued that he doubted a majority of the bishops today would approve another person in a gay relationship as a bishop.