The defense attorney for the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Bennison, Jr., has expressed exasperation with the Episcopal Church’s Court for the Trial of a Bishop as he prepares to appeal his client’s conviction and sentencing.
Most recently the court rejected the bishop’s request for a new trial based on 200 personal letters, which his attorney, James Pabarue of Philadelphia, said conflicted with testimony given in court.
Mr. Pabarue believes the court misapplied Canon IV.14.4 because the case involved Bishop Bennison’s response to sexual misconduct by his brother and not any sexual misconduct by the bishop.
“The church has a way of playing more games than do secular courts,” Pabarue told The LivingChurch.
The “game-playing” began when Chuck Bennison mis-handled the incident with his pederastic brother.
Not that I am defending the +Bennison’s actions (o lack thereof), but Br_er Rabbit, his brother was in no way a pederast.
Brian, I will withdraw the noun if you have a suitable adjective or noun with which I can replace it.
I have direct experience with Mr. Bennison from when he used to go by “ChucK,” but I must admit I have no experience with his brother apart from what I read in the news.
It’s interesting: when canons are being bent and ignored to strike down a Duncan or Wantland, that’s justice. The ends justify the means, and any decent person would think so. But, man, look out when the Left turns on one of their own, probably for media relations reasons, no less – then, this church has a way of playing games when it comes to meting out discipline. Gosh, Mr. Bennison, you don’t say.
Mr, Rabbit: How about “ephebophile” Like Polanski. Not much of an improvement.
Mr Pabarue, give it up! Chuckles is HISTORY!
Br_er Rabbit
Creedal Episcopalian is correct. A pederast is specifically a man who has sex with an adolescent boy.
Thanks, Brian and Creedal for the correction. I withdraw my remark with sincere apologies to the ephebophile.
Ah, and it was none other than the former bishop to discover how to bend the use of the “abandonment of communion” canon in order to rid himself of a troublesome priest.
Maybe what goes around comes around sometimes.
#5, I had to look that one up and came across this:
Urban Dictionary: ephebophile – A [pedophile] with a thesaurus.
William
That’s funny. I love the urban dictionary site. But in all seriousness, the distinction becomes critical because a pedophile (someone who has sex with pre-adolescent children) is incurable and an ephebophile (someone who has sex with children who are post-adolescent) can be cured.
Does one sense that a civil suit may be in the offing?
It is tragic that we have to have so many fine distinctions to describe disordered sexual behavior. But no-one can be cured. One can be saved. An indication of salvation is the cessation of disordered behavior.
Trying to put too fine a point on what Bishop Bennison’s brother did and how the bishop covered for him does not make either act any less reprehensible.