Like many other Dioceses across the Episcopal Church, we will soon consider the election of Canon Mary Glasspool as Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Los Angeles. We pledge to do so prayerfully, recognizing, as the Archbishop of Canterbury stated, that our decision “will have very important implications” for the future of the Episcopal Church and its place in the Anglican Communion.
We regret the recent statement by the Bishop of Los Angeles, The Rt. Rev. John Bruno, that withholding consent because of Canon Glasspool’s sexuality “would be a violation of the canons of this church.” The theme of the most recent General Convention, hosted by the Diocese of Los Angeles, was “Ubuntu.” At that convention the Presiding Bishop invited the Church “into a larger and more expansive way of understanding identity in community.” We thus find the threat of canonical discipline, however veiled or unintended, sadly ironic to the call of living in community despite our differences, even differences on the subject of human sexuality.
For our part, we pledge to respectfully and prayerfully consider Canon Glasspool’s election, not only in light of her qualifications, but also in light of our valued place in the Anglican Communion and the call of the proposed Covenant to act in continuity and consonance with Scripture and the catholic and apostolic faith, order, and tradition, as received by the Churches of the Anglican Communion. We encourage other Standing Committees in the Episcopal Church do the same, pledging our prayers for Canon Glasspool, Bishop Bruno, The Diocese of Los Angeles, and the Episcopal Church.
Nice little shot at Bishop Bruno, but a simple “Nuts” like General McAuliffe gave when surrounded would have sufficed.
+JJB is right that voting against Glasspool simply because she is a lesbian would be a technical violation of the Canons. But voting against her because she is sexually active outside of Holy Matrimony is not against the Canons.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
Phil,
I do hope that when it comes time to withhold consent that our SC doesn’t hide in the thickets of technicality. It is time for yes to be yes and no to be no.
I met Mary Glasspool while she was rector of St. Margarets in Annapolis. She was very likeable and preached a good sermon. Her private life was always a mystery and was hidden at that time. According to her own statements, she was in a lesbian relationship all that time. One of my objections to anyone being elected a bishop is lying, either actively or passively. hardly a model Christian.
On those grounds alone, I would be hesitant to approve her election. I think I would feel the same way is the person in question was heterosexual.
Phil, it all depends on how you choose to interpret the canon in question. Note that the canon itself is NOT specific. The words “celibate” and “non-celibate” are nowhere to be found. Thus you can interpret the canon to mean that it applies only to celibate homosexual people whereas Bruno can interpret it to mean that it applies to all. Since the canon does not say, all the two of is left with is what you THINK it means. But neither you nor Bruno can prove your points by the wording of the canon itself.
I may be confused but I think that I have read that the Diocese of Dallas has openly homosexual parish clergy. If so, why object to (Rt.) Rev. Glasspool? Statmann
Statmann, because a noncelibate homosexual bishop is a communion breaker, and a noncelibate homosexual presbyter is not.
There is little logic to that, but it remains the case.
It has been argued, and I agree, that a presbyter is only a presbyter by license of the supervising bishop, while a bishop is a bishop of the whole church.
There is no ‘justice’ in allowing a noncelibate homosexual to become a presbyter but not a bishop. But that is because the noncelibate homosexual should not have become a presbyter. The same applies for a noncelibate unmarried heterosexual.
Re Number 2: Phil, I don’t follow. How can people say “simply because she is a lesbian” and then suggest canonical violation if her election isn’t confirmed? It isn’t her sexuality that’s at issue; it is her behavior. It is a matter of record that she and VGR are in committed homosexual relationships. The Church has said that, outside marriage, Christians are to be celibate. So they haven’t been able to be faithful to their ordination vows in the past or the present, much less those of episcopacy.
On another note, I’m wondering whether the bishop-elect for Upper South Carolina will also fail to receive confirmation because of his unfaithfulness in allowing “open communion.”
Statmann,
There is at least one homosexual priest that I know. I do not know if he is in a relationship or not. He has never brought a “special friend” to diocesan events that I know of.
Fr. Reed, I don’t really care why the Standing Committee says “no.” I would prefer that they say “No!” because Glasspool is sexually active outside of marriage. I also think that the SC should say “no” to the DUSC Bishop Elect because he practices Communion of the Unbaptized.
YBIC,
Phil Snyder
I believe we are mixing apples and oranges as the summer camp of 2009 in Anaheim produced a resolution, (non-binding) concerning this as opposed to a new canon (binding). Regardless, all should do the right thing and reject her unless they include a practicing lesbian a “wholesome example” in their definition. Com’on folks, read the ordinal in the BCP for Ordination of a Bishop, as it hasn’t changed since the 1970’s as mine has 1979 printed in the front pages.
Do remember what is to follow: JJ’s strained logic on the Canons (traffic cop legalism at its best, thank you Patrollman Bruno) logically leads to adoption of secular criminal penalties for disapproval of homosexual behavior, as has been done in Canada and England. I understand they tried to lock up a bishop for refusing to hire a homosexual to supervise a group of boys.
Can’t happen here? Oh it can, and will. Things like the this beef over a lesbian bishop is precisely what leads to legal oppression of those who don’t agree with their pansexual Vision of The Future. What this tiny and aberrant religious club (TEC) does has wider implications for society.