Bishop Lawrence did raise questions about the appropriateness of a hostile legal probe occurring within his diocese, and noted that he has not heard from the Presiding Bishop regarding this probe.
But he also explained the deeper motivation of his decision to delay the diocese’s convention for three weeks: “This is not a time for precipitous action; nor is it a time for congregations or members to strike out in unilateral directions destructive to the common life and witness God has called us to make in the world and the Church.”
If this is a bishop willfully disregarding the rights of Episcopalians within his diocese, he has a strange way of showing it. No: What Bishop Lawrence is disregarding is the Presiding Bishop’s lawsuit-happy response to any congregation that votes itself out of affiliation with the Episcopal Church.
Thus far, there is no evidence of a lawsuit. An inquiry was made for information. The PB, under the Canons, has the right and obligation to investigate any Bishop’s actions when it is suggested (charged by 3 Bishops) that those actions violate the Canons. Every Bishop vows to act in accordance with those Canons. Where but by the use of the Chancellor’s office should those charges be investigated. Failure to enforce the Dennis Canon might be a charge. So might be altering the rubrics to include special conditions of ordination. Entirely consistent with the information sought. Should the charges be substantiated the PB has the right and obligation to temporarily inhibit the Bishop in question, until a trial can be scheduled.
#1 There was not “an inquiry” made for information. There were I believe 6 inquiries made for information, all in rapid succession from an ethically challenged attorney who first tried to misrepresent his reason for requesting the information and then deliberately set an adversarial tone with number and declaratory nature of his “requests”.
“Who but the Chancellor’s Office should investigate?” I don’t know, how about the Presiding Bishop picking up the phone and calling Bishop Lawrence herself? That is the canonically valid way to gain information about another bishop’s diocese.
As to three bishops alleging canonical violation and church trials, those were both done away with by fiat from the Presiding Bishop over the last year and a half. Consent by three senior bishops was not obtained before Bob Duncan was canonically invalidly deposed, and Bishop Duncan was looking forward to a full trial and due process before his deposition, however, even due process is now excised at the whim of the PB.
As to failure to enforce the Denis Canon, where in the canons does it state that the only way to enforce the Denis Canon is through litigation? Also, you have the fact that no parish has yet tried to leave, but then since the +Duncan precedent within TEC, thoughcrimes are fully punishable by the full weight of 815’s might.
Another reason to be hesitant about litigating parishes (who haven’t violated anything yet) is the ruling of the South Carolina Supreme Court that has was negatively disposed to the Denis Canon’s ability to be used to bind parish property in that state. The courts kind of frown on “frivolous lawsuits” constantly bringing up the same matters where stare decisis has already spoken.
The irony, if irony it is, is that 815’s action makes it even harder for Bishop Lawrence to keep his diocese united and remaining IN TEC. While all sorts of excuses have been made for prior depositions, this is new ground to attack a sitting Bishop who has stated and acted to keep his Diocese in TEC.
It seems far more likely that the PB has decided to “purge the politburo” of dissent. I fully expect to see HOB photos with Lawrence having been airbrushed out.
Please keep Bishop Lawrence, by name, and his diocese in your daily prayers.
The Lord might “… inspire a congregation to set out, like Moses, in a quest for the Promised Land”, but He might also direct a congregation to stand firm and preserve the holiness of holy ground.
Mark Brown
San Angelo, Texas
February 26, 2010
MarkABrown, I completely agree. Hooray for the parishes which have chosen not to hand over church property for their bishops to ape the Christian faith and lure the unchurched into a fraud.