…the question we can be concerned with here is whether this situation affects the leadership of the PB in two ways relating to the Communion. First, a few days ago a new canon on discipline of bishops came into effect. Some believe this new canon will be used to bring charges against the Bishop of South Carolina, Mark Lawrence, because allegedly there is a case which can be brought against him for the way in which he has handled some situations involving churches leaving his diocese, permitting property to go with the departure, rather than fighting to retain it for the future ministry of TEC. To bring such charges will be of great interest to many in the Communion because +Mark is a symbol of conservative presence in TEC: to charge +Mark would look to all the Communion as though TEC has no particular commitment to the diversity it professes. But now, there is a possibility the canon could be used against the PB herself. Or will both possibilities quietly die away, the embarrassment of the latter outweighing the advantages of the former?
It would be unconscionable if she, or anyone, went after Mark Lawrence. And if she went after him on the grounds suggested here–namely, allowing congregations to depart–then the Bishop of Kansas for one, who let Overland Park depart, and others, would surely be similarly ‘guilty.’
Since when has that stopped them? They will do what they want to do and ignore similar behavior when they want to.
One minor problem for KJS. We have a South Carolina Supreme Court case that says TEC has no interest in the property, and the Dennis Canon is not enforeable.
3, great. But you are the only state that had any sense.
But, the “SC Supremes” have no particular “say” in either the hiring or firing of Bishops. She has the “cannons” on her side, Denis has nothing to do with it..+Mark is not property.. Putting in a “bishop of her choice” can be done in a flash, specially IF she uses the newly elected of Upper SC for some sort of “oversight”. And, she will most certainly appoint a new Standing Committee. That sort of thing has little if anything to do with “property rights”She won’t stay in this particular pickle long.
Grandmother in SC
The pariah called TEC will continue to do as they please, and in so doing, they will isolate themselves from not only the rest of the Communion…..except for their few remaining psychophant friends who see things their way…..and will eventually end up as dead as my Aunt Maggie’s ghost.
As one of the commenters to Carell’s blog observes, it is extraordinary that Katherine Schori has not issued any public or media statement on this matter.
I wonder if Bishop Bennison will be charged with the “conduct unbecoming” as the appeals court stated.
Peter Carrell points out that it is unusual to the extreme to ordain/receive a priest and then immediately put restrictions on said priest, in reference to offending clergy was not to have contact with children. What he doesn’t say was that this restriction was a secret one – parents and parish leaders were not informed of the restriction.