Later, [Charles] Bennison did not prevent his brother’s ordination, his later request to be reinstated after renouncing his orders in 1977, or his transfer between two California dioceses, according to the Episcopal committee.
John Bennison was forced to leave the priesthood in 2006 when news of his abuse was made public, according to Episcopal News Service.
A trial date for Bishop Bennison has not yet been set. He will be paid in the meantime, ENS reported.
Meanwhile, the Diocese of Pittsburgh disregarded a warning from Schori and took a big step out the door of the Episcopal Church, declaring itself at odds with the denomination’s more liberal view of Scripture and homosexuality and paving the way to join a more conservative Anglican branch.
By a tally of 227 to 82, lay and ordained delegates to Pittsburgh’s annual convention on Friday (Nov. 2) voted to change their diocese’s constitution, removing language that requires “accession” to the national church.
“As a diocese we have come to a fork in the road,” Pittsburgh Bishop Robert Duncan told delegates on Friday. “Indeed, it has become clear that our understandings are not only different, but mutually exclusive, even destructive to one another.”
Interesting to see that these two unrelated stories (Bennison’s inhibition and Duncan/diocese of Pittsburgh) are getting linked somehow in the religious & mainstream press. Curious if this is an ENS tactic or just a coincidence . . .
What a genius +Schori is (knowingly or unknowingly) for releasing these two news stories virtually simultaneously. Tons of people scan merely the headlines, especially when it comes to the religion section. This brush has plenty of tar for everyone.
Wanna bet Bennison wishes he’d agreed to a buyout—er, golden handshake—while it might have been available?
#4, Yep, it was worth a cool million to Joe Doss:
http://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/dossagreement.html
Nothing exceeds like excess!
Not to mention Richard Shimpfky, I believe.