The recent deposition of bishops John-David Schofield and William J. Cox lends credence to those who say two sets of rules govern The Episcopal Church, according to Bishop D. Bruce MacPherson of Western Louisiana.
At a diocesan standing committee meeting on April 14, all six members approved a statement that noted that the deposition votes of the House of Bishops on March 12 failed to achieve the canonically required number of votes for enactment. A pastoral emergency prevented Bishop MacPherson from attending the standing committee meeting, but he endorsed the statement and urged its approval the following day at a meeting of diocesan council. All 19 members of council present also approved the resolution.
“The purpose is to express displeasure and concern, to encourage everyone to obey the canons” Bishop MacPherson told The LivingChurch. “Right now there is a disparity. It appears there are two different sets of rules for one church.”
There are, indeed, two different sets of rules currently operating in TEC. The election of an orthodox Bishop was “[url=http://www.episcopalchurch.org/79901_83796_ENG_HTM.htm]null and void[/url]” under TEC’s rules, but the vote of the House of Bishops in deposing members without the required majority, or without first receiving consent to inhibit them, “[url=http://www.episcopalchurch.org/78650_95735_ENG_HTM.htm]was in order[/url].” This double standard needs to be proclaimed loudly and clearly for what it is—ignoring the canons when it comes to disciplining the orthodox, and enforcing them to the letter when it comes to preventing their gains. “Heads we win, tails you lose.”
Bishop D. Bruce MacPherson, that special delivery from 815 should be arriving any day now.
It could also be said this way: “Heads, we win, tails, we win.”
Well, there is, but so what.
Thanks to Bishop MacPherson for speaking out so honestly and naming things what they are.
This sure reminds me of that famous quote from Macbeth “..the fiends that lie like truth”.