When the Rev. David Cannon, the priest-in-charge of Bishop Seabury Church in Groton, showed up to start his job two weeks ago, he walked around the outside of the building, trying every door. All locked.
He could hear people moving around inside, so he knocked. No answer.
Eventually, Cannon found his way to the office building, adjacent to the church, where he called out for the Rev. Ronald Gauss, who still heads the parish in defiance of Episcopal officials. The two men have known each other for many years ”” were on friendly terms, even ”” and Gauss knew why Cannon was there, but that didn’t make this any easier.
Cannon was there to take over Gauss’ church ”” and Gauss was having none of it.
“I wanted access to the church. I wanted the books, the keys, the right to celebrate communion there,” Cannon said. “I asked not once, not twice, but three times. I was refused all three times.”
“The struggle over the Groton church is rooted in a profound theological dispute over the ordination of women and homosexuals….”
The “…ordination of women and homosexuals….” are only symptoms of much deeper theological disagreements.
This is sort of like saying that the problem with a house is that its basement is flooded without mentioning that the water entered the basement from a flooding and overflowing river 100 yards away.
It would be be much more objective for the news media to professionally research their stories before writing them and presenting them to the public.
[blockquote]The other four churches are in varying degrees of harmony with the diocese.[/blockquote]
The other four CT Six churches are not in “varying degrees of harmony with the diocese.” St. Paul’s, Darrien, is the last of the CT Six parishes to still have any connection with the diocese.
“In Connecticut Episcopal Split Comes Down To Locked Groton Church”
Ironic headline—given that Bp. Smith would rather see the church PADLOCKED forever rather than open under orthodox leadership.
“I may not find anybody, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try”
Instead of searching for the 2 or 3 “loyalists” why not do the responsible and sensible- no, Christian thing, and negotiate a settlement with the 778 who want to leave? KJS and her publicly admitted policy of never settling property disputes with departing parishes is reprehensible.
I did not think the Conn. six were against the ordination of women. Are they?
[blockquote]I did not think the Conn. six were against the ordination of women. Are they?[/blockquote]
This was never an issue in the disagreement with Bishop Smith. I cannot speak to the individual stances of each of the six rectors because, to the best of my knowledge, this was never discussed publicly.
It is disingenous for Father Cannon to say, “I don’t have a dog in this fight. By attempting to carry out +Smith’s orders regarding the church property, he has become complicit in those orders. People may, and will, argue over who is right in this situation. But it is dishonest for Cannon+ to try to portray himself as a neutral broker in this situation. By accepting his assignment in this matter, he has become a partisan, and should expect that his actions and character will be judged in that context.
At least one of the Splendid Six has a daughter in seminary.