Over breakfast, Gregory Venables, Presiding Bishop of the Church of the Southern Cone, apologized for not contacting me before making incursions into the Diocese of San Diego. Over the past two years, Bishop Venables together with Bishop Frank Lyons of the same province, have made numerous episcopal visits to our diocese without my knowledge or consent. I was heartened by his apology and relieved to hear him say he had not received either of the two letters I had sent protesting these actions and outlining the harm they caused to the church here in San Diego. Previously, I had taken his silence to mean his actions were intentional.
In light of these new developments, I have proposed that we continue discussing how to mend the tear these incursions have caused in our diocese. I am in preliminary conversations with Richard Blackburn of the Lombard Mennonite Peace Center as a possible mediator for these discussions. I’m delighted to say that Bishop Venables has agreed to consider such a plan and we will be meeting for breakfast tomorrow to discuss it further.
I would prefer to also hear AB +Greg’s version of this story. The California Supreme court decision on property ownership that is pending will affect ALL property owners in California. The Petaluma case was postponed last week for just such ruling and of course the Vichy Episcopal regime’s property grab in San Joaquin will pivot from the decision therefore I assume the San Diego parish property rights may also be upheld as well.
Let’s not get too excited as TEC may invoke the Peter Lee principal as the can is kicked further down the road.
Intercessor
Le
Does anyone out there know about this? If Bp. Venables is throwing in the towel, I can’t imagine that there is any future for Anglicanism in America. All I can say is it’s a good thing the Africans didn’t go to Lambeth.
Oh no….It looks like a compromise is brewing! 🙁
-Vincent
#2 I wouldn’t worry about that.
See this [url=http://www.standfirminfaith.com/index.php/site/article/14968/#260404] comment [/url] by Bp Venebles yesterday
#4–I HOPE you are correct. On another point, if mediation is such a good idea, why won’t Kate and the Bishop of San Diego mediate the property cases?
#5 David
Hopefully relationships have been built up at this conference on all sides, so that sensible negotiations can now take place and all these lawsuits can finally be dropped, allowing each side to move on rather than continuing to waste their resources on litigation – from that comment linked earlier “Which is to say, if we must disagree, let us do so in a Christian and loving manner”.
My guess is Bp. Venables is proceeding in that direction.
Er, Bishop Mathes,
The congregations Bp Venables visited are not TEC churches. Permission to visit them was not yours to grant or deny. As for “incursions,” do you not recall that a San Diego court disallowed YOUR incursion into a newly independent parish? It would be disengenous not to include that “slight matter” on your proposed discussion agenda.
w.w.
#7 Personally I think its time to let bygones be bygones. Its time to forgive all that and start moving forwards. If San Diego is willing to negotiate, then negotiate? There is nothing to lose by talking, and plenty to gain (good Christian witness; avoids more expensive litigation; draws an end to the conflict and allows each side to move forwards)
San Diego are willing to call in the mediators, so that is a positive step.
The mediators were at work in other parishes and dioceses, and were called off by 815, so they could instigate legal actions.
Let bygones be bygones? Not until action matches up with words.
Jim Elliott <><
On a side note
I believe bp mathes in the last couple of months ordained a gay man openly living in homosexual relationship to the deaconate. I must ask how can there be peace when this practice goes on ?
Archbishop Venables does not apologize to those who bless sin and sue his parishes. When he hears how Mathes has misrepresented his comments, my guess is that he will be quick to respond.
I met with Bp Mathes as I have met with many people during the conference and during the conversation mentioned that I was sorry I hadn’t taken the trouble to tell him what we were doing and why.
Thanks, bishop. I will now be able to sleep tonight.