Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has named the Ven. Richard I. Cluett as pastoral assistant to reorganizing dioceses. In this capacity, Archdeacon Cluett will report to Bishop Clay Matthews in the Presiding Bishop’s Office of Pastoral Development.
It is not surprising that Presiding Bishop Schori has located this function under Bishop Matthews. Bishop Matthews’ most significant responsibility in the organization is that of ‘enforcer’ responsible for the corrective discipline of those bishops who stray from the currently accepted standards of behavior within the highest levels of TEC. It would not be wrong to think of Bishop Matthews as Presiding Bishop Schori’s counterpart to Al Capone’s right hand man and maintainer of Chicago mob standards, Frank Nitti only Bishop Matthews wears a clerical collar instead of a white tie, purple shirt instead of a black shirt and a pectoral cross instead of pistol in a shoulder holster. Other than that, not much difference after one adjusts for context of time, place and organizational origin. Wikipedia has a nice piece on Mr. Nitti. You can look it up.
This organizational announcement is not really surprising and certainly, but it certainly is confirming of all things TEC in today’s world.
[Edited – please use correct names and titles – Elf]
Just washed my hands and can’t do a thing with them.
Last sentence should read, “This organizational announcement is not really surprising, but it certainly is confirming of all things TEC in today’s world.”
Elves, being from Virginia we consider it quite proper and respectful to address our clergy and bishops by the title Mr. or the female equivalent. If you look back to the seat of Anglicanism, you will find this practice very much to be correct in England, as well. You seem a little overly sensitive on this point.