August
5, 2003
Late this
afternoon the House of Bishops voted to consent to the consecration
of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson as bishop coadjutor of the Diocese of
New Hampshire. Sixty-two bishops voted in favor, 43 opposed, and
two did not vote.
Robinson,
who has lived in a relationship with another man for 13 years, is
the first openly gay priest to be elected bishop in the Episcopal
Church.
Earlier
in the afternoon, Bishop Gordon Scruton of Western Massachusetts
gave the bishops the report of the committee that investigated the
allegations made yesterday against Robinson. A Vermont man had made
a complaint of “improper touching” by Robinson, and there was an
additional allegation of a connection with a website that had a link
to pornography.
Scruton
told the bishops, “it is my conclusion that there is no necessity
to pursue further investigation and no reason on these grounds to
prevent the Bishops with jurisdiction from going forward with their
voting about whether or not to consent to Canon Robinson's Consecration”.
(Click here for the complete text of the report.)
After
the result of the vote was announced, Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh,
accompanied by other bishops who opposed Robinson’s election, read
a statement saying that they were “filled with sorrow” at an action
they feel means the Episcopal Church has “ divided itself from millions
of faithful Anglicans around the world”. They called upon the bishops
of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury to “take
action in this pastoral emergency that has overtaken us.”
Following
the reading of the statement, Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold
asked the chaplain to lead the bishops in prayer, and the bishops
joined in singing “Ubi caritas”—Where love is, God is.
Tonight
at a dinner for the Southeast Florida deputation, ECW Triennial delegates
and other members from Southeast Florida participating in General
Convention, Bishop Leo Frade said that he had voted to consent to
Robinson’s election.
He acknowledged
that some members of the diocese would not agree with his vote, but
reminded those present that the early church had strong disagreements—that
Peter and Paul had “fights” over such issues as circumcision and
keeping the Jewish dietary laws.
“Those
who are angry, those who are very happy, we all have something in
common—the love of Jesus Christ,” he said. “God has put us here in
this room for a purpose: To go back and let people know that the
Episcopal Church is alive and well.”
Click
here for additional comments from Bishop Frade.
Click
here for full coverage of General Convention |
