Canterbury's loss, Rome's gain
Once, long ago, I had two lovers. And I figured this was fine, because one would get tired of the situation, and then I'd still have one. The problem with this was that the one who first got tired of being played was the one I should have been with.
I was put in mind of this by the Bishop of Rio Grande, Jeffrey Steenson, who is becoming a Roman Catholic:
I am concerned that if I do not listen to and act in accordance with conscience now, it will become harder and harder to hear God’s voice...Now I come before you, asking that you give me the necessary canonical permission to resign as ordinary of my diocese. I should like to do this by the end of this year, and afterwards, in proper order, to be released from my ordination vows in the Episcopal Church...I hope my decision will encourage others who believe they can no longer remain in the Episcopal Church, to respect its laws and to withdraw as courteously as possible for the sake of the Christian witness.
A class act.
Comments
Posted by: Taylor Marshall
Posted on: September 27, 2007 07:53 PM
In Defense of Jeffrey Steenson:
http://cantuar.blogspot.com/2007/09/in-defense-of-bishop-jeffrey-steenson.html
Posted by: Jeffrey Quick
Posted on: September 28, 2007 01:52 PM
Good piece. And he needs no defence here. The main point was solid: if a man holds an office in which he is mandated to act on principle, and it becomes impossible to do so, honor requires that he leave, or he is functioning under false pretenses.
As for the "quitting about homosexuality" charge, I'm reminded of the words of a wise man, Fr. Cyril Crume of St. James Anglican Catholic in Cleveland OH, who, when the Vicky Gene pimple broke, said words to the effect that, "if they didn't leave the church over substantive doctrinal issues 20 years ago, it's silly to do so over who one man sleeps with." It's not about parking the stallion, it's about having the flexibility to decree that that (or anything else) is doctrinal. To quote another Crume tag, "I'm not making this up, you know." But the liberal wing of ECUSA is.