Irish News THE Coadjutor Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Diarmuid Martin, has criticised a leading Church of Ireland figure for appearing to suggest the Catholic teaching on homosexuality is "insincere" and for linking it to the child abuse issue. Dr Martin, who is due to succeed Cardinal Desmond Connell as Archbishop of Dublin, made the remarks yesterday during the Evensong Service at the Church of Ireland's St Patrick's Cathedral. Last week, Archdeacon Gordon Linney, a senior figu

March 20, 2004 Dublin, Mar. 19 (CWNews.com) - A sharp disagreement on homosexuality has given rise to tensions between Catholic and Anglican leaders in Ireland. The dispute arose last week when the Church of Ireland (Anglican) Archdeacon of Dublin, Gordon Linney, argued in a public speech that the government should allow homosexual couples to "have registered stable relationships with all the benefits and rights that go with that status." The archdeacon stopped short of advoc

Dear Brothers and Sisters, LONDON, UK-The Archbishop of Canterbury is worried. In a moment of candor about problems facing the church and his leadership over homosexuals in the priesthood and the recent consecration of Gene Robinson, he said, "I have to admit that over the past twelve months I'm not sure what God has in mind for the Church of England or the Anglican Communion. Half the time I haven't any idea. But in the end, I believe it will work itself out." Yesterday he r

Bishop William Wantland, retired bishop of Eau Claire, now lives in Oklahoma. He is a long-time FIF/NA Council Member and FIF/NA Chancellor. He was chosen to be the Celebrant at the historic Confirmation Service for the "Ohio Cluster" of parishes on March 14, 2004. forwardNOW! interviewed the Bishop shortly after the event. forwardNOW! - How were the Bishops chosen to provide the "Ohio cluster" with these "emergency measures" this past Sunday? Who did the asking? Do you think

By Ruth Gledhill Religion Correspondent THE TIMES 3/19/2004 VACANT: one see with large house, £30,000 stipend, 70 priests, 7,000 souls and thousands more sheep. Must be able to speak Welsh. Hoffwch chi fod yn Esgob Bangor? For the first time in its history, the oldest diocese in the country has failed to elect a bishop. After a three-day conclave, the electoral college of the Church in Wales last night failed to reach a decision over who should succeed the Right Rev Saunders

By Peter C. Moore President, Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code popularizes ancient heresies—most notably, the denial of Christ’s divinity—claiming it was “invented” at Nicaea in 325 A.D. Yet the early Church’s devotion to Christ as Kyrios predates Constantine by centuries. Today’s challenge is subtler: subjectivism. In a pluralist culture, many prefer belief as personal preference—not objective truth. Thus, one can “affirm the creeds” while

The Rt. Rev. Neptali Larrea Moreno, Bishop of Ecuador Central, was deposed unanimously by the House of Bishops on March 23, 2004, for “abandonment of communion”—specifically, an “open renunciation of the Doctrine, Discipline, and Worship” of ECUSA. The action followed years of financial irregularities and Larrea’s repeated refusal to cooperate with audits (since at least 1997) or with a 2001 investigative committee. After Presiding Bishop Griswold inhibited him in January 2

Bishop Robert “Itty” (Geraldo) of Western Oregon reaffirmed the Church’s canonical and theological definition of marriage: “We continue to uphold and honor the sanctity of marriage and recognize this as a union between one man and one woman.” Citing Title I, Canon 18, and the Book of Common Prayer, he emphasized marriage as a sacred covenant reflecting Christ’s union with the Church—not merely a civil contract. He reminded clergy they are bound to uphold Church teaching an

Bishop Robert M. Moody of Oklahoma addressed his diocese regarding the participation of two Oklahoma-affiliated bishops—William Wantland and William Cox—in the Akron service. Calling the act “constitutional and canonical disobedience,” Moody noted Wantland (a canon lawyer) surely understood its gravity, while Cox’s involvement surprised both Moody and his rector, David Fox. Moody urged prayers—for repentance, healing, and restraint from further “covert actions.” He confirm

At their March 19–25, 2004 meeting in Navasota, Texas, ECUSA bishops confronted the fallout from Gene Robinson’s consecration. Though billed as non-legislative and focused on “reconciliation,” the gathering centered on a key flashpoint: how to provide episcopal oversight for conservative parishes rejecting their local (often pro-Robinson) bishops. Griswold’s proposed solution—allowing visiting orthodox bishops, but only with local approval and appeal to regional bodies—was

The Episcopal Church’s current turmoil is not a new rupture—but the culmination of decades of unresolved theological drift. The 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson was not merely controversial; it crossed a theological Rubicon for many orthodox Anglicans. Unlike earlier disputes over women’s ordination or liturgical revision, this moment united over 25 orthodox bishops in public, principled resistance. Gatherings in Plano and the formation of the Anglican Network in North Ame

“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a Christ without a cross.” — Richard Niebuhr, 1937 The great unraveling of the Episcopal Church has begun in earnest. On Sunday, March 14, 2004, five retired Episcopal bishops—C. FitzSimons Allison (South Carolina), Maurice Benitez (Texas), William Cox (Oklahoma), Alex Dickson (West Tennessee), and William Wantland (Eau Claire)—joined by Robinson Cavalcanti, Bishop of R

Griswold defiant in face of Ohio confirmations Following is my response to recent events in Ohio. By their recent action in the Diocese of Ohio, five of our retired bishops and a bishop from the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil have arrogated to themselves the right to perform episcopal and sacramental acts without the permission of the diocesan bishop. The claim that their action was pastoral and in accordance with a mandate from the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Prima

A statement from the Presiding Bishop's Council of Advice March 16, 2004 We, the elected members of the Presiding Bishop's Council of Advice, on the eve of the spring meeting of our House of Bishops, are moved to express our strong disapproval of the action taken by five retired bishops of our church who have violated our Constitution and Canons by performing episcopal and sacramental actions in the Diocese of Ohio without first securing the permission of the Bishop of Ohio.

Statement from the President of FIF/NA March 15, 2004 Forward in Faith, North America, the oldest orthodox and traditional organization in the Episcopal Church, offers its support and prayers to both the bishops who took the pastoral initiative to reach out to beleaguered members of the church, and to the clergy and people of the "Ohio cluster." We believe in the necessity of Sunday's action as a response that provides Godly leadership and hope for members of the church who r

A Statement by the Rev. Todd H. Wetzel, Executive Director, ANGLICANS UNITED & LATIMER PRESS Anglicans United applauds the unprecedented actions of 5 Faithful bishops in confirming 110 people in Ohio this past Sunday. For more than a decade, the liberal faction of the Episcopal church has acted in a way that proves it is easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission. They were repeatedly denied permission for their agenda of ordaining homosexual persons and performin

AS EYE SEE IT - A response to Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold By Matt Kennedy "C'mon Frank, Don't be such a literalist. Remember the reader and the text are in conversation with one another. The text has its perspective and culture, the reader has hers. Somewhere in the middle, beyond the written canon and living reader a new reality is birthed that is "truth" for both the text and the interpreter. You see Frank, it does no good to prooftext canon. What was going on in the ca

CANON THEOLOGIAN RESPONDS TO OHIO ACTIONS By Canon Kendall Harmon This is simply one more consequence of the arrogance of much of the current Episcopal church leadership which unilaterally acted against Scripture as understood by both the Eastern and Western Churches worldwide. We have had parishes in Atlanta leave for Bolivia, we have a church in Wyoming emerging under the care of a Canadian bishop; we have a new parish in Versailles, Kentucky, whose place in the Anglican fa

Gay Episcopal bishop says it's 'pretty clear' opposing bishops violated ordination vows RICHARD N. OSTLING Associated Press NEW YORK - The Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson, said Monday it is "pretty clear" that five bishops opposed to his election who led an Ohio confirmation service Sunday violated their vows taken as members of the hierarchy. Six conservative congregations that also oppose Robinson invited the five bishops from outside the dioces

Pullman may give Jesus a novel role By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent THE TELEGRAPH Philip Pullman, the children's author and prominent atheist, disclosed last night that he might introduce the figure of Jesus into his next book. Mr Pullman's revelation came during a much anticipated debate with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, and caused a ripple of surprise in the audience at the National Theatre in London. The theatre is producing an acclaimed adapt