They passed 10 Connecticut parishioners on the way, including six from St. John's Church in Bristol, and nearly twice that many members of the media. The priests were immediately escorted inside Diocesan House, the West End mansion that is the headquarters of the Episcopal Church in Connecticut.
Read more"Dear Bishop Smith, I pray for your return to traditional Episcopal principles and morals," said one.
"I stand behind him 100 percent - I stand behind all of the six priests," said Eleanor Little, 73, a longtime parish member. "[Hansen] stands for the truth, and for tradition - it's about what the Bible says. It's been that way for a long time and we don't want it changed."
Read moreFor the past 11 months, six rectors of the Diocese of Connecticut, together with the leadership of the parishes they serve, have refused to accept their relationship with their bishop.
In the past year I have offered to arrange for another bishop to be their pastor and parish visitor. To date they have refused that offer.
Read moreFor the celebration, entitled "Stand Up for Jesus", the Royal Albert Hall had been transformed into a dramatic stage for worship: a red-and-gold fronted altar supported six giant candles, behind which sat 24 bishops.
Read more"Long before the 'religious right' was objecting to abortions, Planned Parenthood was objecting to the violence against women when butchers were performing all the abortions here in America," Robinson said.
"Yours is amazing history -- and I hope you are as proud as you should be."
Read moreSmith had said the priests faced removal as early as Friday for failing to meet with him to work out a solution and shirking their financial obligations to the diocese.
But he issued a statement Friday evening saying he wants to meet with the priests Monday before he takes action. Bishop Gordon Paul Scruton of the Diocese of Western Massachusetts would also attend.
Read moreHe described how, during his time in South Wales, arrangements to allow women to work at weekends were opposed by community organisations, who stressed that weekends were a time when families did things together. "There was a deeply unscrupulous element in that particular case of making the family market-friendly."
Read moreWaves of indignations followed the consecration of gay bishop in many episcopical congregations. The Connecticut parishes began withholding their contribution to the diocese which is about 12.5 percent of their revenue.
Read moreAs with the House of Bishops' March 2005 Covenant Statement, the Executive Council has professed compliance to the Primates while dictating their own terms: "In the spirit of the Covenant Statement recently adopted by our House of Bishops, we voluntarily withdraw our members from official participation in the ACC as it meets in Nottingham.
Read moreIn the world of occupations, this is capital punishment. It takes away a priest's job, removes him from the pension fund and insurance, and puts him out on the street. Naturally it will probably lead to more splintering, new churches and a continuing weakening of our communion. What kind of a culture and climate is this creating?
Read more