Episcopal Church USA elects Gay Bishop, schism imminent?

[MrFun]

Originally posted by JohnT
You know, I just wish that people would leave gays alone. Why the friggin fuc* does it matter if they get married, be Bishops, adopt kids, etc??

I'm a Catholic, btw, not Episcopalian.

love you

[mrmitchell]

the wisest comment in this entire thread!

Do you have me on ignore or something?

As an Episcopalian, let me state, I don't know why the **** it matters.

[JohnT]

Yes, but I included more.

[MrFun]

Originally posted by mrmitchell


Do you have me on ignore or something?

What -- you want a damn cookie, or something?

[MRT144]

My stepmom is an episcopal priest and she said "**** like this happens"

god bless

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Ned
Well, it does appear that the Archbishop of Cantebury is the head of the US church if he can call such a meeting to "discuss" the issue.

No, he's the head of the Anglican Communion as well aas the C o E. The head of PECUSA is the Presiding Bishop, who resides in New York. The AC is basically a conference composed of the C of E and Anglican churches throughout the world. Almost every former British colony has it's own church, and there are some member churches in countries that never were colonies. PECUSA was of course formes by Anglican parishes after the American Revolution. The Anglican Communion is entirely voluntary, and basically acts to establish common articles of faith. It has no real authority over members. I don't know with certainty whether it has ever expelled a member church for failing to heed its decisions. I think there might have been ruptures between the AC and the church of Southern Rhodesia in the 1960s, and possibly something similar between it and the church in North Ireland in the past 40 years.

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by Sava
Shi, I'm disappointed... quoting FauxNews stats.

It was a Gallup Poll

[Ben Kenobi]

If the African and Asian churches do split from the US Episcopalians (and possibly from the C of E if Williams doesn't condemn the US appointment) who will actually notice?

Well then say goodbye to most of the worldwide Anglicans. The church is not doing well here in Canada, with most of the growth coming from the more conservative evangelical Anglican churches. AFAIK, the same is for the US episcopalians.

What I wonder is what is going to happen to the more conservative episcopalians? Will they become Catholic, or form their own denomination?

[Shi Huangdi]

Originally posted by obiwan18


Well then say goodbye to most of the worldwide Anglicans. The church is not doing well here in Canada, with most of the growth coming from the more conservative evangelical Anglican churches. AFAIK, the same is for the US episcopalians.

What I wonder is what is going to happen to the more conservative episcopalians? Will they become Catholic, or form their own denomination?

Hard to say. Conservative Episcopalian is sort of a broad term, as it contains two very distinct groups. There are the evangelicals (Conservative Protestants) and the Anglo-Catholics(tend to be more similar to Catholics, except they don't acknowledge Rome)

The Primate of Nigeria has indicated he would wish to keep communion with those Bishops who voted against Robinson. Perhaps Conservative Episcopalians in the west might end up going for a seperate Communion led from Nigeria rather then from Canterbury? It may well be more suitable in some ways to have the Church led from Africa where Christian sentiment is thriving then in England where the number of adults who attend Church of England services has fallen under a million. Of course, it's possible Conservative Anglicans may stay on in their Church.

As for the conservative Anglo-Catholics, it's hard to tell. Last time something like this did happen, when the Anglicans starting having female priests, a good number of them did bolt for Rome, including some Anglican Priests who Rome allowed to become Catholic priests. (It happened enough that Rome developed a special liturgy based loosely on the Book of Common Prayer). We could well see a good number of Anglo-Catholics go to Rome over this, though how large the defection it will be hard to tell. I suppose if I were opportunistic I could be hoping for the Catholic Church to take yet another bite out of the Anglicans, but I still take no pleasure in seeing another Christian Church reduced to Chaos.

[chequita guevara]

I think it's unlikley they will become Catholic, unless they are very high church. Episcopalians come in two basic varieties: high church - sorta Catholic, and low church - sorta evangelical Baptist. I was high church.

Next step is to recognize Gay marriage.

[Shi Huangdi]

As an Atheist, why do you care?

[chequita guevara]

I still have feelings for my old Church. It's kinda like what my recovering Catholic friends say, even if you don't believe, you never really leave the Church.

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Shi Huangdi


Hard to say. Conservative Episcopalian is sort of a broad term, as it contains two very distinct groups. There are the evangelicals (Conservative Protestants) and the Anglo-Catholics(tend to be more similar to Catholics, except they don't acknowledge Rome)

The Primate of Nigeria has indicated he would wish to keep communion with those Bishops who voted against Robinson. Perhaps Conservative Episcopalians in the west might end up going for a seperate Communion led from Nigeria rather then from Canterbury?

That's really not a valid option. One of the basic tenets of the Anglican Communion is that the various churches don't poach on each others terrirtory. In the diocese of Southwest Virginia there was a parish that refused to follow the basic Episcopalian liturgy. When advise that they had to conform, they broke away and managed to allign themselves with the Church of Rwanda. The problem with that move is that bishops from other AC churches can't officiate within the doiceses of other AC members without the local bishop's permission. Therefore this church will never be consecrated by any bishop of the Church of Rwanda. A similar problem would arise if a group of churches tried to associate themselves with the Church of Nigeria. If entire dioceses did thid I must admit I don't know what would happen.

As for the conservative Anglo-Catholics, it's hard to tell. Last time something like this did happen, when the Anglicans starting having female priests, a good number of them did bolt for Rome, including some Anglican Priests who Rome allowed to become Catholic priests. (It happened enough that Rome developed a special liturgy based loosely on the Book of Common Prayer). We could well see a good number of Anglo-Catholics go to Rome over this, though how large the defection it will be hard to tell. I suppose if I were opportunistic I could be hoping for the Catholic Church to take yet another bite out of the Anglicans, but I still take no pleasure in seeing another Christian Church reduced to Chaos.

I doubt there would be that many. For one thing many Episcopalians are ex-Catholics who have bitter feelings towards the Roman Catholic Church and who simply would not stand for it.