[Elder's Note: Please also check out my other articles about this.]
[H/T, a very big H/T, to Fr. David Bailey]
Fr. Bailey summarizes bullet points from Bp. Briedenthal’s address yesterday at our diocesan convention:
“1) The ban on same sex blessings will be lifted in the diocese of Southern Ohio; the lifting of the ban is based on GC resolutions C056 (liturgies for [same sex] blessings) and D025 (Commitment and Witness to Anglican Communion).
2) No same sex blessings will occur before Easter 2010.
3) All priests willing to conduct same sex blessings must notify the bishop at least 60 days before performing each same sex blessing.
4) All priests willing to conduct same sex blessings must have “conversation” with their congregation before conducting any blessings.
5) No priest will be required to perform a same sex blessing.
6) Guidelines for performing same sex blessings will be issued by the Bishop in the near future. The Bishop has assembled a task force to help him in formulating the guidelines.”
And our intrepid reporter Fr. David observes, “No conservative that I know is on the task force.”
Lord, have mercy on us.
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7 November 2009 at 8:30 PM
David Bailey
and here’s the verbatim of the Bishop’s address on Friday evening . . .
http://s3.amazonaws.com/dfc_attachments/public/documents/655/135th_Bishop_s_Address.pdf
8 November 2009 at 12:14 AM
Br_er Rabbit
7) The beatings will continue until the morale improves.
8 November 2009 at 2:23 AM
Undergroundpewster
The money quote,
“So since I became a bishop I have upheld the policy I inherited, which did not permit the blessing of same-sex unions under any circumstances. It is my view that the recent General Convention resolutions D025 and C056 have altered the terrain, by reasserting the possibility of godly unions between persons of the same sex, and by inviting bishops who have jurisdiction in states that have offered some form of civil union to gay and lesbian couples to exercise “pastoral generosity” in offering the church’s public ministrations to such couples. In so doing, the Episcopal Church has effectively acknowledged that the godly union of two persons of the same sex – by which I mean the union of two persons who have vowed lifelong fidelity to one another, and accept accountability to the faith community as a faithful household – can be blessed by the church. I am convinced that in fairness to our fellow Episcopalians who have entered into such unions or who desire to do so, we must move deliberately toward the implementation of a policy that will permit and govern the blessings of such unions in Southern Ohio. On this basis, I am lifting the prohibition on the blessing of same-sex unions in this diocese, effective Easter 2010.”
8 November 2009 at 4:48 PM
David Bennett
Sad. I would really be interested how the Southern Ohio layperson in the pew will react to this. I know many laypersons have remained silent about national church affairs, but when same-sex marriages are happening in their local parish, well, that is another matter entirely.
8 November 2009 at 5:09 PM
Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio: It’s Time for Same-Sex Blessings « Per Christum Catholic Blog
[...] Time for Same-Sex Blessings My former Episcopal diocese, the Diocese of Southern Ohio, is now instituting same-sex blessings. The diocese of Southern Ohio used to have a pretty strong conservative presence. Now, the ranks [...]
9 November 2009 at 11:26 PM
NBS
Dear God. The fact that they are using the Procter Fund to pay for Bishop Price’s oversight of the vichy diocese of Pittsburgh is appalling and deserving of a post in and of itself.