Female "bishop" Installed As Presider Over Episcopalians

[Katholikos]

The Episcopal Church Installs Female Priest As Presiding Bishop, a 1st for a Woman


11-04-2006 10:40 AM
By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer


WASHINGTON -- Katharine Jefferts Schori took office Saturday as the first woman presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, a first not only for her denomination but also for the global Anglican Communion, which has never before had a female priest leading one of its provinces.

In a ceremony at the cavernous Washington National Cathedral, filled by more than 3,000 well-wishers, Jefferts Schori took leadership of the U.S. church as the Anglican rift over the Bible and sexuality threatens to erupt into schism.

Jefferts Schori, 52, was bishop of Nevada when she was the surprise winner of the election for presiding bishop at the Episcopal General Convention in June.

Worshippers stood and faced the doors of the cathedral as Jefferts Schori knocked and entered, wearing a multicolored robe and miter. She walked in a procession toward the front of the church, led by people waving streamers and flags, as applause filled the sanctuary.

Outgoing Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold turned over the symbol of her new authority, the primatial staff, to Jefferts Schori.

She will now represent the American denomination to the many Anglican leaders angered by the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Her job is further complicated by her personal support for Robinson's election. She believes the church should ordain gays and bless same-sex couples, though she insists she won't impose her views on others.

"If some in this church feel wounded by recent decisions, then our salvation, our health as a body, is at some hazard and it becomes the duty of all of us to seek healing and wholeness," Jefferts Schori said in her sermon Saturday.

That may not be enough appease other branches of the Anglican family, which take a traditional view that gay relationships are prohibited by Scripture. Some Anglican leaders also reject the idea of women's ordination: Jefferts Schori has said they'll have to "get over it."

The majority of Anglicans worldwide have conservative views on sexuality, but they are a minority in The Episcopal Church. Still, by withholding money and building alliances like-minded Anglicans overseas, they have chipped away at the authority of the 2.3-million-member denomination.

It now falls to Jefferts Schori to try and reconcile The Episcopal Church with its critics. She is willing to compromise on her personal views to some degree. For instance, she thinks the American church should honor the communion's request and refrain from electing any more gay bishops for now.

Seven U.S. conservative dioceses have already rejected her authority and have asked Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, to assign them another national leader. Three of the dioceses do not support ordaining women.

Jefferts Schori has spent her life tackling outsized challenges.

She is an oceanographer who graduated from Stanford University, a rock climber and a pilot who flew her plane to visit parishes around the sprawling Nevada Diocese.

Her husband of more than 25 years, Richard Schori, is a retired mathematician. Their daughter, 25-year-old Katharine Johanna, is a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Jefferts Schori decided to pursue full-time ministry after federal funding for her scientific research dried up. She was ordained in 1994.

___

On the Net:

The Episcopal Church: [url="http://www.episcopalchurch.org"]http://www.episcopalchurch.org[/url]

___

Associated Press writer Lubna Takruri contributed to this report.


Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[CrossCuT]

[size=1]Yea I heard about that. Too bad.
[/size]

[MIKolbe]

to quote likos-

"just another fruit of Sola Sciptura"

[Nathan]

Man, the Church of England is in a sad state these days.

Maybe Queen Elizabeth II should step in. Rowan Williams may be the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the Queen is still the Head of the Church of England. Her Church is crumbling.

Edited November 5, 2006 by Nathan

[son_of_angels]

Only in theory. In current English law, even her authority over that is circumscribed by the Parliament.

[Paladin D]

This is what happens when you do not have Papal Authority.

[Fulton Sheen Warrior]

+JMJ+

[quote]"just another fruit of Sola Sciptura"[/quote]

[quote]This is what happens when you do not have Papal Authority.[/quote]

These sum it up for me.

Too bad they don't trust the 'pillar and foundation of truth'.

[Pontifite 7 of 10]

[quote name='Paladin D' post='1111620' date='Nov 5 2006, 01:22 AM']
This is what happens when you do not have Papal Authority.
[/quote]
Exactly!

Edited November 5, 2006 by Pontifite 7 of 10

[MissScripture]

wOOt for Papal Authority!

[Resurrexi]

Yay for the authority of the Vicar of Christ!

[Pontifite 7 of 10]

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1111807' date='Nov 5 2006, 11:15 AM']
Yay for the authority of the Vicar of Christ!
[/quote]
May he live long a prosper.

[cmotherofpirl]

The Epicospal diocese of Pittsburgh is withdrawing from the National Church
[url="http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=16023"]http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=16023[/url]

this is an amazing blog to find out about the Episcopal Church:
[url="http://www.anglican.tk/"]http://www.anglican.tk/[/url]

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1112055' date='Nov 5 2006, 05:43 PM']
The Epicospal diocese of Pittsburgh is withdrawing from the National Church
[url="http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=16023"]http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=16023[/url]

this is an amazing blog to find out about the Episcopal Church:
[url="http://www.anglican.tk/"]http://www.anglican.tk/[/url]
[/quote]
This is going to get interesting.

[N/A Gone]

Rowan Williams is actually a good theologian too, and would make an awesome catholic..lets hope for that..

[123]

[quote]"just another fruit of Sola Sciptura"[/quote]

True, however more or less. Its the protestant's utilizing personal interperetation as a foundation for all their views. Thats what my previous church, Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church, did.

[cappie]

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to discuss a formal split in the worldwide Anglican Communion with Conservative Anglican leaders in a confidential meeting scheduled for later in the month.

The outspoken Archbishop Peter Akinola, Primate of Nigeria, will be among the group of conservative archbishops who will meet Dr Williams at Lambeth Palace to consider the creation of a parallel body for conservatives in America, reports The Telegraph.

The latest development in the crisis over homosexuality in the Anglican Communion follows the release of the Kigali communiqué by Global South leaders in Africa last month.

The communiqué proposed “a separate ecclesiastical structure" to accommodate opponents of the pro-homosexuality leadership of the Episcopal Church in the US.

Seven dioceses and scores of parishes in the US Episcopal Church have rejected their liberal leadership and sought oversight from a sympathetic archbishop abroad.

Under the Global South proposals, American conservatives would switch their allegiances from their Presiding Bishop-Elect, the Rt Rev Katharine Jefferts Schori, to a leader from the Global South.

Dr Williams has become increasingly sympathetic with conservative Anglicans as the US Church continues unapologetically on its liberal path – to the dismay of most of the Anglican Communion which continues to reject homosexuality as incompatible with Scripture.

The US Church almost brought the worldwide Anglican Communion to the point of schism after it consecrated its first actively homosexual bishop in 2003.

Dr Williams is keen to find a compromise between liberals and conservatives in the Church before next February’s gathering of all the primates.

If he fails to find such a compromise, conservatives are likely to insist that the Archbishop of Canterbury initiate a formal split – a move sure to spark fury among liberals who will perceive the move as one designed to force them out of the Church.

[jswranch]

The Episcopal church was my last stepping off place. My dad is still an Episcopal priest. He falls into the 'conservative' crowd.

[Katholikos]

[quote name='Revprodeji' post='1112237' date='Nov 5 2006, 09:35 PM']
Rowan Williams is actually a good theologian too, and would make an awesome catholic..lets hope for that..
[/quote]One former Bishop of London has joined us; he is the Rev. and Rt. Hon. Graham Leonard, who became a Catholic in 1994 and has been a simple Catholic priest in London ever since. He has been elevated to monsignor, an honorary title, but that's as high as the good ex-bishop can go in the Catholic Church (he's married). Let's pray for Williams to join him. Father Graham Leonard says, "Why did I wait so long?"

=========================
Blessed Father Damien, pray for us!


[quote name='GloriaIesusChristi' post='1112261' date='Nov 5 2006, 09:54 PM']
True, however more or less. Its the protestant's utilizing personal interperetation as a foundation for all their views. Thats what my previous church, Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church, did.
[/quote]You know that private interpretation of Scripture is a component of Sola Scriptura, right?

----------------------------------------------
Blessed Father Damien, pray for us!

[Ellenita]

This was an inevitable conclusion after the ordination of women! It will really hinder the dialogue on communion between the Catholic and Anglican church - it has been reported in the press that Cardinal Murphy O'Connor had already raised this a major sticking point with Archbishop Rowan Williams.

[toledo_jesus]

awww, she's so cute! She thinks she's a priest. [i] adorable.[/i]