News for Week Ending 11/21/2011

CoE dioceses show limited enthusiasm for Covenant

Church of England dioceses continue to vote on whether the proposed Anglican Covenant should be adopted by the CofE. Only if a majority of dioceses vote in favor of the Covenant will the Covenant be voted on by the CofE General Synod. Otherwise the church will have effectively rejected the Covenant.

Thinking Anglican recently reported Covenant rejection by the dioceses of Birmingham and Truro. According to the accounting by the No Anglican Covenant Coalition, four dioceses have voted against Covenant adoption, and three have voted for it.

PB explains Bede Parry affair

Various Episcopal blogs have been calling for an explanation from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori of how Bede Parry, a former Roman Catholic priest who admitted to past sexual misconduct, was allowed to become an Episcopal priest when Jefferts Schori was Bishop of Nevada. Episcopal News Service reported November 17, 2011, that she has now issued such a statement. The story can be read here and the statement here. It remains to be seen whether the explanation will satisfy critics.

Ga. Supreme Court rules for diocese

On November 21, 2011, the Georgia Supreme Court affirmed 6–1 a lower court decision asserting that the Episcopal Diocese of Georgia holds a trust interest in the real and personal property of Christ Church, Savannah. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) Details are available from Episcopal News Service. The court opinion (including the dissenting opinion) can be found here.

Fort Worth thanks retired priests

The Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth has honored 12 retired Episcopal priests in a video. The 2008 split of the diocese left Fort Worth with few priests, and the 12 retired priests offered their services to keep the diocese going. The video can be seen on The Lead.

S.C. bishop tries end-run around Dennis Canon

Controversial Bishop of South Carolina Mark Lawrence—see Pittsburgh Update story here—has renounced all diocesan claims to parish property in the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina in an apparent attempt to remove property claims of The Episcopal Church asserted by the Dennis Canon. According to a November 21, 2001, story in The Post and Courier, the diocese sent a quitclaim deed to each parish in the diocese relinquishing any rights to parish property. Additional information can be found in a story at The Lead.