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Episcopal Church Dissed in Two Consecration Venues
Catholic Church says no to TEC in Alaska
Baptist Church says no in Albuquerque
By David W. Virtue and Mary Ann Mueller
www.virtueonline.org
August 14, 2010
The Episcopal Church has been told politely but firmly that they cannot hold the consecration of two Episcopal bishops because of the denomination's position on sexuality issues that are contrary to Scripture, tradition and history.
From the Diocese of the Rio Grande, a VOL reader wrote to say that the Diocese was supposed to have the ordination of its new liberal bishop at Hoffmantown Baptist Church, the largest church in Albuquerque. "When someone called them and mentioned that V. Gene Robinson, the activist homosexual Bishop of New Hampshire, would be attending the consecration they pulled the rug from under the feet of the Diocese and dis-invited them.
"To date, the diocese has not found another venue for the ordination and has resorted to using the ballroom of a hotel in Albuquerque."
The diocese elected the Rev. Dr. Michael L. Vono, 60, a divorced priest who presently functions as an Episcopal priest in Rome. He will be the ninth bishop of the Diocese. He is a public supporter of Robinson. Vono's sentiments about homosexuality were expressed in a letter from the vestry of St. Paul's Within the Walls, Rome, where he is the rector. He and the Vestry passed a resolution "supporting our gay and lesbian brothers and sisters" before delegates went off to General Convention.
From Anchorage, Alaska, VOL reporter Mary Ann Mueller has this story.
Something is happening in Alaska and it is not the Iditarod. Even though it is August and there is no snow in Anchorage there is a snow job going on -- a veritable blizzard, even a whiteout -- in the Arctic North. No one is talking about it -- on or off the record.
On April 10, the Very Rev. Mark Lattime was elected the IX Bishop of Alaska and plans were kicked into high gear for his consecration to be held on September 4.
The burning question was where?
"The Episcopal Diocese of Alaska encompasses the entire state of Alaska and we do not have a cathedral," explained the Rev. Shirley Lee, the Diocesan Communications Specialist. The diocese's 52 parishes, missions and congregations stretch from Barrow to Ketchikan on the southern Alaskan panhandle that hugs Canada. The Diocese is based in Fairbanks.
Apparently, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Anchorage offered Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Anchorage as a place for their Episcopal friends to hold the consecration of their next bishop.
"The Archdiocese of Anchorage had graciously extended the offer for its use, which was questioned and the offer rescinded," according to Ms. Lee.
John Fleming the facilities manager at Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Anchorage stated that the Anchorage Archdiocese was behind the change in venue.
"The Archdiocese are the ones who invited them (the Episcopalians) to have their ordination here and they are the ones who withdrew it."
Kim Bakic, the executive assistant to Catholic Archbishop Roger Schwietz in the Catholic Archbishop's office commented, "It [Bishop-elect Lattime's consecration] was set for Our Lady of Guadalupe and it's not going to be held there now and you will have to call the Episcopal Diocese of Alaska for more information."
"One of the reasons we were having it there (Our Lady of Guadalupe) was for the ecumenical flavor also for the fact that an Episcopal person actually designed the building," explained the Rev. Dave Blanchett who is listed as the [Episcopal] Diocesan Ecumenical Officer.
A story in Catholic Culture magazine ran a headline; "Catholic Parish to Host Episcopal Church Ordination of Gay Rights Proponent" may have tipped off Roman Catholic authorities. Furthermore, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is not seen as a valid priest -- much less bishop -- in the eyes of the Roman Catholic Church. Her celebration of sacraments at a Catholic altar -- Eucharist and Ordination -- would be deemed as invalid, illicit or null and void. The Episcopal Church has fallen so far from traditional faith that the Catholic Church cannot in good conscience give credence to such hypocrisy and faithlessness.
Meanwhile, Anchorage Methodists have opened their church and offered their altar to the Presiding Bishop and the new Episcopal Bishop of Alaska.
"We are pleased that our Methodist brethren have extended the use of the First United Methodist Church, which we believe is of sufficient size to accommodate the consecration attendees," said Ms. Lee.
The Diocesan website notes the change of venue thusly, "We have been advised that the Lady of Guadalupe Church is no longer available for use for the consecration of our VIII Bishop. Despite this development we celebrate our partnership with the Catholic Church and look forward to nurturing our ecumenical ministries. The Transition Committee has worked diligently to secure an alternate location.
The consecration will now take place at First United Methodist Church. The consecration date and time remain the same." Although there are only four Episcopal churches in Anchorage, a city of 285,000 inhabitants, none of the Episcopal churches was deemed large enough to handle the expected crowd. The four Anchorage Episcopal churches are: St. Mary's, St. Christopher, Christ Church, and All Saints.
---Mary Ann Mueller is a journalist living in Texas. She is a regular contributor to VirtueOnline
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Episcopal bishop's ordination rescheduled; Alaska Catholic parish 'unavailable'
http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=7211
Aug. 13, 2010
The ordination of a new Episcopalian bishop in Alaska, originally scheduled to take place in a Catholic parish church, has been re-scheduled for a nearby Methodist church-apparently in response to protests from concerned Catholics.
Mark Andrew Lattime will be ordained by Katharine Jefferts Schori, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church on September 4 at the First United Methodist Church in Anchorage. In announcing the new location, the Episcopal diocese said:
We have been advised that the Lady of Guadalupe Church is no longer available for use for the consecration of our VIII Bishop. Despite this development we celebrate our partnership with the Catholic Church and look forward to nurturing our ecumenical ministries.
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