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The Presiding Bishop's Big Black Lie
By Mary Ann Mueller
VOL Special Correspondent
www.virtueonline.org
February 5, 2019
In a live-streamed public conversation with Bishop Samuel Howard (VII Florida), did Presiding Bishop Michael Curry tell a lie?
"I don't get into the business of intervening with bishops in their dioceses," the Presiding Bishop told Bishop Howard. "This is your diocese."
However, Presiding Bishop Curry did directly intervene between Bishop William Love (IX Albany) and his diocese when he slapped a partial restriction on the New York-based bishop for failing to allow the full implementation of Resolution B012 in his diocese. That action must have slipped the Presiding Bishop's mind.
In a letter written on Jan. 11, 2019, Presiding Bishop Curry penned: "I hereby place the following partial restriction on the exercise of Bishop Love's ministry:
"During the period of this restriction, Bishop Love, acting individually, or as Bishop Diocesan, or in any other capacity, is forbidden from participating in any manner in the Church's disciplinary process in the Diocese of Albany in any matter regarding any member of the clergy that involves the issue of same-sex marriage.
"Nor shall he participate in any other matter that has or may have the effect of penalizing in any way any member of the clergy or laity or worshipping congregation of his Diocese for their participation in the arrangements for or participation in a same-sex marriage in his Diocese or elsewhere."
This is clearly intervening in a bishop's diocese, something Presiding Bishop Curry denied he does in his sit-down conversation with Bishop Howard at St. John's Episcopal Cathedral in Jacksonville on Feb. 4.
The conversation was live-streamed on YouTube. It can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hueyWwsH9g
Both Bishop Howard and Bishop Love are Communion Partner Bishops.
One of the things I do regularly, and I do not want to advertise this ... but the Communion Partner Bishops stay in touch with me regularly," Bishop Curry revealed. "These are bishops who do not believe, as a matter of conscience, in same-sex marriage, and we stay in regular conversation and relationship."
Other sitting Episcopal bishops who are members of the Communion Partner Bishops include bishops: John Bauerschmidt (IX Tennessee); Gregory Brewer (IV Central Florida); Daniel Martins (XI Springfield); Michael Smith (XI North Dakota); George Sumner (VII Dallas); Moises Mota (IV Dominican Republic); Lloyd Allen (V Honduras); and Francisco Gómez (IV Colombia).
The Communion Partner Bishops fellowship also includes retired Episcopal bishops and sitting Anglican Church of Canada bishops.
The Presiding Bishop is attempting to forge his version of the Elizabeth Settlement.
"I realized we have to find a way, we have to figure out something, we have to find a way -- on the one hand to make sure there was reasonable equal access to the sacramental rite of marriage and respect for the principles and conscience of those who differ, especially bishops."
"How do you hold two diametrically opposed principles at the same time?" the Presiding Bishop asked.
"I am naïve enough to believe that there must be a way, and I am naïve enough to believe that Elizabeth I, if she could find it in the 16th century we can find it in the 21st," he continued. "We are a tradition that has found the way to reconcile diametrically opposed positions without compromising either one. It's called Anglicanism."
