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Schism threat after Episcopalians accept gays as priests
From the College of Bishops
by RAYMOND DUNCAN
March 22 2005
The Episcopal Church in Scotland faces a schism with the Anglican church in other parts of the world after declaring officially that being a practising homosexual is no bar to becoming a priest.
The announcement will incur the wrath of some within the global Anglican Communion. The church world-wide is already in turmoil over the consecration of Gene Robinson, the gay US bishop.
The statement by the College of Bishops, its leadership, that being gay and non-celibate is not a bar to being a priest, as long as a stable and long-term relationship can be shown, means the Scottish province of the 78 million-strong communion is adopting a far more liberal stance than the Church of England, its sister church.
The C of E will ordain homosexuals only if they are not in a physical relationship. Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury and communion head, has warned that those who take risks over the ordination of homosexuals must face the consequences.
One leading Episcopalian, Nancy Adams, a church committee convener, said it was aligned with Canada and North America in terms of welcoming and embracing the gay and lesbian community.
"The fact the bishops are willing to say openly some of the things that in the past have only been said privately is something we rejoice in," she said.
There has been an unwritten but commonly-held acceptance within the Episcopal Church in Scotland, which has 45,000 members, that there are gay clergy.
Now it has said officially it has never regarded the fact a person was in a close relationship with a member of the same sex "as in itself constituting a bar to the exercise of an ordained ministry".
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