Clergy in celibate same-sex civil partnerships can become bishops under the new rules. I\u2019m not sure what the point of a celibate<\/i> civil partnership is or whether the sustained maintaining of such a thing is believable \u2013 but that is the latest naive or surreptitiously scheming, depending on one’s perspective, CofE edict on how to accommodate homosexual bishops. The Dean of St Albans, Dr Jeffrey John, falls into this category and was denied his appointment as bishop last year; I suppose he will have another go this year.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hard not to see this as a next step to the position reached in North America: clergy at every level vigorously engaged in homosexual activity. Including bishops.<\/p>\n
From the BBC<\/a>:<\/p>\n The announcement, from the Church’s House of Bishops, would allow clergy in civil partnerships to become bishops if they promised to be celibate.<\/p>\n Conservative evangelical Anglicans say they will fiercely resist the development in the synod.<\/p>\n The issue has split the church since 2003 amid a row over gay cleric Jeffrey John becoming Bishop of Reading.<\/p>\n Mr John, now Dean of St Albans, was forced to step down from the role after protests from traditionalists.<\/p>\n He was also a candidate for Bishop of Southwark in 2010 but was rejected. Evidence emerged that this was because of his sexual orientation.<\/p>\n Evangelicals have warned they would be willing to bring in bishops from overseas to avoid serving under a gay bishop.<\/p>\n The Church has already agreed to allow people in civil partnerships to become clergy, provided they promised they would remain celibate, and repent for active homosexuality in the past.<\/p>\n Those conditions are now to be extended to clergy becoming bishops.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Clergy in celibate same-sex civil partnerships can become bishops under the new rules. I\u2019m not sure what the point of a celibate civil partnership is or whether the sustained maintaining of such a thing is believable \u2013 but that is … Continue reading