Should there be any doubt about the seriousness of the implications of the recently concluded Episcopal Church convention, consider the following in The Catholic Reporter (HT Amy Welborn):
Perhaps the new head of US Episcopal Bishops, Katherine Jefferts Shori, sent a message in her first homily by saying, “Mother Jesus.”
Yes, I would think that her message was heard loud and clear by many conservative (read:faithful) Episcopalians. And her real message may be “This is not your grandfather’s church anymore. Any notion that the leaders of this church see the Gospel as anything other than a quaint and irrelevant note in history, should be dispelled. We are in charge and we have an agenda.”
And there are implications for the Catholic Church. Expect to see disillusioned Episcopalians to come home to the Church.
The Catholic Church will be greatly affected by this convention. The Catholic Church will receive many converts and none of them will be liberal. The orthodox faithful of the Episcopal Church who are considering coming our way have made it very clear to me that if they come they will preach, from the rooftops if necessary, the evils of liberalism, relativism etc. One person said to me, “If I do cross the Tiber, I will preach from the rooftops about the wickedness I have seen envelope my church. I cannot stand to see this happen to anyone else.”
The report contains brief interviews with some of the “players” at the convention including Rev. Susan Russell, President of Integrity, the organization that supports gay and lesbian issues in the Episcopal Church.
Dave Hartline: When you say the rights of gays and lesbians what do you mean? I know a lot of traditional Catholics, Episcopalians etc who would say they don’t discriminate against anyone but that gay marriage, civil unions; openly gay clergy has nothing to do with discrimination. It is scriptural.
Rev. Susan Russell: Let me tell you something, if someone says they don’t discriminate and is still against gay marriage, civil unions and an openly gay clergy, they discriminate.
Dave Hartline: What about 2,000 years of Christian tradition?
Rev. Susan Russell: I find it odd that the people in the Episcopal Church would talk about scripture as if they were some fringe element fundamentalist. One of the reasons our church broke with Rome was because of issues like the Magesterium. Now they want one? I am a cradle Episcopalian. I still believe in the One Holy Catholic Apostolic Church. I grew up saying that. I don’t know if you are aware of it but that’s what we said. I want to have unity with your church but we aren’t going back to being second class citizens. You know we have a level of support in all of the churches, including yours and among some important people too. Just not important enough.
Rev. Russell is right in one sense; those that oppose ”gay” marriage do discriminate between that which is right and true and that which is not. Note that those who point to scripture as a source of knowledge are “fringe element fundamentalist[s].” Get it? The effort is to marginalize and stigmatize those that oppose a 2000 year old tradition of marriage being one man and one woman.
Time to swim the Tiber?
