WORLD TOUR

from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor

The Katharine Jefferts Schori Show will hit Albany soon and Bishop William Love, one of the last remaining traditionalistish bishops left in TEO, is obviously not happy about it:

The Rt. Rev. William Love of the Diocese of Albany is in a quandary. The Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, who is extremely popular with the faithful, but not with Bishop Love and the leaders of his diocese, is coming to town. He can’t tell her to stay home–the visit is canonically mandated–but he doesn’t want her appearance to energize the moderate and progressive Episcopalians who constitute a far larger portion of his diocese than he would like to admit. What to do?

Whatever gets you through the day, Jim. So what is Love going to do? While he can’t keep the universalist heretic out, he can limit the number of people who hear her make up Christianity as she goes along.

Nor do the venues chosen for her visit permit the Presiding Bishop the time and audience appropriate to her position or her message. Priests will be granted access to the Presiding Bishop on one occasion, and deacons on another, but there is no gathering in which the leader of our national church can address all interested laity, let alone the general public. At the Saturday healing service, the one event advertised as open to all, the letter says only that “the Presiding Bishop will be invited to be part of the prayer team.” Apparently no sermon, no questions, no answers.

The next occasion at which The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori can meet members of the diocese is one that invites only a small representation of laity. Nor is it a convenient time for laity in our far-flung diocese to meet the Presiding Bishop. Several members of the diocese have pointed out to Albany Via Media that having to be absent from one’s own parish on any Sunday, especially Lent 1, would discourage many otherwise interested Episcopalians from attending the Cathedral service and reception.

A member of AVM who has attended both conventions of neighboring dioceses has noted that the Presiding Bishop was much more accessible to the people when she attended the diocesan conventions of Western New York and Central New York. It is notable that the Presiding Bishop has not received an invitation to address a convention of the Diocese of Albany. Bishop Love has proudly described our diocesan convention as “a family reunion.” One must conclude, then, that the Presiding Bishop is not part of our family, not one of “us”. Nor, apparently, is she a guest who can be invited to speak freely or at any length within the family circle.

The visit of the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church is an important event in the life of a diocese. Every member of the diocese who is interested should try to find a way to attend the service in Glens Falls or at the Cathedral. It just seems a shame that there is not a larger public event or forum for our Presiding Bishop to address all of the members of the Diocese of Albany. Nor does our diocese appear receptive to instruction or guidance from our Presiding Bishop, The Most Reverend Katharine Jefferts Schori.

I think you all know what to say so say it with me. GEE!! YA THINK?!!