DOG BITES MAN

from Midwest Conservative Journal by The Editor

In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, Katharine Jefferts Schori once again exercises the Divine Right of Presiding Bishops:

Citing Title III, Canon 12, Section 7 of the Constitutions and Canons of The Episcopal Church, and following thorough discussion with the Council of Advice, with their advice and consent, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has accepted the renunciation of the ordained ministry in the Episcopal Church of Mark Lawrence as made in his public address on November 17 and she has released him from his orders in this Church.

The Presiding Bishop made the announcement December 5. The Presiding Bishop informed Lawrence by phone, email and mail on December 5.  Following that, the House of Bishops was notified.
According to the documents, Lawrence “is therefore removed from the Ordained Ministry of this Church and released from the obligations of all Ministerial offices, and is deprived of the right to exercise the gifts and spiritual authority as a Minister of God’s Word and Sacraments conferred on him in Ordinations.  This action is taken for causes that do not affect his moral character.”

The renunciation is effective immediately on December 5.

A renunciation which, by the by, is supposed to be in writing.  Title III, Canon 12, Section 7 reads as follows:

If any Bishop of this Church shall declare, IN WRITING, to the Presiding Bishop a renunciation of the ordained Ministry of this Church, and a desire to be removed therefrom, it shall be the duty of the Presiding Bishop to record the declaration and request so made.

And the Curmudgeon points out:

Bishop Lawrence (a) did not address any writing to the Presiding Bishop; (b) did not renounce his ordained Ministry; and (c) did not request to be removed from that Ministry. The elaborately crafted press release from the Public Affairs Office is simply a poor attempt to cover over a huge, public lie.

To be fair, some on the Episcopal left are starting to get a little nervous about all this.  Tobias Haller.

While I believe that Mark Lawrence has abandoned the communion of The Episcopal Church, I do not think he has renounced his ministry, at least in the manner required by the Canon (III.12.7) which requires both a written declaration to the Presiding Bishop and a “desire to be removed.” I think the process of dealing with the abandonment should have been followed, the November 17 speech — and other actions — obviously not constituting “a good faith retraction” of those things that led to the charge of abandonment.

Haste is not our friend.

Once again.  I hope nobody’s particularly shocked by this.  Kate’s only doing what Kate’s done again and again.  And Kate’s doing it because no one has had enough backbone to call her out on it.

Bring her up on charges and then get back to me.