Bishop, clergy meet to discuss priest removal flap
Charles Hohenstein
By CARA RUBINSKY
Associated Press Writer
April 21, 2005, 5:32 PM EDT
HARTFORD, Conn. -- More than 180 Episcopal clergy from across
Connecticut gathered Thursday at Christ Church Cathedral to discuss
the growing rift in their church over the threatened removal of six
priests.
The six, who attended the meeting, are accused of refusing to
recognize the authority of Connecticut Bishop Andrew Smith. They want
to be supervised by someone else because Smith favored the 2003
consecration of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson, the church's first openly
gay bishop.
"One of the concerns has been, is the church going to split over the
issue?" the Rev. Brendan McCormick of St. Paul's Church in Wallingford
said as he left the meeting. "The mood today is, let's stay and talk
about it. It was a family conversation, really."
The nearly two-hour session was closed to the press and the public.
Smith has not yet decided whether to suspend the six, who are also
accused of shirking their financial obligation to the diocese. A tense
four-hour meeting between him and the six priests Monday night ended
in an impasse.
Diocesan officials and priests tapped to speak to the press painted
Thursday's meeting as a much more pleasant dialogue that gave them
hope the situation will be resolved.
"What I think happened today is an opening up of greater possibility
of coming to a conclusion that wouldn't rupture the church," said the
Rev. James Curry, assistant bishop for the diocese.
But the six priests said they're not so sure.
"This is going to take a long time to work out. It took a long time
getting here," said the Rev. Christopher Leighton of St. Paul's Church
in Darien. "I am not optimistic that it will be working out."
Another of the priests, the Rev. Allyn Benedict of Christ Church in
Watertown, said the Episcopal Church as a whole will have to resolve
the rift created by Robinson's ordination and the recognition of gay
clergy.
Parishes in Alabama and Kansas have recently split from the church and
are seeking instead to associate with the 77 million-member Anglican
Communion, which traces its roots to the Church of England. The
Episcopal Church, with 2.3 million members, is the communion's U.S.
branch.
"It can't go on forever in the Anglican Communion this way," Benedict
said. "It's no different here in this diocese. Decisions have to be
made. The decision will be to walk together or walk apart."
Smith, who was not available for comment after the meeting Thursday,
said earlier this week he has no timetable for deciding whether to
suspend the priests.
The others facing removal are the Rev. Mark Hansen of St. John's
Church in Bristol, the Rev. Ronald Gauss of Bishop Seabury Church in
Groton, the Rev. Gilbert Wilkes of Christ and the Epiphany Church in
East Haven and the Rev. Don Helmandollar of Trinity Church in Bristol.