Gay cleric installed at St Albans
paul
"Anglican leaders called on the Church of England to put aside
differences on gay priests, as a controversial cleric was appointed to a
senior role. On Friday, Dr Jeffrey John, 51, was formally installed as
Dean of St Albans Cathedral.
He was persuaded to stand down from the Reading candidature after
protests from conservative evangelicals in July 2003. Conservative
Anglicans have also criticised the appointment of Dr John, who says he
is celibate.
About 2,000 people packed the cathedral for the service in which he was
formally made rector of the parish of St Albans Abbey and Dean of St
Albans Cathedral.
The Bishop of St Albans, Christopher Herbert, used his sermon to praise
Dr John's courage in accepting the post and called for the churches'
dignitaries and churchmen to listen to each other. "There are very,
very many who are absolutely thrilled; and there are some of my fellow
Christians who have been, and remain, deeply upset, angry and dismayed.
"What we have to do is listen deeply and patiently to each other so that
understanding on all sides may grow," he said.
In a sermon to the congregation, Dr John said: "This is where God wants
and intends me to be, and there is nowhere else I would rather be. I
hope we can get on now with what really matters." The cleric, who in
the past has advocated a possible church blessing for same-sex couples,
vowed during the ceremony to use "only the forms of service which are
authorised or allowed by canon".
The service included a specially composed anthem, Emmanuel, by the
organist and master of music at York Minster, Philip Moore.
Philip Lovegrove, chairman of St Albans diocesan board of finance,
resigned his post along with that of the position of honorary lay canon
at the cathedral, in protest at the appointment.
Two parishes in the diocese - St Peter and St Paul's Church in
Cranfield, near Bedford, and Holy Trinity Church, in New Barnet, north
London - have pledged to withhold money from diocese funds in protest.
Inclusivechurch, the pro-gay rights group within the Church of England,
said it welcomed Dr John's appointment.
The appointment has had an impact around the world and bishop Dr Cyril
Okarocha from Nigeria spoke for the Anglican Church in Africa which
opposes the appointment of openly homosexual clergy. He said: "The
Archbishop of Canterbury and the bishops of England have not got the
message or are they going to let the Anglican Church disintegrate during
their time? I hope this is not a step to compensate or apologise to Dr
John over the Bishop of Reading appointment."
Dr John was previously Canon Chancellor and Bishop's Adviser for
Ministry in the Diocese of Southwark since 1997. He now becomes Rector
of the Cathedral and Abbey Church of St Albans as well as dean.
BBC report: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3858915.stm
(C) Copyright acknowledged © BBC 2004
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paul
beholder, eye of ... perspective, point of ...
http://www.watman.clara.co.uk/horns_of_a_dilemma.html
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