Posted on 11/16/2005 3:34:33 PM PST by sionnsar
The long-awaited ECUSA divorce picks up speed as Maryland's Robert Ihloff blasts one of the Anglican Communion Network's recent "irregular" ordinations:
The “irregular” ordination of the Rev. Eliot Winks in Pittsburgh on Nov. 12 to serve as an Anglican campus minister at Maryland’s Towson University has no connection with the Episcopal Church, according to the Bishop of Maryland, the Rt. Rev. Robert W. Ihloff, who wrote to the clergy of the diocese the following day.
Fr. Winks, a deacon licensed in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, was ordained priest by the Rt. Rev. Frank Lyons, Bishop of Bolivia in the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone. The Diocese of Maryland had been advertising for a part-time campus minister. Fr. Winks applied for the position, but was rejected, Bishop Ihloff said.
Ihloff got this juvenile shot at Winks in.
“Our action was based on his unwillingness to work under the direction of our Campus Ministry Board, and we were not impressed with his credentials,” he wrote. “Obviously our judgment has proven sound.”
And then had the audacity to play the Windsor Report card.
“Sadly, it is obvious that a small minority of bishops in our Communion continue to take unilateral action despite the weight of the vast majority of Anglicans who oppose such measures, the plea of the Archbishop of Canterbury to not violate diocesan boundaries, and the specific prohibitions sited [in the Windsor Report]. I will be reporting this action to the appropriate Anglican and Episcopal Church authorities.”
Since Jesus never said anything about Anglican bishops crossing diocesan boundaries, Ihloff's obviously on very shaky ground here. For his part, Bob Duncan sees no reason to get overly-scrupulous about something ECUSA has been doing its best to evade ever since it was released.
The Rt. Rev. Robert W. Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh and Moderator of the Anglican Communion Network, told the Pittsburgh Post Gazette that he had no supervisory role of the new priest, who now answers to the Bishop of Bolivia. Neither he nor any other bishop of the Episcopal Church took part in the laying on of hands ceremony, although a number participated in the closing Eucharist part of the three-hour service.
Bishop Duncan told the Post Gazette the bishops had acted because the Episcopal Church continues to ordain homosexual priests and permit same-sex blessings.
“If the Episcopal Church turned back, I’m sure they [the Global South primates] would be delighted to turn these churches over to the Episcopal Church. They are doing their own missionary work, and of course we are supportive of them. I make no bones about that,” Bishop Duncan said.
From the sound of the hissy-fits coming from liberals like John Chane and Robert Ilhoff, the Network has finally gotten serious and the Anglican story is about to get real interesting again.
UPDATE: Ihloff's letter is here.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.