The news that a law permitting same-sex marriages in New York has been approved is all it took for bishops in The Episcopal Church to fall over themselves in their eagerness to slavishly follow the world’s lead. In contemporary ecclesiastical parlance, this is called being prophetic. It used to be called being relevant but that is so 1990s.
You can read more on their enthusiastic rejoicing here:
At least one U.S. Episcopal Church bishop in the state of New York has said that clergy in his diocese may solemnize same-gender marriages as soon as the state’s recently passed Marriage Equality Act goes into effect.
“The Episcopal diocese of Long Island will engage this new law with a generous and open response allowing, under the provision of our General Convention, the use of rites for same-gender marriage by priests of this diocese who believe they are called to preside at the exchange of vows, once the law has taken effect in 30 days,” Bishop Lawrence Provenzano said in a June 25 statement.
Meanwhile, Bishop Prince Singh of Rochester said in a statement e-mailed to Episcopal News Service that he would soon set up a diocesan task force “to help us chart our course to engage this journey reverently, deliberately and in congruence with church law.” Singh told ENS that he was “working on some more specific direction for the diocese.” He had actively campaigned for at least two years for passage of the law.
Diocese of Western New York Bishop William Franklin said in a statement welcoming the law’s passage that he will be holding meetings soon “for members of our diocese to listen to how Episcopal churches in Western New York might integrate this decision into our life.”
Diocese of New York Bishop Mark Sisk said in a statement that “the legislation, as enacted, appears to be closely aligned with the long standing views of this diocese that the civil rights of all people should be respected equally before the law.”
All four praised passage of the act. The bishops of Albany and Central New York did not respond to ENS requests for comment.
Since the reformation the Anglican Church has only had two valid sacraments;Marriage and Baptism, the priesthood and and Eucharist being invalid. Since the ordination of women, honest Anglicans have to admit that The Book of Common Prayer unites them, not truth in doctrine. Not they have started dismantling Marriage. Soon, they will monkey with Baptism. What a parody of Christianity!