Necessary criteria to be bishop:
capacity to be focus of unity

Thinking Anglicans draws attention to this Q&A of Church Commissioners in the House of Commons on Tuesday:

Appointment of Bishops

1. Natascha Engel (North East Derbyshire) (Lab): What recent representations the Church Commissioners have received on the criteria for the appointment of bishops in the Church of England; and if he will make a statement.

The Second Church Estates Commissioner (Tony Baldry): The canons require that anyone to be considered and consecrated as a bishop at present has to be male and over 30.

Natascha Engel: I thank the hon. Gentleman for that answer. The Archbishop of Canterbury has recently written a newspaper article saying that it is okay to be a gay bishop as long as one is celibate. Where does the Church of England stand on people in civil partnerships? If they are celibate, are they okay to be bishops too?

Tony Baldry: There is no Church of England rule that prevents a celibate person in a civil partnership from being considered for appointment as a bishop. The issue is whether someone in that position could act as a focus for unity in a diocese. That would have to be considered by those responsible for making any episcopal appointment.

Read more and find links at Thinking Anglicans.

Regarding the gender requirement, The Rt. Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, has publicly commented on #mitregate at the beginning of this recent video interview.

Posted by John B. Chilton on October 28, 2010 10:29 AM | |
Comments (3)

Really? Celibate in a civil partnership? Who are we trying to kid?

Posted by Matthew Buterbaugh+ [TypeKey Profile Page] | October 28, 2010 4:00 PM

The issue is whether someone in that position could act as a focus for unity in a diocese. That would have to be considered by those responsible for making any episcopal appointment.

I don't mind the "focus of unity" requirement . . . in TEC's democratic episcopal choice (because the former is a by-product of the latter---at least to a degree!).

But in an appointment-based polity? That's a hopelessly SUBJECTIVE requirement, virtually ensuring that a single appointing viewpoint defines "unity" to mean "agrees with me". (To wit, if "I don't agree with that lifestyle", you'd best believe I won't appoint a bishop w/ Teh Gay! "No unity for you!")

Once again, I say: thank GOD for TEC. :-D

JC Fisher

Posted by tgflux [TypeKey Profile Page] | October 29, 2010 2:36 AM

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