Bishop Bennison has been deposed
The Bishop of Pennsylvania has been deposed. Details are still coming out, but there are news reports describing the decision of the special court that was convened. He was deposed because of his actions in covering up a case of sexual abuse that occurred earlier in his ministry.
Deposition means that Bishop Bennison is to be removed from the clergy of the Episcopal Church and will not be allowed to exercise any ordained ministry in Episcopal churches.
The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania has released the following statement:
The Standing Committee of the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania has received the news that the Court for the Trial of a Bishop has rendered its decision and sentencing recommendations. The Court denied Bishop Bennison's motion for a new trial and for a sentencing hearing, and recommended that Bishop Bennison be deposed.The Standing Committee's prayers and thoughts are with those affected by the trial, the verdict and now the sentence. We pray for healing for all.
The canonical process is long and not over. Under the Canons, Bishop Bennison has thirty days within which to file an appeal with the Court of Review. If the conviction and sentence are upheld by the Court of Appeal, the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church would impose the sentence. The Standing Committee will be continuing its responsibilities as the Ecclesiastical Authority in the diocese until the matter is finally concluded.
According to a newspaper account:
Charles E. Bennison Jr., 64, deserved to be ousted from the clergy because of his "very significant failures to fulfill his responsibilities" and "a fundamental lack of professional awareness," the special Court for the Trial of a Bishop said in documents released Friday.The unanimous nine-person panel of bishops, priests and church members chose the harshest sentence for Bennison, who has been bishop of the nation's fifth-largest Episcopal diocese for a decade. He could have faced a reprimand or a temporary suspension of his duties.
"The court finds that even today (Bennison) has not shown that he comprehends the nature, significance and effect of his conduct and has not accepted responsibility and repented for his conduct and the substantial negative effects of that conduct," the ecclesiastical panel wrote.
The full court decision (in PDF) is here.
The court order (also in PDF) is here.
With permission from SNAP here is the following -
For immediate release: Friday, October 3, 2008
Statement by Barbara Blaine of Chicago, national president member of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (312-399-4747)
We believe this is a first in US history: a clergyman defrocked for concealing a pedophile priest's crimes. We believe it should happen far more often.
This long overdue but crucial move sends a strong signal to Episcopalian officials: child sex abuse should be reported and disclosed, not minimized and hidden. More importantly, it sends the message that you will be punished, not promoted, for covering up for criminal colleagues. If this signal had ever been sent in the Catholic hierarchy, perhaps thousands of kids and their families would have been spared devastating pain.
Unacknowledged wounds rarely heal, so we hope this important validation can help those so deeply wounded by the Bennison brothers to recover from the horrific betrayal they've experienced. We commend them for being brave and wise enough to come forward, speak up, cooperate with authorities, and expose both a dangerous child molester and a corrupt church supervisor. Episcopalian families are safer and Episcopalian churches are healthier because of these courageous victims.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the nation's oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims. We've been around for 17 years and have more than 8,000 members across the country. Despite the word "priest" in our title, we have members who were molested by religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis, bishops, and Protestant ministers. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)
Contact David Clohessy (314-566-9790 cell, 314-645-5915 home), Peter Isely (414-429-7259) Barbara Blaine (312-399-4747), Barbara Dorris (314-862-7688), Mary Grant (626-419-2930), Mark Serrano (703-727-4940)
*****
http://snap-national.blogspot.com/2008/10/episcopal-bishop-defrocked-in-cover-up.html
from a SNAP dad, who's son was abused in the 'holy' Orthodox Church. (That's for all you TEC-bashers reading this).
Posted by John Iliff![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
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October 6, 2008 11:06 AM