Female "bishop" Installed As Presider Over Episcopalians

[Katholikos]

The Episcopal Church Installs Female Priest As Presiding Bishop, a 1st for a Woman


11-04-2006 10:40 AM
By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer


WASHINGTON -- Katharine Jefferts Schori took office Saturday as the first woman presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, a first not only for her denomination but also for the global Anglican Communion, which has never before had a female priest leading one of its provinces.

In a ceremony at the cavernous Washington National Cathedral, filled by more than 3,000 well-wishers, Jefferts Schori took leadership of the U.S. church as the Anglican rift over the Bible and sexuality threatens to erupt into schism.

Jefferts Schori, 52, was bishop of Nevada when she was the surprise winner of the election for presiding bishop at the Episcopal General Convention in June.

Worshippers stood and faced the doors of the cathedral as Jefferts Schori knocked and entered, wearing a multicolored robe and miter. She walked in a procession toward the front of the church, led by people waving streamers and flags, as applause filled the sanctuary.

Outgoing Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold turned over the symbol of her new authority, the primatial staff, to Jefferts Schori.

She will now represent the American denomination to the many Anglican leaders angered by the 2003 consecration of the first openly gay Episcopal bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Her job is further complicated by her personal support for Robinson's election. She believes the church should ordain gays and bless same-sex couples, though she insists she won't impose her views on others.

"If some in this church feel wounded by recent decisions, then our salvation, our health as a body, is at some hazard and it becomes the duty of all of us to seek healing and wholeness," Jefferts Schori said in her sermon Saturday.

That may not be enough appease other branches of the Anglican family, which take a traditional view that gay relationships are prohibited by Scripture. Some Anglican leaders also reject the idea of women's ordination: Jefferts Schori has said they'll have to "get over it."

The majority of Anglicans worldwide have conservative views on sexuality, but they are a minority in The Episcopal Church. Still, by withholding money and building alliances like-minded Anglicans overseas, they have chipped away at the authority of the 2.3-million-member denomination.

It now falls to Jefferts Schori to try and reconcile The Episcopal Church with its critics. She is willing to compromise on her personal views to some degree. For instance, she thinks the American church should honor the communion's request and refrain from electing any more gay bishops for now.

Seven U.S. conservative dioceses have already rejected her authority and have asked Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, to assign them another national leader. Three of the dioceses do not support ordaining women.

Jefferts Schori has spent her life tackling outsized challenges.

She is an oceanographer who graduated from Stanford University, a rock climber and a pilot who flew her plane to visit parishes around the sprawling Nevada Diocese.

Her husband of more than 25 years, Richard Schori, is a retired mathematician. Their daughter, 25-year-old Katharine Johanna, is a pilot in the U.S. Air Force.

Jefferts Schori decided to pursue full-time ministry after federal funding for her scientific research dried up. She was ordained in 1994.

___

On the Net:

The Episcopal Church: [url="http://www.episcopalchurch.org"]http://www.episcopalchurch.org[/url]

___

Associated Press writer Lubna Takruri contributed to this report.


Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[CrossCuT]

[size=1]Yea I heard about that. Too bad.
[/size]

[MIKolbe]

to quote likos-

"just another fruit of Sola Sciptura"

[Nathan]

Man, the Church of England is in a sad state these days.

Maybe Queen Elizabeth II should step in. Rowan Williams may be the Archbishop of Canterbury, but the Queen is still the Head of the Church of England. Her Church is crumbling.

Edited November 5, 2006 by Nathan

[son_of_angels]

Only in theory. In current English law, even her authority over that is circumscribed by the Parliament.

[Paladin D]

This is what happens when you do not have Papal Authority.

[Fulton Sheen Warrior]

+JMJ+

[quote]"just another fruit of Sola Sciptura"[/quote]

[quote]This is what happens when you do not have Papal Authority.[/quote]

These sum it up for me.

Too bad they don't trust the 'pillar and foundation of truth'.

[Pontifite 7 of 10]

[quote name='Paladin D' post='1111620' date='Nov 5 2006, 01:22 AM']
This is what happens when you do not have Papal Authority.
[/quote]
Exactly!

Edited November 5, 2006 by Pontifite 7 of 10

[MissScripture]

wOOt for Papal Authority!

[Resurrexi]

Yay for the authority of the Vicar of Christ!

[Pontifite 7 of 10]

[quote name='StThomasMore' post='1111807' date='Nov 5 2006, 11:15 AM']
Yay for the authority of the Vicar of Christ!
[/quote]
May he live long a prosper.

[cmotherofpirl]

The Epicospal diocese of Pittsburgh is withdrawing from the National Church
[url="http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=16023"]http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=16023[/url]

this is an amazing blog to find out about the Episcopal Church:
[url="http://www.anglican.tk/"]http://www.anglican.tk/[/url]

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' post='1112055' date='Nov 5 2006, 05:43 PM']
The Epicospal diocese of Pittsburgh is withdrawing from the National Church
[url="http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=16023"]http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/?p=16023[/url]

this is an amazing blog to find out about the Episcopal Church:
[url="http://www.anglican.tk/"]http://www.anglican.tk/[/url]
[/quote]
This is going to get interesting.

[N/A Gone]

Rowan Williams is actually a good theologian too, and would make an awesome catholic..lets hope for that..

[123]

[quote]"just another fruit of Sola Sciptura"[/quote]

True, however more or less. Its the protestant's utilizing personal interperetation as a foundation for all their views. Thats what my previous church, Covenant Orthodox Presbyterian Church, did.