The US Episcopal Church has issued this press release.
Presiding Bishop on LGBT rights
The Episcopal Church
Office of Public Affairs
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has issued the following statement on LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgendered) rights:
The Episcopal Church has been clear about our expectation that every member of the LGBT community is entitled to the same respect and dignity as any other member of the human family. Our advocacy for oppressed minorities has been vocal and sustained. The current attempts to criminalize LBGT persons and their supporters are the latest in a series, each stage of which has been condemned by this Church, as well as many other religious communities and nations. Our advocacy work continues to build support for the full human rights and dignity of all persons, irrespective of gender, race, national origin, creed, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability or inability. To do less is effectively to repudiate our membership in the human community. No one of God’s children is worth less or more than another; none is to be discriminated against because of the way in which she or he has been created. Our common task is to build a society of justice for all, without which there will never be peace on earth. Episcopalians claim that our part in God’s mission is to love God fully, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That means all our neighbors.
The Most Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori
Presiding Bishop and Primate
The Episcopal Church
“To do less is effectively to repudiate our membership in the human community.”
Now *that* is laying it on the line. Very well said.
“Our advocacy work continues to build support for the full human rights and dignity of all persons, irrespective of gender, race, national origin, creed, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability or inability. To do less is effectively to repudiate our membership in the human community. No one of God’s children is worth less or more than another; none is to be discriminated against because of the way in which she or he has been created. Our common task is to build a society of justice for all, without which there will never be peace on earth.” Well, so much for… Read more »
Glad to say I’m an Episcopalian in the U. S. today. I’m with my Presiding Bishop on this statement. Thank you, Katharine.
Go PB! She’s a bit late to the party, but her statement is by far the best.
She is the real deal. This is the church I believe in. Most of the rest of the Communion is still in the Dark Ages on issues of sexuality. I honour this leader and the Church she presides over. Shining beacons of decency and courage. I would never break communion with the Episcopal Church in the US. I don’t even recognise the ‘positions’ of Church spokespeople or leaders who say “The Church of England believes this”. If the Anglican Communion ever tried to kick out TEC then it wouldn’t alter the majority of churchgoers still being in communion with them,… Read more »
From the statement, “No one of God’s children is worth less or more than another; none is to be discriminated against because of the way in which she or he has been created” I hope the Canadian church, which gave the PB as standing ovation as a guest at a General Synod, is taking note. The most recent Canadian GS has directed that an amendment to its Marriage Canon be prepared allowing for same sex marriage. In a “meeting after the meeting” nervous Canadian bishops have set up a panel of experts in attempt to slow down or even derail… Read more »
“No one of God’s children is worth less or more than another; none is to be discriminated against because of the way in which she or he has been created.”
This is The Faith that saves.
Well done for an excellent piece of biblical teaching- that’s what we need to take the Bible seriously.
Hear! Hear! Why are we making such heavy weather of this in the UK? The sky has not fallen in for the Episcopal Church. I very nearly returned my PTO on Monday but who would have noticed or cared and what difference would it have made anyway…at least we know we are on the winning side eventually. I just worry about all the people being hurt whilst we get there. If I was gay I would have given up on the Church of England years ago. I’m just hanging on by my finger tips and feeling pretty angry after Monday’s… Read more »
Robert, I fully understand where you are coming from. On Thursday next I celebrate my 80th birthday, and have been an Anglican all my life. A priest for 50 years. A gay person, whom God loves and leads whatever the Archbishops and York says. In spite of them, and some of their ilk, I know God has called and led me in His church. I will never leave; God is my boss, and Father. I remember well many years ago at my ACCM, that is the selection board; that the young priest selector called me a gay man. Shock !… Read more »
And it takes a Woman Bishop to tell things how they are!!. Church of England, take note. No more delay in the ordination of women as bishops in your Church. You need their instinctual wisdom.
I’ve always admired Bishop Katherine. She is part of God’s ‘Light to enlighten the Gentiles’, to be celebrated this Sunday. Great Shakes, TEC.
This is true Christian leadership — preach it, Bishop Katharine.
“That means all our neighbors.” Amen, amen.
I have recently been looking at the Public Broadcasting Service series ‘Eyes on the Prize’ and it strikes me once again that however late-in-time, however devastatingly painful, however divisive (!) and however costly of innocent lives, the civil rights movement did teach us (I’m a Yank too) that to abridge anyone’s freedom, is to abridge mine, to belittle anyone’s personhood, is to belittle mine, to deny anyone’s civil rights, is to deny mine. And that is an inestimable gift which TEC often makes good use of. Thank you Katharine, now and many times over.
CLEAN, honest, uncluttered, direct and welcoming, accepting/grounded in love…The Episcopal Church and Katharine Jefferts Schori have given abundant clarity to the commands of a loving God, greater self-respecting of self, and especially loving thy neighbor. ALL of thy neighbors (and co-pew-sitters, family, coworkers and friends). There are no exceptions, demeaning exclusions or silly ¨disordered¨ shame/blame and/or spiritually unsanitary proclamations NOTED or warned against equals at Church! Meanwhile some BIG MAN African archbishops pale in stewardship size next ++KJS. Now, more than ever before we can seperate the REAL men from the naughty/dangerous boys and see, in words/action, the wholesome leadership… Read more »
Brava Bishop Katherine! Thank God for The Episcopal Church. By contrast, the degree to which the Church of England has shown itself, over and over again, to be cowed by heterosexist bullies, whether within its own ranks, or abroad, is lamentable, deplorable, reprehensible. I very sadly have come count myself amongst the MANY who now deem it necessary to pray as much for our protection from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, as for them.
A bit simplistic Ron..your Bishop is a Lady (woman), but she is holding the line against gay blessings and more concerned with getting a new cathedral.
“A bit simplistic Ron..your Bishop is a Lady (woman), but she is holding the line against gay blessings and more concerned with getting a new cathedral.” Robert Ian, what are you talking about? TEC, including our PB, supports same sex blessings; they are taking place all over the country (USA). Some dioceses are doing the sacrament of marriage, including our National Cathedral in Washington DC. While they are ahead of General Convention, which is taking up the issue of equal marriage at the next meeting, I have heard of no rumblings of opposition to equal marriage from our PB. When… Read more »
“…she is holding the line against gay blessings and more concerned with getting a new cathedral.” She’s also making a stand for what is right and decent. I’ll believe Pope Francis is doing the same thing when he and Rome stop opposing all civil rights legislation around the world intended to protect sexual minorities from discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodation. I’ll believe the new Pope really is what he says he is when he makes a similar statement condemning the singling out and persecution of a minority population (instead of African Catholic bishops praising and endorsing just such… Read more »
Cynthia,
I believe Robert was talking about a woman bishop in Fr Ron’s home country of New Zealand.
Deeply, deeply proud of her and of the Episcopal Church. Truly a prophetic and bold statement.
Yes, the reference was to Bishop Victoria Matthews of Christchurch where Fr Ron is resident. Unfortunately, all the bishops of Aotearoa/New Zealand are holding the party line regarding same-sex blessings and ordination of openly gay partnered persons until the General Synod in May. I know my own Bishop in Dunedin was openly supportive until his consecration when he began to sit on the fence. Unlike his predecessor who was willing to flout the rulings. I guess like many, I am waiting to see what happens in May. If I am to be disappointed, I may wish there could be a… Read more »
Brian Ralph said, “If I am to be disappointed, I may wish there could be a branch of the Episcopal church of USA established here.”
The Episcopal Church is worldwide. It includes churches in Europe and Latin America — and nearer to Brian, in Micronesia and Taiwan.
Brian Ralph said, “If I am to be disappointed, I may wish there could be a branch of the Episcopal church of USA established here.”
I volunteer to be a missionary! 😉
An interesting bit of conjecture about what might happen if the Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia general synod decides to take a conservative path this May, or (more likely) finds yet another formula that will allow continued fence-sitting. Most previous conjecture has assumed that the steadily increasing pressure will force the synod to take some sort of progressive or liberalising direction, and the discussion has been about what will the Conservative Evangelicals do then. But maybe you are right, Brian, and perhaps it is time for those of us who see GLBT folk as an expression of God-given diversity to… Read more »
“Yes, the reference was to Bishop Victoria Matthews of Christchurch where Fr Ron is resident.”
Disconcerting news, given that her ladyship was hardly a foe of blessings before her translation!
Re Geoff’s comment. Different context, different polity. At the moment ACANZP has not approved of LGBT – Partnership Blessings or S.S. Marriage. Like most Bishops anywhere, our Bishop Victoria is limited by G.S. from such approval. However, from her speech at the ACANZP Hui recently, in which she outlined her own opinion on such matters, it is very likely that her vote will go towards the liberalisation of our Church’s polity, that will be in line with her statements as a Bishop in the Anglican Church of Canada – please God!
I think Ron is too optimistic. The Anglicans in Aotearoa/New Zealand fear the internal schism of the Diocese of Nelson, and there are dioceses with a growing evangelical presence.
Under no circumstances will GS precipitate schism.
Dear Robert. You are now out of touch with your former Anglican Diocese of Nelson in Aotearoa. I think, if you had been privy to the situation here over the last few years, you would have found that your old diocese no longer has as much punch in the affairs of ACANZP as in former days.