I heard today from a friend in the Diocese of Pennsylvania about the last few days. Apparently, Bishop Bennison was cracking jokes about his impending departure throughout Diocesan Convention, leaving various people in great awkwardness about what to say to him, "We're sorry that your past has come back to bite you???..." My friend thought, "We'll pray for you" is about the best that can be said. The Presiding Bishop appears to have appointed a retired bishop of Eastern Maryland as Episcopal Visitor for the time being. She also has appointed two bishops as Administrators to clean house, especially in the Diocesan finances. These appointments quite surprised me, because I was under the impression that the Standing Committee was the Ecclesiastical Authority in this type of interregnum and could act like a Council of Regents or something.
Sadly, I suspect the Presiding Bishop sees Pennsylvania as a dry run for what she may have to do in the near future for certain Dioceses of the Church that do not appreciate being named in this context. The only difference will be the removal of the Standing Committee, which is not necessary in this case.
3 comments:
You know, the relatively ambiguous "We'll be praying for you" were my parting words last time I spoke to another Anglican bishop in the Philly area--Fr. Moyer--when last I saw him too...
The diocese needs a lot of prayer, and I think you're absolutely right about the dry run.
I thought too that the Standing Committee acted as you suggest. Perhaps this is to provide pastoral leadership in the interregnum at the behest of the Standing Committee?
As far as I know, this isn't at their behest. Whatever this arrangement is, it's apparently in the Canons somewhere.
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