c. 2003 Religion News Service
Conservative Episcopal Bishops Appeal to Overseas Anglican Leaders
(RNS) Twenty-four conservative Episcopal bishops have threatened to break ties with the national church if an openly gay priest is confirmed as the next bishop of New Hampshire.
The bishops said the June 7 election of the Rev. V. Gene Robinson to the New Hampshire post signals a church that is “desperately confused, errant and disintegrating.”
Robinson’s election will need to be certified by delegates and bishops at the church’s July 30-Aug. 8 General Convention meeting in Minneapolis. The 24 bishops said confirming Robinson as bishop _ along with an expected debate over blessings for same-sex couples _ would be an “unparalleled departure” from church teaching.
The bishops, in a July 18 statement, appealed for guidance from overseas Anglican leaders, who last month said their communion with the bishop of Vancouver had been “impaired” after his decision to allow same-sex blessings.
“We do hereby affirm the moral and spiritual authority of you, the `Concerned Primates’ of the Anglican Communion, and do join in commitment with you to address the situation under your leadership. We desire to act in concert with you, and are ready to take counsel from you.”
There was no immediate reaction from church headquarters in New York, but Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold has said other dioceses must “respect” Robinson’s election and “no one can say, `I have no need of you’ to another member of this church.”
It in unclear what shape any action by the bishops would look like. One conservative official said the bishops could allign themselves with a like-minded overseas bishop and refuse to obey the American hierarchy. A less serious scenario would involve the bishops declaring themselves at odds with the rest of the church but never formally leaving.
Seven of the 24 bishops are retired and thus have no vote in Robinson’s election. The active bishops are among the leaders of church conservatives, including Edward Salmon of South Carolina, James Stanton of Dallas, Jack Iker of Fort Worth, Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh, Keith Ackerman of Quincy, Ill., Gethin Hughes of San Diego and John-David Schofield of San Joaquin, Calif.
_ Kevin Eckstrom
Boston Church Officials Will Not Face Criminal Charges
BOSTON (RNS) Authorities in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston will not face indictments in the child abuse sex scandal that sparked a 16-month criminal investigation, a spokesperson for the Massachusetts Attorney General said Monday (July 21).
“I can confirm there will be no indictments in our report,” said Spokeswoman Sarah Nathan. Further details will not be disclosed, she said, until her office convenes a press conference later this week.
The possibility of indictments for top diocesan officials, including bishops, has loomed large ever since January 2002 when internal documents revealed that bishops had been enabling abusive priests to continue in ministry. Clergy abuse victims had hoped for indictments in order to send a message that bishops are not above the law and will be held accountable when they expose children to harm.
On hearing that indictments would not be forthcoming, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) faulted state statutes rather than Attorney General Thomas Reilly, who has led the prosecution.
“The laws have failed the children,” said Ann Hagan Webb, SNAP Co-Coordinator for New England. In particular, she said, statutes of limitations prevented Reilly from prosecuting certain rape cases. What’s more, Massachusetts has no child endangerment law that would criminalize the placement of children in dangerous situations. And the state’s mandatory reporting law, which requires church workers to tell civil authorities when they suspect abuse, dates only to 2002.
Weak statutes “gave them a loophole, a huge loophole, to slip through,” Webb said. “We look forward to seeing AG Reilly and his staff in the halls of the state house soon, lobbying lawmakers to reform outdated and inadequate statutes which leave children at risk.”
The archdiocese is withholding comment until the attorney general has issued the full report.
_ G. Jeffrey MacDonald
City Will Pay Church Damages to Settle Zoning Dispute
CHICAGO (RNS) The city of Evanston, Ill., will pay $350,000 in damages to settle a long-running zoning dispute with one of the community’s largest churches.
Since 1997, the 700-member Evanston Vineyard Church has sought zoning approval to hold worship services in a former office building it owns. But Evanston’s city code, while allowing membership organizations and cultural events, specifically prohibits “houses of worship” such as churches from the office zone the building is located in.
The church sued the city, claiming that the zoning code violated its Constitutional rights to free assembly, free speech and equal protection.
In March, a federal judge ruled in the church’s favor. In her ruling, U.S. District Judge Rebecca Pallmeyer noted that Vineyard’s congregants could legally stage a production of “Fiddler on the Roof,” which includes a traditional Jewish wedding, but “could not host an actual religious wedding.”
She also noted that “houses of worship,” hold “ceremonies, social functions, and fund-raisers, and other common activities” similar to those of membership organizations. Pallmeyer ruled that “Evanston’s claim that it has zoned purely for land use and not on the basis of religion is not supported by the facts,” and ordered the two parties to reach a settlement.
In a statement, Evanston Vineyard Executive pastor William Hanawalt said that “the church has sought to settle this dispute from the very beginning, so we are glad we can get this behind us, and refocus our effort on ministry in the Evanston community.”
The Vineyard had initially sought to recover both its legal costs and an estimated $500,000 in rental fees it has paid for space to hold worship services. The congregation has used its building for office space, concerts and other programs, but rented an auditorium at the Evanston High School for Sunday services.
In his statement, Hanawalt said the settlement costs, which will be paid out over a two-year period, will cover the church’s legal costs. “By agreeing to compromise on some of our claims for damages,” he said, “we found an opportunity to gain full use of our building for our ministry now, instead of waiting further for this case to conclude, possibly after an appeal.”
In addition, the city of Evanston agreed to drop its appeals of the property-tax exemption for the Vineyard building. The congregation has agreed that if it were ever to move, it would sell the building to a paying property owner. The city council has recently proposed an amendment to the zoning ordinance to take care of what city officials call a “technical inconsistency” that causes religious groups to be treated differently than nonreligious groups.
_ Bob Smietana
Chaplains’ Class Action Suit Against Navy Expands
WASHINGTON (RNS) A district court judge has permitted a class action suit by evangelical chaplains against the Navy to be expanded based on the argument that the period of discrimination against them is longer than they first realized.
The chaplains in the case, Adair vs. Johnson, originally thought their evidence of discrimination began in 1988, but they now believe it started in 1977. They allege that the Navy has favored liturgical Christian chaplains over nonliturgical ones.
Art Schulcz, a lawyer representing the chaplains, said the order signed July 15 by Judge Ricardo M. Urbina of the U.S. District Court of the District of Columbia could greatly increase the number of chaplains involved in the case.
“It … at least doubles the potential pool of people,” he told Religion News Service.
Previous estimates of the number of chaplains the case could involve were between 700 and 1,200.
The argument of the chaplains for expanding the case is based on additional evidence they believe shows that “liturgical chaplains dominated the composition of the promotion boards before the mid-1980s,” the court opinion states. The document also states that the Navy opposed the request to extend the time period covered by the case because it thought such action was futile and a cause for “undue delay.”
The Navy continued its practice of declining comment.
“It still isn’t appropriate for us to comment on an ongoing case,” said Sharon Anderson, public affairs specialist for the Chief of Naval Personnel.
_ Adelle M. Banks
Hindu-Muslim Temple Dispute Echoes in Indian Parliament
(RNS) At the start of India’s monsoon parliament session, India’s Prime Minister Atal Vajpayee faces calls for his resignation over his party’s collaboration in the destruction of a mosque in 1992, when a Hindu mob tore it down and sparked nationwide riots that killed more than 2,000 people.
Opposition leaders now accuse Vajpayee of protecting cabinet colleagues who were involved in razing of the mosque.
Meanwhile, Hindu hard-liners continue to push for legislation to build a temple on the site of the ruined 16th century Babri mosque in Ayodhya, a city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.
Religious activity is currently banned on the contentious site, where Hindu nationalists say a temple marking the birthplace of the god Ram once stood. The Babri mosque is just one of many mosques that militant Hindus have targeted in their campaign to tear down mosques across the country, Reuters reported.
Hindu groups like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad say that Muslim Mughal invaders destroyed thousands of temples in the 16th century and built mosques on the holy grounds. Now, in claiming those sites for Hinduism, nationalists threaten to inflame Hindu-Muslim tensions as elections draw near and parties appeal to the growing Hindu revivalism that helped bring the ruling party to power.
Vajpayee’s Bharatiya Janata Party, which promised a temple in Ayodhya as part of its campaign, has continued to support the cause. But the BJP recently angered other hard-line groups by saying it will not push for legislation to build on the disputed mosque site, citing a lack of support in parliament.
“The government should bring legislation in the session or we will go ahead with a countrywide agitation,” Giriraj Kishore, leader of the VHP, repeated from a resolution passed by Hindu leaders last week, the Hindustan Times reported. “ We are just concerned with our agenda _ a temple at Ayodhya. And we want it at any cost.”
Hard-liners, who were unshaken last June when a government archaeological survey found no evidence of a temple under the ruined mosque, have also laid claims to holy grounds in Varanasi and Mathura, demanding that temples be built where mosques currently stand. Varanasi is regarded as one of Hinduism’s holiest cities, and Mathura is thought to be the birth place of the god Vishnu.
“ We want the mosque to be destroyed,” Devedra Sigh Rathore, head of Mathura’s VHP, told Reuters. “We want a temple to be built over the mosque. Whatever the cost.”
_ Alexandra Alter
No Criminal Charges for English Prelate Over Sex Abuse Cases
LONDON (RNS) No charges wil be brought against Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, archbishop of Westminster, over his handling of the case of a pedophile priest while the prelate was bishop of Arundel and Brighton.
Critics have said Murphy-O’Connor’s handling of the sex abuse case was negligent.
After studying the results of an investigation by the Sussex police, the Crown Prosecution Service has decided that no further action should be taken.
In what he later admitted was a mistaken decision, Murphy-O’Connor appointed the Rev. Michael Hill to be chaplain at Gatwick Airport after the priest had undergone a course of treatment. While serving at the airport, Hill committed an offense against a boy with learning difficulties who had got lost. He was subsequently jailed for this and other offenses.
_ Robert Nowell
Quote of the Day: the National Council of Churches
(RNS) “Christians, Muslims and Jews can live and work together toward peace. Our traditions tell us so. Our Father Abraham expects it. And our God demands it.”
_ The National Council of Churches, in a plea for nonviolence in the Middle East, in a July 18 statement.
DEA END RNS
