Bishop Frank Griswold, the leader of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America (ECUSA) has issued a stark warning to parishioners of the diocese of California, that if they elect another gay bishop in its upcoming election, it would further widen the confrontation within the worldwide Anglican Communion.
The ECUSA is already in danger of being expelled from the main Anglican body after going against the will of a majority of the worldwide Communion and electing an openly homosexual bishop in 2003.Since the consecration of gay Bishop Gene Robinson the Anglican Communion has been heavily divided, with liberalists refusing to back down on the issue.
In just two weeks, the diocese of California, which is centred in San Francisco, will elect its next bishops from six proposed candidates. However, a major concern has arisen as three of the six are openly homosexual. It is believed if California follows the same path as 2003, the divisions amongst Anglicans across the globe may become irreparable.
Presiding Bishop of the ECUSA, Frank Griswold reported to a national UK newspaper, “The diocese needs to respect the sensibilities of the larger communion. It will note what is going on in the life of the church and make a careful and wise decision. It will then be up to the house of bishops to give or withhold their consent. Given what has happened over the last three years, I think there will be increased sensitivity.”
Bishop Griswold has also not hidden the fact that he has held private meetings to discuss the crisis with the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.He explained that they had discussed at depth, ways in which the Church could defuse the situation at the triennial Convention in June, which will take place in Ohio, USA.
