New Hampshire’s Episcopalians elected an openly gay man as bishop nine years ago and sparked a virtual schism in the Anglican Communion. Now they are considering electing another gay bishop, the Rev. William W. Rich, who is one of three candidates.
“I think electors in New Hampshire are interested in getting the best bishop for New Hampshire,’’ said the Rev. Adrian Robbins-Cole, a leader in the diocese. “People are very parochial in the end.’’ And the Rev. Rich is married.
Meanwhile, back in Wisconsin, Madison’s Catholic bishop, Robert Morlino, is telling parishioners at a parish split after the arrival of traditionalist priests who banned altar girls and such, that unless they stop agitating they risk “interdict,” which is a bad thing in churchspeak.
Is Pope Benedict cracking down? We looked at that question the other day, and NCR’s supreme pontiffologist, John Allen, examines the question this week: “Has the 'real Ratzinger' come out to play?”
Two New York Times columnists, Maureen Dowd and Nicholas Kristof, addressed that question on Sunday, as regards the Vatican’s hostile takeover of the LCWR. Their opinions were pretty much what Rod Dreher (and probably everyone else) expected.
But stop: thinking too much about the Apocalypse can keep us from taking action, on issues like climate change, at least.
The Chronicle of Higher Education looks at the old and new of tensions over social issues at Catholic colleges.
That Amish beard-cutting guy in Ohio, Samuel Mullet (in photo), has millions in the bank but a taxpayer-financed public defender.
Joel Osteen got rained out at Nationals Park on Saturday but the Sunday make-up date was a winner, as the popular prosperity preacher told a sellout crowd that God wants to “supersize” their joy.
The Nationals themselves were not so happy after their first losing streak continued.
The National Day of Prayer is this Thursday – and so is the newer National Day of Reason. “We are trying to make a better world on our own by emphasizing good works and good deeds on the day,” says a spokesman for the nontheist community that has been promoting events related to the “NDR.”
David Gibson
Photo credit: The Plain-Dealer
