(RNS) Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has called the confirmation of a second openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church “regrettable” and said it will have “important implications” for the U.S. church’s role in the wider Anglican Communion.
Despite warnings from Williams, Episcopal bishops and regional committees ratified the election of the Rev. Mary Douglas Glasspool, an open lesbian, as an assistant bishop in Los Angeles. The Episcopal Church announced Glasspool’s confirmation on Wednesday (March 17).
Many Episcopalians hail Glasspool’s election as a victory for the full inclusion of gays and lesbians in the Episcopal Church. Glasspool said she is “aware that not everyone rejoices” in her election, but pledged to “extend my own hands and heart to bridge those gaps.”
As Archbishop of Canterbury, Williams is considered “first among equals” among Anglican bishops in the communion, which counts 77 million members worldwide.
Williams had urged Episcopalians not to confirm Glasspool, 56, following her election last December, as he tries to preserve the fragile unity of the Anglican Communion despite its bitter differences on homosexuality. Tensions have increased since the consecration of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire in 2003.
Since then, numerous Anglican committees and leaders had asked the Episcopal Church not to elect or consecrate any more gay bishops.
“It is regrettable that the appeals from Anglican Communion bodies for continuing gracious restraint have not been heeded,” Williams’ London office, Lambeth Palace, said in a statement.
Williams “made clear that the outcome of the consent process would have important implications for the communion,” the statement said. “Further consultation will now take place about the implications and consequence of this decision.”
Williams lacks the authority of a pope to summarily excommunicate churches or members that stray from the fold, but he has proposed a two-track system that could significantly reduce the Episcopal Church’s role in the Anglican Communion. A number of Anglicans are pushing Williams to expel the Episcopal Church and recognize a conservative splinter group in its place.
