In a church already splintered on the 'gay bishop' matter, now comes another scandal certain to add to the controversy: 'pedophile priests' ala the Roman Catholic Church in recent years.
There is it seems, in California, a Reverend John Bennison who had such an event in his own life many years ago. Far too lengthy to reprint it all here, the original item from May 10 in Virtue Online discusses it. Apparently not content to deal with the fact that all of us -- even our priests -- are sinners, this group of congregants from the diocese there in California have also made a formal complaint in writing to our Presiding Bishop Frank Griswald and seem detirmined to make this a topic of discussion and controversy at General Convention during June.
You can read the report and the comments which follow it
Episcopal priest haunted by sexual indiscretion here.
Its not enough, I guess, that General Convention has to be spoiled by controversy over Bishop Robinson but now a priest who had an indiscretion involving a minor many years ago has to be part of the discussion. I wonder if they are going to talk about the priest who was convicted of murder a number of years ago (also from California) who later got things together and was ordained in the Diocese there. All the puritans should probably get after him also.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
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2 comments:
Hi;
One of his victims is my sister. The abuse was horrible, real, and has been unpunished. As someone of liberal ideas myself and sympathetic to gay people, it pains me to see this turning into a weapon for those who would deny progress.
From my family's point of view, JB+'s current state of repentence is immaterial: he should not be a priest period.
But despite what the neanderthals on places like virtueonline say, many of us who are personally involved in this abuse do have a soft spot for JB's brother. He has protected his brother, and that is wrong, but I think he does have a core of goodness and that is going to be the real tragedy of the fallout from this, because I just can't see how CB can survive this, at least as Bishop. Peace.
It is painful for me to hear/read stories such as that of Bennison, either John or his brother. First, I do dearly love ECUSA, the style and method of worship, etc. It is something I _never_ found in other protestant (and congregational type) churches where I attended for so many years. I had been curious about ECUSA for several years, but when Gene Robinson was elected Bishop that sort of sealed the matter for me; I was confirmed about that same time.
I would say his current state of repentance is not immaterial; there is a fellow right now in prison in California whose repentance has been pretty well established and he is now a priest in the California dioscese. While the nature of one's sin is important, it never is something that Christ cannot help you get over. Granted, there are always victims in this sort of crime, just as there are victims in the crime (murder) committed by the priest who is now in prison and attempting to get paroled. Which crime is worse, murder or sexual molestation? I am not sure, and I am grateful to God it is not a choice I have to make or deal with.
In the instance of the priest in prison for murder now atempting to make parole and assume responsibilty for a parish once again, the people most directly by his crime (family members of the murder victim) feel a lot the same as you: they say his repetance does not matter, and he should never be allowed to be a priest. I do not know where to come down on this issue. I do know that each and every one of us has sins in his life which would shame Satan himself, as a poet once said. I know that is true of myself at least, but then I have never made an effort to be a person of any responsible position in any church, so perhaps it is a moot point.
I only wish we could all be as good and perfect as the folks at Virtue Online as it would make the world a lot better place.
Peace and love to you also.
PAT
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