From byham.k@nypa.govMon Feb 26 11:39:19 1996 Date: Sat, 24 Feb 1996 16:36:48 -0500 From: byham.k@nypa.gov To: LCREW@andromeda.rutgers.edu Subject: Summary See full collection of the various parts at http://newark.rutgers.edu/~lcrew/scarletq.html#summary THE TRIAL OF BISHOP WALTER RIGHTER A FACT SHEET: SUMMARY Presented by Integrity, Inc. Page references are to the complete document. 1. Has Bishop Righter's ordination of Barry Stopfel already been considered by the House of Bishops? A. Yes. A motion to censure Bishop Righter for his ordination of Barry Stopfel (together with another bishop for another ordination) was defeated in an overwhelming voice vote at the meeting of the House of Bishops at General Convention in July 1991. (See page 1.) 2. What has General Convention said on issues of human sexuality? A. The General Convention in 1976 was the first to address the concerns of the many members of the Episcopal Church who are gay and lesbian. Subsequent conventions have uniformly continued to welcome such persons into fellowship. In 1979, the General Convention "recommend[ed]" that it is "inappropriate" to ordain non-celibate lesbians and gay men. However, no subsequent convention has strengthened that resolution (e.g., making it part of the canons and hence part of the "discipline" of the Church) nor even reiterated it. On the other hand, while subsequent conventions have acknowledged the continuing dissension in the church on issues relating to homosexuality, the 1979 recommendation has never been withdrawn. (See page 2.) 3. What did the Bishops say in 1994 in their Pastoral Study Document? A. Continuing the Dialogue: A Pastoral Study Document of the House of Bishops to the Church as the Church Considers Issues of Human Sexuality offers no specific directives or rules on ordination of non-celibate lesbians and gay men or on the blessing of same-sex unions. (See page 8.) 4. Why did the accusers choose to charge Bishop Righter with heresy? A. The reason was purely procedural. (See page 10.) 5. Have other bishops been charged with offenses based on their support of the ordination of non-celibate lesbians and gay men? A: Yes, at least four others in recent years. (See page 11.) 6. Why did the accusers choose Walter Righter? A. The accusers have contradicted themselves so the real reason for selecting Bishop Righter is open to conjecture. (See page 14.) 7. Do we know the position of any of the bishops on the Court with respect to Bishop Righter's ordination of Barry Stopfel? A. Yes. During the debate at the House of Bishops' meeting at General Convention in July 1991, when a motion to censure Bishop Righter (and Bishop Ronald Haines) was being debated, some who are now members of The Court for the Trial of a Bishop spoke. (See page 16.) 8. Will there be additional trials? A. No. The canonical changes effective in 1996 make it virtually impossible to bring another action like this. (See page 17.) 9. Has the Episcopal Church considered a moratorium on ordinations of non-celibate lesbians and gay men? A. Motions for a moratorium have been brought before every General Convention since 1985. They have always been defeated. (See page 17.) 10. Is Bishop Righter really being charged with heresy? A. Absolutely yes. (See page 18.) 11. Is homosexuality the real issue, or is it discipline? A. Clearly the question now before the court is one of doctrine, but is it doctrine (and discipline and/or authority) in general, or specific doctrine against the ordination of non-celibate lesbians and gay men? To lesbians and gay men, this proceeding looks like homophobia at work. (See page 18.) 12. What is the doctrine of the Episcopal Church? A. The accusers would have us believe that in the last 31 years, the doctrine of the Episcopal Church has grown exponentially to include all General Convention resolutions (presumably since 1789) and the entire Bible (including the Apocrypha?). This expansion is obviously the product of desperation. Even the accusers would admit that the Creeds and the Prayer Book are silent on issues of homosexuality. Therefore, they must expand the "doctrine." (See page 19.) 13. How many of the clergy in the Episcopal Church are lesbian or gay? A. Up to 40% (6,000). (See page 20.) 14. How many of the clergy of the Episcopal Church are out of the closet? A. A reasonable estimate is approximately 1000. (See page 20.) 15. How many were out to their bishops at the time they were ordained? A. Kim Byham has maintained a list of those he knows to have been out to their bishops at the time of their ordination or reception since 1977. At present, this list includes 120 individuals who have been ordained or received by 50 bishops (only 42 of whom are still living). Please note that this does not claim to be an inclusive list; there have undoubtedly been far more ordinands in the last twenty years who have been honest with their bishops about their sexuality. (See page 20.) 16. How many gay bishops are there? A. There is only one out-of-the-closet gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, the Rt. Rev. Otis Charles. There are scores of closeted gay bishops. (See page 21.) 17. How do Episcopalians feel about issues of the inclusion of lesbians and gay men in the Episcopal Church? A. In 1993, the Episcopal Church undertook the most massive dialogue on the issue of human sexuality in American history. The conclusions were: + Homosexuality is a genuine sexual orientation for some people. (81%) + Supporting committed relationships between gay or lesbian persons could strengthen the Christian community. (53%) (See page 21.) 18. What is the real reason for this case? A. The effects of publicity on the bishops personally and on donations. (See page 22.) 19. Who are the accusers? A. Ten bishops, the minimum number required by the canons, initiated the charges against Bishop Righter on January 27, 1995. These bishops represent the far right of the Episcopal Church, but their backgrounds and liturgical positions vary widely. (See page 22.) 20. What is Integrity? A. Integrity is the Episcopal Church's lesbian and gay justice ministry. (See page 24.) 21. Is there an official position on homosexuality in the Episcopal Church? A. No. While the Methodist and Presbyterian Churches, for example, have promulgated statements alleging that Christianity and homosexual practices are incompatible, the Episcopal Church has never said anything comparable to that. (See page 24.) 22. What did Bishop Righter do that allegedly constitutes heresy? A. According to the accusers' initial document, it was not his ordination of a non-celibate gay man to the diaconate. He did two things that they contend constituted heresy: 1) voting with the minority in a House of Bishops meeting in 1990 and 2) signing the Statement of Koinonia in 1994. In both of these alleged heresies, he was joined by large numbers of other bishops. (See page 24.) 23. What did Bishop Righter do that allegedly constitutes a violation of his ordination vows? The ordination of a non-celibate gay man to the diaconate is alleged to violate Bishop Righter's vow to uphold the "doctrine, discipline, and worship" of the Church. In most definitions, "discipline" involves the canons and those things that flow from the canons. When the same charges were made in Bishop Wood's case in 1994, the panel of bishops held "that [the 1979] resolution is only what it purports to be: a statement of principal for the guidance of persons involved in the ordination process. It is not a statement of disciplinary requirement for breach of which action may be taken under Title IV" of the Canons. (See page 25.) 24. What do the Episcopal Church's Canons say about homosexuality? A. The subject is addressed in only one place in the Canons. "No one shall be denied access to the selection process for ordination in this Church because of ... sexual orientation, ...." The committee that in 1994 dismissed the charges against Bishop Stewart Wood for ordaining a non-celibate lesbian found "there is no provision of the Constitution or Canons of the church which prohibits the ordination of homosexuals." (See page 25.)