Lutibelle/Louie
December 19, 1995
BY THE VERY REV. RICHARD H. MANSFIELD, JR., PROVOST
CHRIST CHURCH CATHEDRAL
It has been announced publicly in the news media that the Episcopal
Church will be holding a heresy trial here at Christ Cathedral in
February. Bishop Coleridge first gave permission for this trial to take
place in the diocese and then asked me about having it take place
here at the Cathedral. It is the Bishop's Cathedral and he is the
Chairperson of the Chapter of the Cathedral and he could have
decided on his own to give permission for the trial to take place here.
I very much appreciate his seeking my concurrence on the matter
before a decision was made I would like to briefly present some of the
facts about this trial and explain my concurrence in having the trial
take place here at Christ Church Cathedral.
The person on trial is Bishop Walter Righter, the retired Bishop of
Iowa who is 71 years old and is now living in Alstead, New
Hampshire. A presentment has been brought against him by ten
bishops and approved by 66 other bishops. The total was more than
the one quarter of the 297 bishops of the Episcopal Church required
for the calling of a trial. The presentment was brought against Bishop
Righter for ordaining a homosexual, the Reverend Barry L. Stopfel,
who is now rector of St. George's Church in Maplewood, New Jersey.
The official charge being brought against Bishop Righter is teaching a
doctrine contrary to that held by this Church
I gave my assent to having the trial here at the Cathedral without a
moment's hesitation. First, this is a process of our Church, directed by
the leadership of our Church under the Canon laws of the Church.
The Cathedral is part of the Episcopal Church and will always make
every effort to accommodate the larger Church or groups in our
Church when they wish access to the Cathedral. That is a very
important part of our ministry as a Cathedral which is practiced
constantly in our ministry of hospitality to the many groups in the
Diocese and the National Church. Christ Church Cathedral in
Hartford has an enviable reputation as an important center of our
Church both in the Diocese and nationally. Second, the Cathedral is
primarily noted for its openness. It is open to all groups regardless of
whether we agree or disagree with their opinions or political positions
both inside and outside the Church as long as they are peaceful and
respectful in their use of the Cathedral. There have been many groups
that have met here at the Cathedral, some who were turned down or
rejected by other venues whose political or theological opinion have
not always been supported by the leadership of this Cathedral.
Nevertheless, they found the Cathedral, sometimes to their
amazement, a place of hospitality where they were able to freely
pursue their interests in meeting here. We want to have this
reputation of openness and inclusiveness because we believe that that
inclusiveness approximates the basic character of the ministry of Our
Lord Jesus Christ who we are here to serve.
I feel that having assented to the heresy trial taking place here at the
Cathedral I need as Provost of the Cathedral to state my personal
position which I believe will give further evidence of the openness of
the Cathedral.
First of all, the Cathedral for many years has been a place of
hospitality to the homophile community and will continue to be so.
The local Chapter of Integrity, while it was still in existence met here
for many years. The XX Club, a large support group for transsexuals,
continues after many years to meet here. My colleague, the Rev.
Canon Clinton Jones, has been a pioneer in counseling and caring for
the homophile community and those involved in gender dysphoria.
We have in the past had homosexual clergy on our staff and we have
homosexuals who are part of our congregation.
I do not want Bishop Righter's trial taking place here to in any way
send a message to anyone that the homophile community or those
dealing with gender issues are not welcome here at the Cathedral.
They will always be welcome as long as I am Provost. I am deeply
saddened by whatever pain or disillusionment about the Church that
Bishop Righter's trial may cause them.
Secondly, I believe this trial should not be happening, I think it is
outrageous that in this day and age the Church is involved in a heresy
trial on any issue but especially this one. The millions of dollars that
will be spent and the energy of the leadership of the Church expended
on this trial is a sinful waste and the antithesis to the proper
stewardship of our resources given to us by God. I too am
disillusioned and embarrassed by the leadership of our church when
76 members of our House of Bishops could cause this to happen. The
perpetrators of this action tried to pass a resolution of censure against
Bishop Righter at the General Convention of the Church and failed.
The delegates at that Convention also acknowledged that they could
not agree on the morality of homosexual conduct particularly in
committed monogamous relationships. Pursuing this action against
Bishop Righter after all that seems in my opinion to be spurious and
petulant.
Aside from all the theological and scriptural proof texts and
arguments that space does not allow, my own personal position is that
the Church has always been wrong whenever it has said that a
particular group of people should be eliminated from consideration
for ordination. It was wrong when it said it about people with
disabilities, it was wrong when it said it about people of color, and it
was wrong when it said it about women, and it will be wrong whenever
they try to say it about homosexuals. If someone is associated with a
group and that group is not permitted by the Church to be considered
for the possibility of ordination, I think that person would
understandably question in their hearts whether they are really
considered and accepted as full and equal members of the Church.
The Church only has the right in my opinion to discern through its
Diocesan Bishops in their Separate dioceses with their appointed
advisors whether an individual is called to the particular ministry of a
deacon or priest or whether they are called to carry out their ministry
in Christ's name as a lay person.
Thirdly, if the present process of the Episcopal Church can allow for
and require a trial such as this, then I believe that those processes and
the Canon laws involved need to be changed by the General
Convention of the Episcopal Church so that this cannot happen again.
I certainly hope that Bishop Righter will be acquitted and exonerated
so that issues involved can be put to rest.
Having stated my personal position on the issues involved in Bishop
Righter's trial, I want to reiterate my ascent to having the trial take
place here at the Cathedral. I feel that Bishop Coleridge made it
possible for me to say no, which I deeply appreciate. I said yes
because we, at the Cathedral, are the Church and because we are an
open and inclusive Church that is proud of that tradition of
inclusiveness and diversity.
The Church is fallible. It has been, God knows, guilty of gross errors
many times in its past. The Cathedral is fallible, I am fallible. But I
hope the Church and all of us in it, will always experience the open
hospitality of the Cathedral as we continue to struggle together in this
place to know God's will for us in this world. This ministry of
openness and inclusiveness has been my vision and my mission ever
since I have been Provost of this cathedral. I believe the decision to
permit the trial to take place here offers us an opportunity to make a
bold statement about that ministry of openness. An openness to all,
sinners and saints alike. We are all both of them living under the hope
of God's mercy and grace.
I feel confident, because of past experience, that the parishioners of
this Cathedral including those who strongly disagree with my personal
positions on the issues involved will support me in my decision to
permit the trial to take place at the Cathedral. I rejoice and give
thanks to God that I serve in a place where I can have that confidence
and can expect that kind of support.
Send mail to: lcrew@andromeda.rutgers.edu