Bishop Gene: I. Gay Priests, Cowardly Bishops & the Church’s Survival
From Ruth Gledhill, in a recent – 27 July – ‘Times’ article which some of my readers may have missed at the time (I did). If nothing else Gene is unafraid to call things as he sees them – his sincerity is obvious! – and does so quite freely, and in relation to more than one issue. I am quoting him here in relation to his comments on the large numbers of partnered gay priests and colluding but sadly (for Gene) cowardly bishops in the Church of England.
‘(Gene Robinson) said many of the English church’s clergy lived openly in their rectories with gay partners, with the full knowledge of their bishops. But he criticised the stance of bishops who threaten the clergy with emnity should their relationships become public.
Speaking in an interview in London, Bishop Gene said: “I have met so many gay partnered clergy here and it is so troubling to hear them tell me that their bishop comes to their house for dinner, knows fully about their relationship, is wonderfully supportive but has also said if this ever becomes public then I’m your worst enemy” …
“If all the gay people stayed away from church on a given Sunday the Church of England would be close to shut down between its organists, its clergy, its wardens…..it just seems less than humble not to admit that.”‘
See what else Gene thinks –
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2155148.ece
I am reminded of Jeffrey John’s insightful comment from his elegant ‘Permanent, Faithful, Stable’: ‘As one ‘out’ priest put it, “Once it dawned on the parish that having a partner didn’t mean orgies at the vicarage but having arguments about who goes to Tesco’s and who walks the dog, they stopped minding. They realised we were the same as them.”‘ Sorry, Dr John, though your psychological analysis could not be more apt – i.e. the powerfully strong impact of familiarity in psychological reconditioning and softening resistance – your sexual analysis is not. Gay/les/bi coitus is not the same – how could it possibly be?
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