Schori and the Abuser . . . and the quiet

I’ve been preoccupied with studies of medieval church history and of ale in England. But I’ve watched from afar the scandal of --Schori’s enabling of an abuser of minors during her tenure as Bishop of Nevada. What I have found most remarkable about the story is that her tenure as Presiding “Bishop” appears to be in little danger despite the revelations. The quiet is deafening.

Now, I am not the one to go to for the details on this story. As is often the case, the Anglican Curmudgeon is carrying out the thankless, curmudgeonly task of laying out the facts. His conclusion?

… it is now undisputed that Bishop Jefferts Schori learned early on, from Bede Parry's own former Abbot, that he was a multiple-count abuser who could not continue to function as a Catholic priest (or monk) because he had "a proclivity to reoffend with minors." And she learned of this fact before she decided to receive him into her Diocese as an Episcopal priest.

Further, he (still somehow an Episcopalian) calls for her to be inhibited.

But I would be surprised if that ever happens although it most certainly should. And where is the outrage about that? Again, the quiet is remarkable.

I theorize several causes of the quiet, when there should be shouting:

1. The utter disciplinary and moral bankruptcy of The Episcopal Church.

2. The Episcopal Church has become so wedded to the secular zeitgeist and has so fallen into decline that it is not a fat target as, say, the Roman Catholic Church and Penn State.

3. A corollary is the “mainstream” news media would rather investigate conservatives and orthodox Christians rather than one of their own.

4. Anglican fatigue.

Some will need no explanation of #4, but perhaps I should give one anyway. There is now so much weariness of the enormities and conflicts among Anglicans, and so many have written off the Episcopal Church in particular, that few hardly care anymore, at least not enough to do much about it.

Even this Anglican blogger does not frequent the Anglican blogdom with the zeal he once did. And the last time he can remember blogging on the Episcopal Church, it was still summer and the title of the post was “YAWN”.

Thus the motivation and energy to do much about this latest outrage from The Episcopal Church is lacking on all sides . . . even from those of us who know full well it is indeed an outrage.

ADDENDUM: I was just about to post when Schori issued a statement on the Bede Parry case. It may be found here.

Given her credibility, my opinion concerning this matter remains unchanged, except to say that perhaps things are not as quiet as I think if she feels compelled to make a statement.