Step 1: Dig pit. Step 2: Fall in.

Remember all those psalms about the evil digging pits for the righteous and then falling into them themselves? The pseudo-Diocese of San Joaquin set up by The Episcopal Church presents us with an amusing example of the same.

The Anglican Curmudgeon reports that TEC’s pseudo-diocese has painted themselves into a bit of a corner (if you excuse another metaphor). For it appears their canonical gymnastics have made it almost impossible for them to achieve a quorum sufficient to hold a convention, much less “depose” 61 clergy.

Lovely.

++Canterbury Wimps Out on +San Joaquin

In a letter to the Diocese of San Joaquin, ++Greg Venables lets us know that ++Rowan Williams has wimped out on the real Bishop of San Joaquin.

Dr. Williams:
I understand that Bishop John-David Schofield has been accepted as a full member of the episcopal fellowship of the Province of the Southern Cone within the Anglican Communion and as such cannot be regarded as having withdrawn from the Anglican Communion. However, . . .

Uh, oh. Here’s comes the hedging.

. . . it is acknowledged that his exact status (especially given the complications surrounding the congregations associated with him) remains unclear on the basis of the general norms of Anglican Canon Law, and this constitutes one of the issues on which we hope for assistance from the Windsor Continuation Group. Bishop Schofield has elected to decline the invitation to the Lambeth Conference issued to him last year although that decision does not signal any withdrawal from the Communion. I hope there may be further careful reflection to clarify the terms on which he will exercise his ministry.

There’s more to the letter. Read it all.

Maybe Schori needs to hire Mugabe’s goons . . .

. . . for she is trying to put down Bishops Duncan, and Iker, and Schofield, but is only succeeding in getting self-inflicted egg in her face.

--Schori Inhibits +Schofield

In an expected and classless act, TEC Presiding Heretic Katherine Schori has inhibited Bishop Schofield.

Three observations:

1. In the business world, when a company wishes not to attract attention to news which shows that it’s being run in a sorry fashion, it will release said news late on Friday on the margins of the normal news cycle. But surely that’s not why TEC released this news late on a Friday.

2. “Windsor Bishop” Wimberly of the Diocese of Texas approved of this action. Can you say “collaborationist wimp”? He’s tried to be all things to all people. But towards the end of his undistinguished tenure, his true colors are showing . . . particularly the color yellow.

UPDATE: Matt+ Kennedy tells it like it is about Wimberly and "Windsor Bishops."

3. The Archbishop of Canterbury will have to actually make a real decision: whether to keep +Schofield invited to Lambeth or not. Either way, he will tick off people. It should be fun to watch.

Thirty-one bishops support +San Joaquin.

Thirty-one bishops have signed a public letter in support of the Bishop of San Joaquin. What I find most interesting and heartening on the list is the Bishop of Rochester’s name.

I’m on a friendly basis with one of the bishops and have passed on my thanks to him for signing. I encourage my good readers to pass on their thanks as well.

San Joaquin and my parish

A lot happened over the weekend with the Diocese of San Joaquin leaving the Episcopal Church and CANA consecrating more bishops. (Lots of video on the latter may be found here.)

I don’t wish to test your endurance and mine by trying to get my arms around these developments, at least not this morning. But two relevant things happened at my REC parish yesterday.

First, we prayed for the Diocese of San Joaquin during both Morning Prayer and Holy Communion.

Second, as Lector of the day, I read the lessons yesterday. The Second Lesson during MP was 2 Timothy 3. The first five verses were very timely:

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: . . .

Does a lot of that sound familiar? I thought so.

And how does Paul say we should respond to such apostates?

. . . from such turn away.

The Diocese of San Joaquin is doing the right thing. God bless them.