A disagreement over the issue of blessing same-sex marriages in the Anglican diocese of Montreal has led some of its parishes to request the help of a retired bishop from western Newfoundland.
Bishop Leonard Whitten of Pasadena retired from his ministry in 2003, but has been asked to provide what’s known as a shared episcopal ministry to parishes within the diocese of Montreal that disagree with the stance taken by Bishop Barry Clarke of Montreal.
Since 2007, at the direction of a diocesan synod, Clarke has authorized at least two blessings of two civil marriages without controversy.
However, in recent months, parishes in the diocese have protested the induction of a partnered gay priest, Very Rev. Paul Kennington, as the dean of Montreal and rector of Christ Church Cathedral and the ordination as a deacon of a partnered gay man, Rev. Robert Camara.
The six priests who have agreed to have Bishop Whitten’s intervention all protested against Deacon Camara’s ordination.
Bishop Whitten voted against the blessing of same-sex marriages when he attended the House of Bishops conference in Lambeth, England — a gathering of every Anglican bishop in the world — in 1998. He still holds that position.
“I am a firm believer that, scripturally, marriage is between a man and a woman and, hopefully, for life,” the retired bishop told The Western Star in an interview.
That does not mean, however, he does not respect the decision of two people of the same sex who want to live their lives together.
“I don’t agree with it, but I will still talk to them and minister to them if they are in my parish,” he said.
“I would tell them to find a person who is licensed to marry you. It might not be an ordained person because there are many people licensed to marry people. The whole crux of this matter was blessing civil marriages.”
Bishop Whitten is not going to Montreal to try to reconcile the differences between Bishop Clarke and his clergy or congregation. Nor is he going there to administer the operations of the diocese.
His role will be to perform the duties of a bishop in the parishes that oppose Bishop Clarke’s stance, which was recommended to him by his diocesan synod in 2007.
Bishop Whitten was asked to do this because of his connection to a parish within the diocese through his ongoing work with the church’s Sharing of Ministries Abroad — an international ministry that operates in 15 countries.
“I will be doing particular episcopal functions, like confirmations or ordinations, in those parishes,” Bishop Whitten said. “A priest can’t do those things and a bishop must be present.”
The work will not require Whitten to move to Montreal and, other than travel expenses paid for by the church, his assistance will be voluntary.
“They will make sure that, if they are going to have a confirmation in their parish, that maybe two or three parishes will work together and make sure they have confirmations on the same day or at least a day or two apart so I will only have to be here for a short time,” said Bishop Whitten.
Exactly when he will be making his first trip to the diocese in this role has not yet been determined, but Bishop Whitten does not expect to be going until early in the new year. It is also not yet known for how long he will perform the duty.
The Anglican church tried the same approach with a diocese in British Columbia that was split over this same issue in 2003. Eight parishes which did not agree with the diocese’s stance rejected the help of an assistant bishop since the diocesan bishop would still have the final say, as will be the case in Montreal.
While his role will not be one of reconciliation, Bishop Whitten said he will discuss the issue of same-sex marriages with the bishop or any member of the congregation who wishes to speak with him about it.
“I don’t believe for a moment we should not minister to (homosexuals) or that we should look down on them as somebody who is different,” he said. “I believe in a God who will look after that and I am not Him.”