A Hearing Panel has found that the Rt. Rev. William H. Love, Bishop of the Diocese of Albany, is guilty of violating his ordination vows. Love has refused to allow the clergy of his diocese to perform same-sex marriages as required by General Convention Resolution B012.
A separate hearing of the panel will determine consequences (terms of discipline). It will be scheduled within a month.
Love has the opportunity to appeal. In a letter to the diocese he says he does not expect an appeal will result in a different outcome.
This Panel unanimously concludes that TEC has met its burden of showing, by clear and convincing evidence, that Bishop Love has violated Canon IV.4.1(c) in that his November 10, [2018] Pastoral Directive violated the Discipline of the Church, as Resolution B012 was properly constituted and passed as an authorized revision to the BCP as expressly provided for in Constitution Article X, thus requiring that all Bishop Diocesans permit their clergy the option to utilize such rites. TEC has further met its burden of establishing that Bishop Love’s Direction also violated the Discipline of the Church in that it violated Canon I.18. The canonical legitimacy of Resolution B012 rendered Canon I.18 mandatory, requiring adherence by Bishops Diocesan in permitting their Clergy the option to perform same-sex marriage rites. TEC has also met its burden of establishing that the Direction violated the Worship of the Church in that Resolution B012 added canonically-authorized same-sex marriage rites to the Worship of the Church pursuant to the BCP.