News. News News. Reports from everywhere. Have a look at what the mainstream media is saying about the House of Bishops meeting that began this morning in New Orleans.
Rachel Zoll has written a strum and drang free story for the Associated Press.
Cathy Lee Grossman of USA Today has also overcome the temptation to suggest that the sky is not only falling, but will in fact land before the end of the month.
Rebecca Trounson of The Los Angeles Times features these two quote:
And in a recent telephone interview, Jefferts Schori said that despite the approaching deadline, the Episcopal Church would “continue to be the church on Oct. 1 and in November and beyond.” She said she did not expect major changes in the church’s relationships within the communion as a result of the meeting.
And:
The Episcopal bishop of Los Angeles, the Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, said Wednesday that he did not expect those decisions to be overturned at the bishops’ meeting. “I don’t believe we have the power to go beyond that before the General Convention,” he said. “And if the primates think some magic change will occur in the House of Bishops and the national church in which we say we rescind everything, that’s not going to happen.”
The Chicago Tribune and Raleigh News and Observer have local angles.
The Telegraph is overhyping the situation, although this paragraph is insightful:
But he is aware that even if he does achieve a form of words that placates moderates, conservative hardliners may still reject the deal and to force damaging new splits by boycotting the ten-yearly Conference of Anglican bishops in Canterbury.
And Andrew Brown ends his commentary on the Guardian Web site with this pearl:
The Anglican Communion contains a majority of primates who take a Grand Inquisitor’s view of politics; and some who would be happy to hand over heretics or at least homosexuals to the secular arm for punishment; some who encourage the belief that they can perform miracles, more or less, when their people need it; and plenty who use or threaten to use the power of money and modern science to expand their client base.
Rowan Williams, like Christ, renounces these powers; but when an Archbishop renounces powers he does not abolish them, he hands them to his enemies. Like Christ in the parable, Rowan’s response to the Grand Inquisitors of the world is to kiss them on their bloodless lips and then slip out into darkness and obscurity through the door they have held open for him. When Christ kisses him, the inquisitor is touched in his heart but his beliefs and his actions do not change. Fresh heretics will burn when morning comes.