If you are wondering why the Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania cc-ed neighboring bishops diocesan in their letter to the Presiding Bishop (see yesterday’s post) your answer may lie in the Canons.
Under Title III (Ministry), Canon 12 (Of the Life and Work of a Bishop):
Sec. 3. Duties
(a) Each Bishop Diocesan shall visit the Congregations within the Diocese at least once in three years. Interim visits may be delegated to another Bishop of this Church.
(1) At every such visitation the visiting Bishop shall preside at the Holy Eucharist and at the Initiatory Rites, as required, preach the Word, examine the records of the Congregation required by Canon III.9.5(c), and examine the life and ministry of the Clergy and Congregation according to Canon III.9.5.
(2) If no visitation has occurred in a congregation for three years, the Bishop Diocesan or the Member of the Clergy in charge and Vestry or comparable body may apply to the Presiding Bishop to appoint five Bishops Diocesan who live nearest to the Diocese in which such Congregation is situated as a Council of Conciliation. The Council shall determine all matters of difference between the parties, and each party shall conform to the decision of the Council. Provided, that, in case of any subsequent trial of either party for failure to conform to the decision, any right of the Accused under the Constitutions and Canons of this Church or the Diocese holding the trial may be pleaded and established as a sufficient defense, notwithstanding the former decision; and Provided, further, that, in any case, the Bishop may at any time apply for such Council of Conciliation.
Compare the Canon to the Standing Committee’s application to the presiding bishop:
It is the Standing Committee’s assessment that Bishop Bennison does not have the trust of the clergy and lay leaders necessary for him to be an effective pastor and leader of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, nor that he can regain or rebuild the trust that he has lost or broken. Given the fact that the Court of Review has taken the position that its hands are tied, and the untenable situation into which the Diocese of Pennsylvania is placed with Bishop Bennison resuming his role as Diocesan, we need your support and assistance in constructing a way to go forward in this diocese and to secure Bishop Bennison’s retirement or resignation.
During the past three years, the Diocese of Pennsylvania has made great strides in healing, in building transparent and trusting relationships among the leadership of the Diocese. We have struggled to overcome and repair the fractured community we had become, and we have come to recognize the blessings inherent in our diversity. We have learned to love, honor, and respect one another again. Over a period of more than three years, the leadership and congregations of this Diocese have adopted procedures and practices that reinforce transparency, openness, and shared responsibilities in the administration of the Diocese and in our lives together as a Christian community.
It is our profound concern that the healing and progress of the Diocese are now at risk and so we request that this letter and our request for your concern and support in chartering a way forward be placed on the agenda for the September meeting of the House of Bishops. We wait with hope for your prayerful responses.
Emphasis is ours.
Under this interpretation the Standing Committee is the “comparable body” and as expressed in its letter its desired outcome from a Council of Conciliation is a decision that Bennison resign or be removed from office. Decisions require conformance; nonconformance results in a trial.