The Rt Rev Andy Doyle of Texas issued a letter yesterday explaining how he reached the decision to abstain from yesterday’s vote on marriage rites.
Today when the vote regarding A036 came forward, I prayed and I changed my vote in my heart six times. I was conflicted because of my love for all the people I shepherd in the Diocese. I love you all and your division is a very real division in my own heart. In the end I made a decision that my faithful response to the whole Diocese of Texas was that I could not vote against our LGBT parishioners nor was I willing to vote against our traditionalist parishioners. I discerned then that my faithful response was to abstain.
On the other hand, Bishop Johnston of Virginia was a signatory ten days before the vote to a letter anticipating a “no” vote by all three bishops in that diocese, who were concerned about the process of canonical change.
At this point, without our knowing the specific form the resolution will finally take, we anticipate that we will vote “no” for the nuanced reasons that we outline below.
Yesterday, Johnston was reported as changing his mind and his vote:
Bp Johnston of @TheDioceseVA : we can’t make perfect enemy of good. Came to convention w/ concerns, but work here has allayed them. #gc78
— HoD News (@DeputyNews) June 29, 2015
Bp Johnston: if we have a problem, let’s have it w/ a canon and not a loving couple who want to honor God thru their marriage. #gc78
— HoD News (@DeputyNews) June 29, 2015
What have you heard from your bishop about marriage equality and marriage rites?
Posted by Rosalind Hughes