The judge in the case involving Calvary Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Pittsburgh, (background here) has ruled in favor of the church’s motion for expedited discovery, and ordered the diocese to comply by January 31.
Our December 21 entry on this case said:
Calvary has requested an expedited discovery process to allow it to receive “equitable relief in advance of an international meeting of the Primates of the Anglican Communion scheduled for February 14-17, 2007 in Tanzania. On information and belief … [that] Bishop Duncan and Primates of foreign countries are planning to use the occasion of the meeting… to promote Bishop Duncan’s organiation and to implement actions directed at impairing the ability of Plaintiffs, TEC and TEC’s constituents to maintain or recover their lawful interests in the Property.”
Calvary is particularly interested in the November meeting in Falls Church, Va., attended by Duncan, various conservative Episcopal bishops and several African Primates. Citing Bishop John-David Schofield’s presentation to his deaneries in the Diocese of San Joaquin, they argue that Duncan and others agreed at that meeting to “submit to the authority of certain foreign Primates.”
This ENS story quotes the Rev. Rick Matters, who has opposed San Joaquin’s moves toward session, as saying that Schofield told the deaneries that he signed a “pledge of allegiance” to six Anglican Communion bishops, including Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola and Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Southern Cone.
If the use of the phrase “pledge of allegiance” can be authenticated, it could be important.
So maybe we will find something out about this pledge, and maybe we won’t.