Tag: Dioceses

The Supreme Court of Virginia has notified the Diocese it intends to hear arguments during the week of April 12-16, 2010 in the case The Protestant Episcopal Church in the Diocese of Virginia v. Truro Church, et al. The Diocese is challenging the constitutionality of Virginia’s one-of-a-kind division statute (Va. Code § 57-9(A)) and the rulings of the Circuit Court, which allowed former Episcopalians to claim Episcopal Church property as their own.

“For religious institutions to fulfill their role, they must be permitted to control their own organization; to formulate and enforce their own doctrine; to choose their own structure;…and to adopt their own set of relationships between believer and institution and between hierarchy (if any) and subordinate. If the government assumes control over these matters, then the church loses its independent existence.”

One diocese uses remote video and web conferencing tools to overcome distance and weather in organizing their common life.

In its second day (delayed due to weather) the Diocese of Virginia Annual Council passed several resolutions including one on blessings and marriage. After several whereas clauses and resolves comes these recommendations:

Litigation became necessary after the invitations of the Diocesan Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Jerry Lamb, to discuss the orderly return of the Churches were largely ignored. “It is particularly disappointing given the recent and unequivocal decisions of the California Supreme Court and Court of Appeals’ rulings that the properties and assets are held for the Episcopal Church and its Dioceses”, said Diocesan Chancellor Michael Glass.

The Diocese of the Rio Grande, New Mexico and parts of western Texas, has announced the nominees for its upcoming bishop election: