The Chicago Tribune ran a story yesterday by Manya A. Brachear about a liberal parish in the conversative Diocese of Springfield asking for delegated episcopal oversight.
I read through the piece too quickly and missed what may be the most significant development: Peter Beckwith, the bishop of Springfield, is refusing to confirm any candidates from the parish in question.
The key paragraph: “In November 2005, Bennett contacted Beckwith to ask if he was opposed to confirming a lesbian who wished to join the Church. At that point, Bennett said, the bishop declared he would confirm no one in the parish because ‘the faith was not being taught’ there.”
Am I wrong in thinking that even in these contentious times that this constitues derelection fo episcopal duty? I’m pretty sure that if a liberal bishop refused to confirm someone who disagreed with him on issues of human sexuality, we’d hear about it.