FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Cynthia P. Brust
202-412-8721
Connecticut Six Defend their Churches' Sanctity
Six Connecticut Episcopal churches have respectfully but firmly placed limits on their diocesan bishop's recently scheduled official visitations to their congregations. In a letter delivered to Bishop Andrew Smith on Wednesday, the six churches informed their Bishop that while he will be welcomed at any time, their clergy and congregations believe it would be inappropriate for him to preach or to preside at the Eucharist.
The clergy and parishes, known as the "Connecticut Six", have been at odds with their bishop for the past two years following his abandonment of Anglican Church teachings. Citing Bishop Smith's repeated public attacks against them, the churches stated that he has created an "atmosphere of hostility and mistrust" that makes the sanctity and dignity of a shared Eucharist impossible.
The situation in the Diocese of Connecticut is rooted in a context of a grievous and unprecedented Communion-wide crisis. The principled stance of these six churches has been recognized as an expression of faithfulness, not rebellion, by Primates of the Anglican Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. Archbishop Rowan Williams stated that the Panel of Reference was being constituted to consider situations where "extraordinary arrangements" might be needed "to provide for parishes which find it impossible in all conscience to accept the direct ministry of their own diocesan bishop...."
Nevertheless, during recent months, Bishop Smith has charged the six clergy and congregations with "abandoning the communion of the church," threatened the clergy with inhibition and deposition, and accused them of defying his authority and violating their ordination vows. Despite persistent requests, the bishop has yet to either specify their alleged offenses to justify his charges, or to offer any ecclesiastical due process.
In their letter, the churches noted that "...your desire to share Holy Communion with those whom you have declared to 'have abandoned the communion of the church' makes a mockery of both the charge and the Sacrament."
For their part, the churches noted that Bishop Smith's departure from traditional Anglican teaching, as well as his abandonment of Scriptural authority and Biblical norms, constitute "a violation of your own ordination vows... and militate against your officiating or preaching at any worship service."
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ATTACHMENT:
Letter to Bishop Smith
15 July 2005
The Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith, Bishop
Diocese of Connecticut
1335 Asylum Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06105
Bishop Smith:
This letter is written in response to the recently promulgated schedule of Episcopal visitations and your stated desire for you, or one of the Suffragan Bishops, to preside at Holy Communion and preach at Sunday Services during these visits. A visit by you, or one of the Suffragan Bishops, is welcome at any time, but officiating at worship services would be inconsistent with the atmosphere of hostility and mistrust that exists between us. You have charged our clergy and congregations with "abandoning the communion of the church" and you have threatened the clergy with inhibition and deposition. Additionally, you have stated as fact on numerous occasions that we have defied your authority and violated our vows of ordination. We continue to maintain that these charges are false, but you continue to state them publicly and without regard for ecclesiastical ‘due process'. Your public attacks on us and the parishes which we represent have created a hostile atmosphere in which the sanctity and dignity of a shared Eucharist are impossible. The Exhortation, the introduction to the confession of sin, and the Disciplinary Rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer are all quite specific as to the spirit of love and charity which must be present for communal worship to take place - that those conditions do not exist between yourself and us is obvious to the most casual observer. Additionally your desire to share Holy Communion with those whom you have declared to ‘have abandoned the communion of the church' makes mockery of both the charge and the Sacrament. Departure from traditional Anglican teaching, as well as abandonment of scriptural authority and Biblical norms on your part constitute a violation of your own ordination vows and are significant factors which militate against your officiating or preaching at any worship service. In recognition of your authority as bishop of this diocese, you are welcome to visit our parishes at any time; however for the above stated reasons, and in recognition of the wide theological gulf that separates us, that welcome does not include either presiding at the Eucharist or preaching. We have appended copies of two letters from Bishop Griswold to Bishop Bennison which pertain to a similar situation; we are prepared to adhere to the directions of the Presiding Bishop and request that you do likewise.
Respectfully Yours in Christ,
Saint Paul's Church, Darien
Rector and Senior Warden
Christ Church, Watertown
Rector and Senior Warden
Trinity Church, Bristol
Rector and Senior Warden
St. John's Church, Bristol
Rector and Senior Warden
Bishop Seabury Church, Groton
Rector and Senior Warden
Christ & The Epiphany Church, East Haven
Rector and Senior Warden
cc: The Most Rev. Frank Griswold
The Standing Committee
Date Created: 7/14/2005