St. Edward the Confessor, King, (1066)
Saints Faustus, Januarius, and Martial, Martyrs, (304)
St. Coloman, Martyr, (1012)
St. Maximilian of Lorch, Bishop and Martyr, (284)
Saints Felix and Cyprian, Martyrs, (484)
St. Wilfred of York, Bishop, (709)
The Episcopal Bishop of Albany, NY issued a statement calling for unity amid the discord in the Episcopal Church.
Bishop Love is trying to hold together a diocese commonly known as a conservative. Today’s story from the Albany Times Union explains his thinking.
I found two things “interesting” in the article.
You can read the full thing at Bishop wants unity amid discord: Leader of Albany Episcopalians affirms opposition to same-sex unions and ordaining gay clergy
The interesting bits:
[Bishop William Love] also criticized the Episcopal Church for “creating a new class of victims — the traditional orthodox believers.
“If there is to be a turnaround in the Church, there must be a viable place for the conservative orthodox voice,” he wrote.
One of the keys to reasonableness is having something that everyone can agree on – like a creedal statement. Unfortunately, and sadly, the response to Bishop Love’s statement shows that key elements that are foundational for that sort of oneness do not exist.
Locally, one lay leader in the Albany diocese has a much different worry: that there is no place for the substantial progressive voice.
Marya Dodd describes herself as probably the only progressive on the Diocesan Council, an oversight panel. She says many people won’t donate money to the Albany diocese because they feel disenfranchised. She praised Love for “making a real effort to communicate with us” in the new letter but said that wasn’t enough.
“He’s not publicly recognizing the fact that there are a lot of different segments of the Episcopal Church represented in Albany,” she said. “This is not a diocese that has one vision, or one approach to the faith.
Emphasis added. ”
I think that it would be hard to find a parish, much less a Church, that did not have a variety of voices and opinions in it. It is funny what people believe, as made up in their own minds. However, in a Church, there are touchstones, markers as it were of unity. The Creed, sacraments, the definition and understanding of God, adherence to the totality of the faith, that is Scripture and Tradition. The folks who run the faith side of the house tend to preach that common understanding.
All of those are the check points. If the membership cannot agree on those key elements, or if they have to redefine them to suit their own purposes, they are not Church, just a bunch of folks who like to get together. But why
Even certain social clubs have a more defined set of beliefs or norms upon which their members agree.
Visions are fine, but if disconnected from the things which have defined the Church (of which you are a member) at least be honest enough to define your own “faith community.” Then again, isn’t that what seems to be happening.
Saints Tarachus, Probus, and Andronicus, Martyrs, (304)
St. Canice, Abbot, (599)
St. Agilbert of Paris, Bishop, (685)
As the Young Fogey might point out, politics is about playing a game for influence and votes. It is rare to find politicos doing things for right and proper reason. He might also rightly point out that we should be careful so that we “don’t get played” in their political process.
Today’s vote by Congress on the Armenian Genocide was one of those rare moments when politicians (and yes I understand that some come from districts with large Armenian immigrant populations) did the right thing in the face of pressure.
They basically said to heck with lobbyists (paid for by the Turkish government), President Bush (it will hurt the “war on terror”), and tons of other politicos who pander to Turkey because they act as an errand boy between the Arabs and Israelis/Arabs and NATO.
Of course everyone realizes that Turkish “democracy” is a carefully contrived facade at best. Free speech – eh, no. Freedom of religion – eh, no. But for Mr. Bush at least, a half friend and untruth are more important than the truth – the ends justify the means.
From the NY Times: House Panel Raises Furor on Armenian Genocide
WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 —” A House committee voted on Wednesday to condemn the mass killings of Armenians in Turkey in World War I as an act of genocide, rebuffing an intense campaign by the White House and warnings from Turkey’s government that the vote would gravely strain its relations with the United States.
The vote by the House Foreign Relations Committee was nonbinding and so largely symbolic, but its consequences could reach far beyond bilateral relations and spill into the war in Iraq.
Turkish officials and lawmakers warned that if the resolution was approved by the full House, they would reconsider supporting the American war effort, which includes permission to ship essential supplies through Turkey and northern Iraq.
President Bush appeared on the South Lawn of the White House before the vote and implored the House not to take up the issue, only to have a majority of the committee disregard his warning at the end of the day, by a vote of 27 to 21.
—We all deeply regret the tragic suffering of the Armenian people that began in 1915,— Mr. Bush said in remarks that, reflecting official American policy, carefully avoided the use of the word genocide. —This resolution is not the right response to these historic mass killings, and its passage would do great harm to our relations with a key ally in NATO and in the global war on terror.—
The resolution, which was introduced early in the current session of Congress and which has quietly moved forward over the last few weeks, provoked a fierce lobbying fight that pitted the politically influential Armenian-American population against the Turkish government, which hired equally influential former lawmakers like Robert L. Livingston, Republican of Louisiana, and Richard A. Gephardt, the former Democratic House majority leader who backed a similar resolution when he was in Congress.
Backers of the resolution said Congressional action was overdue.
—Despite President George Bush twisting arms and making deals, justice prevailed,— said Representative Brad Sherman, a Democrat of California and a sponsor of the resolution. —For if we hope to stop future genocides we need to admit to those horrific acts of the past…—
In a similar vein, Polish-Americans and Poles recall that in 1951-52 a Congressional investigation (the Madden Committee) into the Katyn Massacre (also here), documented much of the truth surrounding the enormity of the Katyn crimes committed by the Russians after the coordinated Nazi German – Soviet invasion of Poland in 1939
Sometimes Congress finds the wherewithal to shed some light on historic events.
Oh, and let the Turks react. What will they do? Kill more Christians, close more churches, invade Iraq, stop pretending to be a democracy…? They will bow because we can choke off those huge foreign aid payments that keep them quiet.
A photo slide show of our Bishop, the Rt. Rev. Dr. Anthony Mikovsky blessing our recently installed cross. The blessing was followed by High Holy Mass and a dinner and reception.
The slide show was developed by one of our parishioners.
Saints Gereon and Companions, Martyrs, (2nd century)
Saints Eulampius and Eulampia, Martyrs, (310)
St. Maharsapor of Persia, Martyr, (421)
St. Dionysius the Areopagite, Bishop and Martyr, (1st century)
St. Demetrius of Alexandria, Bishop, (231)
St. Publia, Widow, (370)
Holy Simeon, (1st century)
St. Bridget of Sweden, Widow, (1373)
St. Pelagia, Penitent, (unknown)
Solemnity of the Holy Mother of the Rosary
St. Justina, Virgin and Martyr, (2nd century)
Saints Sergius and Bacchus, Martryrs, (303)