U.S. Bishops, Anglican Head Attempt to Reconcile on Gay Clergy, Unions

Episcopal bishops met privately for seven hours Thursday in New Orleans with the archbishop of Canterbury, trying to preserve the church's role in the Anglican family despite Episcopal support for gays.

The denomination is the Anglican body in the U.S. and has a more liberal view of Scripture than most Anglicans overseas. Tensions over Bible interpretation erupted in 2003, when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Archbishop Rowan Williams, the Anglican spiritual leader, has been struggling to keep the 77 million-member Anglican Communion from breaking apart--an effort he has called "exhausting.'' Unlike a pope, Williams doesn't have direct authority to force a resolution.

Colorado Bishop Robert O'Neill, who briefed reporters after the meeting, called the conversation "open and forthright,'' but provided few specifics.

But Canon Jim Naughton, a spokesman for the Diocese of Washington, said Williams had suggested that Episcopalians "needed to exercise greater concern'' for unity.

The archbishop also asked Episcopal leaders "how far they were willing to go'' to fulfill demands from Anglican leaders that they roll back their support for gays and lesbians.

Williams "made it clear that he believed the Episcopal Church had acted preemptively in consecrating Bishop Robinson,'' Naughton said.

Anglican leaders have set a Sept. 30 deadline for the Americans to pledge unequivocally not to consecrate another gay bishop or approve an official prayer service for gay couples. If Episcopal leaders say no, they could lose their full membership in the Anglican Communion.

The communion is a fellowship of churches that trace their roots to the Church of England. Anglicans comprise the third-largest Christian body in the world, behind Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

In her opening sermon, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, head of the Episcopal Church, urged the bishops to be open to opposing views. She denounced the "disdain, violent words and destructive action'' that have become part of the Anglican debate about their future.

She also appointed eight U.S. bishops from across the ideological spectrum to take her place in providing some oversight for dioceses that do not accept her authority.

It's unlikely, however, that the appointments will mollify the small minority of Episcopal conservatives and their supporters overseas.

Three conservative dioceses - Pittsburgh, Quincy, Ill., and San Joaquin, Calif. - have taken the first steps toward breaking with the national church. About 60 of the more than 7,000 Episcopal parishes have either split from the church or suffered serious membership losses.

And conservative Anglican leaders from Nigeria, Uganda, Kenya and elsewhere have been appointing bishops to work in the U.S. and oversee networks of breakaway Episcopal parishes that rival the national church.

Episcopal leaders have apologized repeatedly for the turmoil they've caused, but they haven't expressed regret for consecrating Robinson.

Last year, the top Episcopal policymaking body, the General Convention, asked bishops to "exercise restraint'' by not approving candidates for bishop "whose manner of life presents a challenge'' to the church. However, the measure isn't binding, and a lesbian with a female partner is among the finalists in an upcoming election for Chicago bishop.

The Episcopal prayer book has no liturgy for blessing same-gender couples, but about a dozen of the 110 U.S. dioceses allow priests to perform the ceremonies.

Williams has one more session with the bishops Friday morning. Episcopal leaders will continue to meet through Tuesday to draft a statement to the Anglican Communion.