A lesbian priest is one of five finalists for bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Chicago, despite the worldwide Anglican Communion’s demand that the U.S. branch pledge to stop consecrating openly homosexual bishops by Sept. 30.
If elected Nov. 10, the Rev. Tracey Lind, dean of Trinity Cathedral in Cleveland, would be the second Episcopal bishop living with a same-sex partner, according to The Associated Press. New Hampshire Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who has a male partner, was consecrated in 2003, pushing the Anglican Communion to the brink of schism.
“It’s an action that says Chicago really doesn’t care what the rest of the Anglican Communion says,” Bishop James Stanton of Dallas, a leader of the opposition to homosexual bishops, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
The fact that yet another openly homosexual candidate is being considered for the office of bishop in an Episcopal diocese is just the proverbial tip of the iceberg, according to Caleb H. Price, research analyst with Focus on the Family.
“The Episcopal Church has bowed down before the god of diversity,” Price said. “In fact, it's almost impossible for a straight white man to get into an Episcopal seminary these days, and the ranks of the clergy are filled with self-identified homosexuals. It's only a matter of time before any number of avowed homosexuals will rise to the rank of bishop.”
