Schism watch

Not much on the Catholic front today--short of yet another, if incoherent, denunciation of civil unions in Italy by B16--so on to the Anglicans, or better, to the U.S. Episcopalians, who don't look like they're wilting before Anglican Communion demands that they get back in line on gays.

Just after a House of Bishops resolution that encouraged "restraint" in the election of further non-celibate gay bishops, the diocese of Newark has included among its four candidates for bishop a gay priest from California, Very Rev Canon Michael Barlowe, who has been partnered for 23 years to another priest. Of course, he may not be elected, and, if he is, he may not be confirmed by the House of Bishops, but there you go.

Whether you agree with the move or not, that's what we call spine, something the U.S. bishops have almost none of, at least if their rollover on the English translation of the Mass is any indication. (Wait till you hear the explanation of why we have to respond "And with your spirit" to the priest. You'll love it.)

Still, I don't get why the Anglicans can't work this one out. Only three provinces have women bishops (Canada, the U.S., and New Zealand), and not all of them ordain women at all, which seems a graver communion-related issue than homosexuality. Regionalism is the Communion's stock and trade; we Catholics could learn a thing or two from them on that one.

Still, the Communion won't be quick to kick the U.S. out, since it's the Episcopal Church that funds most of the rest of the Communion's charitable work, especially in those places so strenuously objecting to ECUSA's stand on sexuality. We'll see if the conservatives put their money where their mouths are.