Anglican leaders in British Columbia have charged seven priests who disagree with their diocese over blessing same-sex marriages with an array of ecclesiastical offences that could lead to their excommunication.
The priests all lead Anglican congregations that have voted to oppose the blessing of same-sex unions. The priests have been pursuing an alliance for their churches with the more conservative Diocese of the Yukon. The stand has brought them into conflict with the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster because, under the laws of the church, priests must show loyalty to their bishop.
Bishop Michael Ingham of New Westminster, who has blessed same-sex unions by the churches in his diocese, has appointed a commission of inquiry to investigate the charges, filed in August but revealed only this week.
The charges include allegations of disobedience to the bishop, contemptuous or disrespectful conduct toward the bishop, schism, conduct causing scandal and other offences against the lawful authority of the bishop.
A conviction on any of the charges could lead to something as mild as a warning, but ranges at the other extreme to excommunication.
"Excommunication is almost never used, its almost medieval," said a source with the Anglican Church, speaking on background. "But it is one of the possible penalties."
Lesley Bentley, a parishioner of St. John's Shaughnessy, where Rev. David Short is facing charges, described the situation as shocking.
Ms. Bentley is a spokeswoman for a group known as the Anglican Communion In New Westminster, which is basically the seven Anglican parishes that have openly opposed Bishop Ingham's blessing of same-sex unions.
She said that although the charges all deal with issues of loyalty to the bishop, it is clear that the fight over same-sex unions is the subtext.
"Before that came up there was no fear of charges like this," she said.
Ms. Bentley said ecclesiastical charges are uncommon and she has never heard of more than one priest being charged at once.
"I don't believe seven priests have ever been charged at the same time before, anywhere. It is unprecedented in the Anglican Church," she said.
Ms. Bentley said the charges hold serious consequences for the priests, because they may lose their jobs.
"If you get fired from a corporation you can go and look for work with another corporation, but it's not like that if you have dedicated yourself to the Anglican Church.
"If a priest is cast out there is nowhere to go . . . it really is a life-destroying decision," she said.
The commission of inquiry, which could lead to a trial, is empowered only to make recommendations to the bishop and is not a court of judgment, said Bishop Ingham in a letter to diocesan clergy. It will be headed by the senior diocesan archdeacon, along with the academic dean of the Vancouver school of theology, and a retired B.C. Supreme Court judge.
The commission must report within three months but can report sooner.
Ms. Bentley said that while the Diocese of New Westminster voted in favour of blessing same-sex unions last year, the parishes in the Anglican Communion in New Westminster opposed the decision, feeling it went against the position of the national and international Anglican community, which is largely opposed to the practice.
Earlier this month the 77-million-strong Anglican Communion's senior archbishops warned that the actions by the Diocese of New Westminster, in pursuing the blessing of same-sex unions, were threatening to "tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level."
Last June the Diocese of New Westminster voted 215-129 in favour of blessing same-sex unions, and Bishop Ingham assented to the result. He has not required priests to bless same-sex unions if they don't want to.
The congregations led by the seven priests have all voted to oppose the recognition of same-sex unions -- and subsequently decided to accept the pastoral oversight of Bishop Terry Buckle of the Diocese of Yukon.
Ms. Bentley said the seven congregations all want to remain part of the Anglican Church, but they don't feel comfortable with the controversial position taken by the Diocese of New Westminster.
"The entire province of Nigeria, which has 17 million Anglicans, has declared themselves out of communion with the Diocese of New Westminster, as have a number of others, which basically means they don't recognize Bishop Ingham as an Anglican bishop.
"We want to be Anglican, we want to be recognized so we would like to have a bishop we can attach ourselves to so that we're still recognized by the worldwide church as still being Anglican," Ms. Bentley said.
"If Bishop Ingham had listened to the worldwide church . . . we would not be in this situation right now.
"We feel like we've been dragged into it."
Bishop Ingham couldn't be contacted for comment, but a spokesman for the Anglican Diocese of New Westminster, speaking on background, characterized the situation in a very different way.
"When priests are made priests one of the things they do is pledge loyalty to the bishop. The charges, simply put, are that they haven't been loyal.
"The diocese feels that same-sex unions is not really at issue here."
Under the Anglican Church proceedings, an inquiry into the charges will be held, and then a recommendation will be made on whether the matter should proceed to ecclesiastical trial.
The seven priests facing charges are: Rev. Stephen Leung, Church of the Good Shepherd; Rev. David Short, St. John's Shaughnessy; Rev. Barclay Mayo, St. Andrew's Pender Harbour; Rev. Simon Chin, St. Matthias & St. Luke; Rev. Silas Ng, Church of Emmanuel, Richmond; Rev. Dr. Trevor Walters, St. Matthews Abbotsford and Rev. Ed Hird, St. Simon's North Vancouver.
With a report from Canadian Press
Mark Hume