It isn’t often that someone in a clerical collar and pectoral cross is caught in a flat-out, bold-faced, demonstrable whopper. Such, however, was the fate of Los Angeles Episcopal Bishop Jon J. Bruno at a press conference in New Orleans last night. Here’s the exchange between Bruno and a New York Times reporter:
NYT: How is the [Dar es Salaam] communiqué different from the desires of conservatives who wish for you to reverse course on sexuality issues. Doesn’t the communiqué ask you to reverse course in the same way. How can you distinguish between what the conservatives want you to do and the Communique asks you to do?
Bruno: You have asked whether we will continue the process of General Convention. The fact is that we have never authorized same sex unions.
NYT: it happens on the diocesan level all the time.
Bruno: Not in my diocese. It does not happen with my permission.
NYT: But it happens in many dioceses on a private level. How do the questions of the communiqué differ from what conservatives want?
Bruno: I’ve answered it as best I can. If I were to answer it any more clearly we would break the promises we made in the house.
The Times reporter was probably really baffled by this response because of something that appeared in her paper on Sunday:
Robert Walter Stanley and Robert Karl Marohn celebrated their union yesterday at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Rev. Gabriel Ferrer led the commitment ceremony. The Rev. Maryetta Anschutz, also an Episcopal priest, participated.
This is only the latest, of course. StandFirm this morning offers a whole slew of public same-sex blessings that have taken place in the Diocese of Los Angeles, including one in which Bruno himself participated:
On May l6, 2004, Bishop Bruno of Los Angeles blessed the union of Malcolm and Mark Thompson in a ceremony at St. Paul’s Cathedral, on the 20th anniversary of their life partnership. Mark, former cultural editor of the Advocate newsmagazine, is a therapist, photographer, activist, editor of “Long Road to Freedom: the Advocate History of the Gay and Lesbian Movement,” and author of a famed trilogy: “Gay Spirit,” “Gay Soul” and “Gay Body.”
It is not known whether Bishop Bruno gave himself permission to take part in this blessed event. It is certainly possible that, like all the others happening in his diocese, this one was a rogue operation by an out-of-control cleric.
(Via StandFirm, MCJ, and T19.)
UPDATE: Bruno has apparently learned a thing or two from Richard Nixon. According to the Rev. Susan Russell, president of the gay caucus Integrity and an occasional performer of same sex blessings in DioLA:
When contacted by The Living Church, the Rev. Susan Russell, associate rector at All Saints’ Church, Pasadena, and president of Integrity, clarified the apparent contradiction.
“Same-sex blessings occur in the Diocese of Los Angeles all the time,” she said listing several parishes including her own at which same-sex blessings had recently been performed. “We don’t ask for permission because Bishop Bruno has told us that he cannot give it until General Convention approves an official liturgy. He has told us that we are free to exercise appropriate pastoral care” for parishoners.
Yeah, and I’ll bet she and Bruno never bought it when Nixon did it.
UPDATE: The Times reporter in question is Neela Banerjee, who is female. I’ve corrected the pronoun above to reflect that. (Hat tip: Irenaeus.)
September 25, 2007 at 1:06 pm
” He has told us that we are free to exercise appropriate pastoral care” for parishoners”
That certainly sounds like Nixon to me too
September 25, 2007 at 2:41 pm
On the contrary, my friends. These bishops lie all the time–we see it on a regular basis. His Grace will no doubt have a message soon to justify why he said what he said–why he does what he does–what he promises to do in future. And none of it will carry the burden of the truth. Long years of practice have made them skilled in saying whatever has to be said right at the moment in order to cover their butts. Even PB’s of ECUSA sign documents and pledges they know that very moment they do not intend to honor.
The real question is–why do the Christians in their parishes put up with a bishop who lies so obviously?
Don’t you feel for the bishops’ confessors ? Gee, there I go again, forgetting they don’t follow a Christian ethical system.
September 25, 2007 at 5:55 pm
I actually know the Episcopal “Priest” Maryetta Anschutz from when we were parishiners in her father’s church (Christ Church Alexandria). She was a “nice” young lady but a bit “interesting” at times. When we saw this we were not surprised but we were disappointed. When she started as an associate Rector at a Church in CT, she immediately replaced their bad coffee at coffee hour with coffee brought from Starbucks. She was actually written up in several publications for that as an example of creative work by clergy. I really wish she had stuck with “coffee hour improvements” and left Holy Matrimony alone!!
September 25, 2007 at 7:54 pm
Am I the only person on the planet that does not like Starbucks Coffee?
September 26, 2007 at 12:03 am
I don’t mind Starbucks coffee, but it gets my knickers in a twist that they call their medium a “grande.” I rarely go there since it makes me unreasonably peevish.
September 26, 2007 at 9:51 am
Ben,
I’m from the Bay Area of California. Peets from Berkeley is still the best around!
That said, I can’t tell from the article if Bruno conducted the service in his diocese or elsewhere. If elsewhere, I guess he’d be technically correct to say No in my space!
Yeah, it’s why they call it hubris.
Maryland Brian
September 26, 2007 at 10:39 am
It was at the Cathedral Center of St. Paul in Los Angeles. He can’t wiggle out that way!
September 26, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Bishop Bruno is doing horrific deeds to people in Los Angeles. Being uncovered in a lie is the tip of the iceberg. My question is, how do the people who live in the Los Angeles Diocese go about recalling him or getting him to step down as Bishop? In my heart, I believe it has come to this now. HIs teachings are Unbiblical to an extreme degree, He is an absolute Bully to people; people who are Good Christians and who are doing good deeds for others. He is actively trying to hurt whole families in Los Angeles with his law suits because they decided to stand up for the Bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ. His actions have proven over and over again that he is not interested in the teachings of Jesus Christ. He is, however, interested in his ego. He is quite frankly, a very power hungry and ruthless person. He needs to be removed as Bishop. He needs to ask God for forgiveness for his actions and words.
Huntley, Beverly Hills, CA
September 27, 2007 at 8:21 am
Ben,
I don’t like any kind of coffee. Tea for me. Or Hot Chocolate.
February 11, 2008 at 4:31 pm
Aw, shut up. There is NOTHING wrong with blessing of same sex unions, and priests are going to do it whether the biship approves or not! One example is St. Michael Catholic Church in Biloxi, MS, so I hear.
February 11, 2008 at 4:38 pm
A little late to the discussion, aren’t you? Not that it matters, since you obviously have nothing to contribute to it.
January 17, 2010 at 10:54 pm
I realize this post is not very recent, but the priest Gabriel Ferrer who is mentioned is the husband of Debby Boone (daughter of Pat Boone) someone I always thought of as an evangelical. Interesting.
January 18, 2010 at 9:24 am
I don’t know what Boone’s thinking is now, but you’re right, she at least used to be an evangelical. The entertainment business does strange things to some people. Thanks for the comment, Sarah.