Bishop Bess: Not me and US gay bishop

Anglican Church Bishop of Trinidad and Tobago, Calvin Bess, is firmly opposed to the appointment of a practising homosexual as a bishop in the United States branch of the Anglican Communion, the Episcopal Church. Last Tuesday the Episcopalian House of Deputies voted 62 to 45 to confirm Rev Gene V Robinson as the Bishop of New Hampshire despite his admission of being openly homosexual and living with his male lover. The vote has threatened to create a split within the 2.3 million member American church, and in the 77 million strong global Anglican community, having already incurred condemnation from bishops/archbishhops from Australia, India, and West Malaysia. Bishop Bess yesterday expressed local opposition to the gay Ameri-can bishop.

Bess told Sunday Newsday: “It is contrary to the teachings the Anglican Church holds. The church’s position is that sexuality is a gift of God to be experienced in the institution of marriage between a man and a woman. Homosexuality is contrary to the will of God. The US church has made a very unfortunate departure from this. The outcome is likely to be fractures in the church by certain parts of the worldwide church who will be unable to have fellowship with the segment of the church that has gone contrary to the official position”. He explained that he didn’t think conservative/traditional churches would ostracise the whole US Episcopal Church but shun only that segment which favoured gay bishops and same-sex marriages. Bess disclosed that the Anglican Church’s Province of the West Indies, comprised of eight dioceses, was due to meet in November when the issue would be discussed. He said: “Given the letter that the Archbishop of the West Indies Province wrote to the US church before the voting (on Rev Robinson’s appointment) it’s clear he is firmly against it. All the dioceses of the Caribbean take the same line. When we meet in November we will issue a statement and write a letter to the Episcopalian Church in America. I’m sure the letter will not be in support of their decision”.

He conformed that like everywhere in the world, in Trinidad and Tobago the controversy had generated a lot of discussion. He said: “People are expressing their views. I have not come across any view here in support of the American decision”. Were local Anglicans threatening to leave the church in protest at the US decision? Bess said no. He explained: “When a daily newspaper misquoted my position on the appointment of Bishop Jeffrey John in the United Kingdom (a homosexual priest who subsequently declined the appointment), a number of people said to me ‘I can no longer fellowship with the Anglican Church’. So people will be dissatisfied (with gay priests). But the fact that the Trinidad and Tobago Anglican Church is not in support of what’s happening in the US, I think will not lead to the haemorraging that could have taken place otherwise.” Asked to venture to guess how the American decision could have possibly happened, he replied: “It’s very difficult to put an answer to that. I cannot understand what would have happened.” Bess’ views were supported by St Clements (Ste Madeleine) Parish Priest, Rev Canon Clive Griffith (aka Kwame Mohlabani). Fr Griffith said homosexuality or sodomy was against biblical teachings, on three grounds. Firstly he said, it violated the first ever commandment God gave to Man even preceding the 10 Commandments,  “Be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:27-28). Secondly said Griffith, sodomy is one of two sins for which God abandoned sinners, the other being blaspheming the Holy Spirit or doubting God (Matt 12:31-32).  Thirdly he said, sodomy is an abomination, in the words of God (Lev 18:22,24 and Deu 23:17).

Fr Griffith explained the importance of the controversy over a gay US bishop. He said: “The leaders of the gay rights movement see traditional Christian teachings as the greatest single thing causing universal rejection of homosexual behaviour. The gay rights movement sees Christian teachings as the last hurdle. The appointment can be seen in that light. There is an all-out effort to discredit all Christian organisations which hold fast to biblical truths”. He said gay-rights activists were trying to revise the Scriptures to say there existed no absolute moral values but that anything could be revised according to the prevailing cultural patterns. He said: “I’m totally against that. When you have no absolutes, that is the beginning of the downfall of civilisation. All authority is undermined”. But Fr Griffith said homosexuality could be cured through the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. He explained: “But repentance is mandatory. Once guilt is admitted, half the work is completed. The church’s position is that we should love the sinner, but try our best in love to eradicate the sin”.