The Deposition Vote

The Anglican Communion Institute receives favorably the news that considerable canonical discussion took place, or was sought, by as many as 36 Bishops in yesterday's proceedings. It is significant that over a quarter of the House of Bishops (and, including the probable votes of those not present, it would be close to a third) voted against this deposition, many apparently on the basis that the Presiding Bishop and her supporters were overturning the constitutional and canonical foundations of the church on this matter.  The legitimacy of the House's action and the Presiding Bishop's leadership has been placed in serious question before the eyes of the Communion and the larger public. No one should minimize the role this may play in the unfolding re-establishment of the Communion's common life. Over the past weeks we have been pleased to be able to post Mr Mark McCall's discussion of these and other matters, of interest to all who do not wish to see the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church bent to foreign purpose. The Communion Partner Bishops and many others on this occasion clearly recognized the danger of dismissing procedures put in place precisely to avoid preemptive deposition of a Bishop of the Church (the inhibition phase and a required majority of all Bishops). We are grateful for their witness. We will shortly be posting a response from Mr McCall on the issue of hierarchy and canonical order in TEC. This addresses a paper, prepared for a group in Pittsburgh , defending a form of hierarchy which arguably extends to what was manifested in yesterday's vote to depose.