The present moratorium on openly gay bishops, formally imposed last year by the House of Bishops, is facing a legal challenge....

The first stage of a challenge under employment legislation is the issuing of a questionnaire. It is un­derstood that this took place some time in the autumn of 2010. The church authorities reacted de­fensively: in December of that year, a briefing was issued to the Bishops by the Church House legal office giving a retrospective list of reasons why a priest in a civil partnership, as Dr John is, could be barred from the episcopate without falling foul of employment laws.

The list includes such questions as whether the candidate has expressed repentance for past sexual activity, and whether the appointment “would cause division and disunity within the diocese”.

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Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Anglican Provinces • Church of England (CoE) • CoE Bishops • * Culture-Watch • Law & Legal Issues • Sexuality • --Civil Unions & Partnerships • * International News & Commentary • England / UK

1. Jill Woodliff wrote: This approach is incongruous with the lives of Chad, Alphege, etc. January 20, 9:00 am | [comment link]

2. Br. Michael wrote: A person who wants to be Bishop this badly is the last person who should be Bishop. January 20, 9:42 am | [comment link]

3. Ross Gill wrote: Come on, now.  Being a bishop is really just a job isn’t it? January 20, 10:12 am | [comment link]

4. MichaelA wrote: Dean John is confirming that the Crown Appointments Commission made the right decision, for a number of reasons… January 20, 9:47 pm | [comment link]

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