Bishop Bennison's Letter to
the Archbishop of Canterbury
The Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania |
20 September 2002
The Most Rev’d and Right Honorable George L. Carey
The Archbishop of Canterbury
Lambeth Palace
London SE1 7JU England
Your Grace:
I am very grateful for the time you gave me over the telephone on September 11.
I realize that David Moyer’s deposition, unlike that of others in ECUSA, has become difficult for you because he has effectively made his case a cause célèbre for Anglican traditionalists globally, and because as a global communion we do not have in place the canonical structures with which to handle a case such as his. The implications of the latter are that each province must deal with disciplinary matters internally and until we grow closer as a communion, as I hope we will, without intervention from Canterbury.
The statement that you would permit or license David Moyer to function in your diocese effectively signals on your part a willingness to override ECUSA’s canons, which every ECUSA bishop and I at our consecrations solemnly engaged to uphold. Deposition in England, as you said to me, differs from deposition in ECUSA. According to our canons one can be deposed not only for doctrinal or moral, but also, as in David’s case, for disciplinary, reasons. According to our canons, moreover, David is to vacate ALL ecclesiastical offices and not function as a priest anywhere until such time as he would successfully apply for the remission of his deposition, and yet you are saying he may potentially do so in your province because you, as do those of us in our diocese, find nothing wrong with him morally or doctrinally. Inasmuch as David was deposed before he transferred into Archbishop Malango’s, and thence Bishop Duncan’s, jurisdictions, moreover, means that by your statement you are giving approbation to their disregard for our canons, too. I would respectfully ask that you expect as much of David in regard to his own province as I think you would were he your priest.
The Diocese of Pennsylvania has never said that David is “guilty of any moral or doctrinal delinquency,” and the Diocese of Pennsylvania, like you, recognizes that David is a faithful, gifted, and devout priest. But these strengths are not, by themselves,
enough to have him be formally licensed under the Constitution and Canons of this Church.
In response to the harm that your statement has caused, I hope that as soon as possible you will say publicly something to the effect that while you find nothing erroneous in David morally or doctrinally, his deposition arises out of disciplinary context within ECUSA, is an internal matter between him, his bishop, his Standing Committee, and ECUSA, and until such time as the remission of his deposition occurs no transfer to or recognition in another province of the Communion is possible.
Finally, in your presidential address to ACC-11, you name me as one who has acted unilaterally without consulting with the Province and the Communion. This feels very unfair to our diocese and me. Please know that on the day of David’s inhibition over six months ago I sent to all ECUSA bishops the Standing Committee document outlining David’s canonical infractions that I also sent to you -- and that, while none elected to do so, every ECUSA bishop had six months to respond. Moreover, on four occasions this past summer I sought to obtain from the ACC Office in London permission to mail to all Anglican Communion bishops a letter summarizing the situation, but never heard back any definitive response to my request. I realize that you are perhaps not directly responsible for this lack of response from ACC, but I do want you to know that I have endeavored to be as responsible as possible in communicating as widely as possible throughout this painful process.
Please know, finally, that I am sympathetic to and grateful for you in your leadership of our beloved church. I realize that the challenges you face to maintain our unity are enormous, and have sought when interviewed over the David Moyer matter to say so to the media. May God bless you and Eileen as you begin the next chapter in your lives and ministries.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Bennison, Jr.
Cc: The Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold III
The Chancellor of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania
Return to Moyer/Bennison archive
