Pittsburgh Parishes Challenge Bp. Duncan

Jim offers us a press release from nine parishes in the Diocese of Pittsburgh who voice their objections to the recent actions of Bp. Duncan and the diocesan leadership in calling for AlPO and the formation of a tenth province. The original text can be found here. A few lines from the statement:

...We believe that the action by the Right Reverend Robert William Duncan, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, and the Standing Committee of the Diocese, announcing their decision to withdraw from Province III is tantamount to leaving The Episcopal Church...

...The formation of the (Tenth) Province is seen by us as the most recent step in an attempt to create a church separate from The Episcopal Church...

...We believe the request made by the Bishop and Standing Committee for "alternative primatial oversight" is further indication of an intention to depart from The Episcopal Church...

...We believe that any resolutions or constitutional amendments passed at conventions of the Diocese of Pittsburgh which would purport to release the Diocese from compliance with decisions of the General Convention are canonically improper and invalid...

...According to canon law, property owned by a diocese is held in trust for The Episcopal Church. We believe that the repeated claims of the Bishop and Standing Committee to be the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh, while at the same time acting to separate the Diocese from the decisions of The Episcopal Church, therefore, constitute an attempt to retain legal possession of property held in trust for The Episcopal Church, while at the same time taking steps to remove the Diocese from The Episcopal Church...

...In light of the foregoing statements, we further believe that we represent those in this Diocese who are loyal to The Episcopal Church. Accordingly, we extend an invitation to others who wish to remain in The Episcopal Church to join us in our efforts. We remain committed to the building up of the Body of Christ in the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.

It seems to me that this clearly worded statement will be ignored by Bp. Duncan at his own peril, as most Episcopalians will recognize it as a fair assesment of the situation. These parishes are to be congratulated for taking the initiative, and not waiting for 815 or Canterbury to intervene. The AlPO dioceses need to be challenged on the grass roots level. And we who reside in more stable dioceses need to offer any support we can to these challenges.

In a related note, it appears the Bp. Stanton of Dallas is making it quite clear that he is not asking for AlPO:

...They (Standing Committee) ask me to "appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury for a direct primatial relationship …" Several dioceses have called for "alternative primatial oversight," as you well know through news reports. I will discuss a direct relationship with the archbishop. This will be for the pastoral support of our mission, and assurance of our place in the Communion. I must emphasize that this relationship will be consistent with our constitution and canons, both of the diocese and of the General Church...

A nuanced difference, but one that seems important to Bp. Stanton. My understanding is that after a communication with Bp. Stanton the American Anglican Council had to retract their previous claim that Dallas had joined the other six dioceses requesting AlPO. Most likely Dallas is being cautious, unlike Pittsburgh, who might have avoided such resistance if they had not been in such a rush to make some kind of newsworthy statement.

J.