Purple-clad Prelates Propose a Plethora of Plans

It's hard to keep track of all the supposed plans that are to be presented to the House of Bishops. Here's a few that I've heard about;

Dr. Williams will no doubt arrive in New Orleans with some kind of proposal. Stephen Bates uses stronger language, suggesting he "will demand concessions."

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is rumored to have a new primatial vicar plan. This rumor actually makes sense, since the HoB have already rejected the Primates' model, so an alternative would be expected.

Bishop Charles Jenkins of Louisiana appears to have arrived with a proposal or two, or even three, in hand:

...Jenkins said he and 10 co-signers will offer a resolution that tracks the overseas primates' wishes: banning same-sex rites, ending ordination of gay bishops, and establishing some kind of alternative Episcopal leadership for conservative congregations.

But he said his highest priority is to hold the communion together even with its divisions.

"The most devastating thing, and the thing I do not want to see happen, is that there becomes two Anglican communions in North America," he said. "It is a sickness unto death. If we claim to be a catholic body, this is a temptation to which we cannot give in"...

This resolution, and possibly two more, are most likely the fruit of the recent meeting of the so-called "Windsor Bishops."

Bishop Joe Morris Doss, with the assistance of a few other "lawyer bishops" has supposedly prepared a paper to be presented entitled "The Constitutional Crisis". If such a paper exists, I seriously doubt that it will have much impact, except possibly among other lawyers.

And then there is the plan of Bp. Iker of Fort Worth and Bp. Duncan of Pittsburgh, which basically consists of being as rude as they can possibly be by leaving the meeting as soon as the sessions with Dr. Williams are completed. No doubt Bps. Schofield and Ackerman will tag along with them. They must be wary of those Episcopal cooties, don't you know.

There is also the possibility that an unplanned consensus could arise from the bishops, as it did at their March meeting. The coalition that formed around the Bishops Working for a Just Society has most likely strengthened their ties over the last few months, and will be gathering once again to find a way to do the right thing, as they did in March.

So, what other plans, proposals, plots, ponderings or peculiar pieces of propaganda have you heard about?

Pray for our Bishops. Pray for the Church.

J.