Thursday, May 28, 2009

"Church law" Part I - how to hide a purge in a haystack

The triennial General Convention, the legislative body of The Episcopal Church (TEC), meets July 8 - 17.

Among significant considerations will be the "Title IV" Canon Law revisions. Title IV deals with discipline of clergy, a necessary protection of the faithful.

The proposed revisions are found in the mammoth "Blue Book" of Convention materials. This is a pdf file. The Title IV report begins on p. 766.

One of General Convention (GC)'s flaws is the sheer bulk of paper and concocted business. Much gets by the Bishops and Deputies (other clergy and lay delegates) without adequate attention. As in all politics, much is purposely hidden in the pile so it can be passed without examination.

Because of this, it is impossible for one lil' blogger to get at every aspect of Title IV. (And even if one could, it would be more material than a blog reader would endure). Click Stand Firm in the Useful Links down to the right of this page and you will find a display page with numerous blogs that might look at Canon revisions.

For my part, I want to tease out what appears to be an effort to get rid of any critics of TEC's eccentric, increasingly autocratic and unaccountable national bureaucrats. Hidden beneath pious language are mechanisms to harass or remove dissenters.

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