Bishops make moves on Episcopal chessboard
by John Dart

In a scenario that may be performed repeatedly in months ahead, the Episcopal Church has declared that two bishops have "abandoned the communion of the church"—John-David Schofield, whose diocese in California has completed its voting to leave the denomination, and Robert Duncan of the Pittsburgh diocese, who has been the leader among dissident bishops aiming to form a competing, traditionalist church body.

But by mid-January, it became clear that Schofield had his right to conduct Episcopal ecclesial functions revoked, or "inhibited," whereas that prohibition was not applied to Duncan, leader of the conservative Common Cause Partnership, whose status will not be decided until September.

Duncan and his allies, who contend that Episcopal Church leadership has unacceptably installed a gay, partnered bishop and allowed same-sex union blessings, welcomed the news, saying that the move by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to depose Duncan had failed. the rest