Bishop Duncan to Skip HOB Meeting

September 12, 2008

Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh has written to every member of the House of Bishops informing them that he will not attend the special meeting of the House of Bishops in Salt Lake City next week.

“One of the previously announced reasons for your gathering is to consider a charge brought against me by five priests and 16 lay people,” Bishop Duncan wrote. “The proper forum to determine whether I have violated the constitution and canons would be a church trial, as I am a bishop of this church.” He added that by instead pursuing “the abandonment shortcut,” “even the specific protections of that course of action have been ruled not to apply.”

“Given that I have been judged guilty by the Title IV disciplinary committee (without even my knowledge, prior to their findings, that there had been charges brought against me), and given the determination of the Presiding Bishop and her chancellor to proceed in this direction…I cannot see a way to bring myself to be present at the coming meeting of the House,” Bishop Duncan continued. “In light of all that has happened so far, what kind of ‘hearing’ can I expect the leadership to accord me? The constitution and canons are more than plain ‘in their literal and grammatical sense’ and the public documents and charges together, with my response, have long been in your hands.” the rest