THE "JUST WAR" AGAINST ROBERT DUNCAN

Commentary
By Canon Gary L'Hommedieu
9/18/08

Excerpt:
The spirit of lawlessness that has possessed the hierarchy of the Episcopal Church for over a generation has come full circle so that now lawlessness is the norm. It is the law. Only so could the Presiding Bishop's chancellor publicize his intention to "interpret" the canons requiring a bishop's right to a trial to be irrelevant in the present case when time is of the essence. Only so could lawyers among the House of Bishops argue today for the necessity of short-circuiting the plain text of canon law in order to position the Episcopal Church for a "real" legal struggle in the Pennsylvania civil courts over properties in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.

The legal scholars among the bishops know that the national church will not be able to roll over due process in the civil courts as easily as Schori and Beers rolled over their own hierarchy. In a few weeks the Episcopal Church must make its case in the real world in a protracted property war. Time to steel oneself for battle. The niceties of canon law must be set aside.

Besides, the last time Schori played at due process over this meddlesome Duncan things did not go her way. She could not get her deposition legally. And the important thing is not to obey the law. The important thing is to have the law work the way you want it to. When it doesn't, you set it aside. Any third rate dictator knows that.

It is better that one man should perish than that an entire regime should risk losing its dominance and prestige. Or something like that.
the rest at Virtueonline

Archbishops offer support to Bishop Duncan, Pittsburgh