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Home  About Legal Situation with Bishop Bennison (part 2)
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Legal Situation with Bishop Bennison (part 2) |
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A Letter from Fr. Moyer to FiF UK
My dear friends and supporters in FiF UK,
Before more times passes here on this side of the Atlantic, I wish to express my deepest thanks to you, and especially to Fr. Geoffrey Kirk and Bishop John Broadhurst, for all you’ve done for me. It clearly was the strong, vibrant, and respectful realtionships existing between you and Drs. Carey and Williams that encouraged these two men to offer me their support and make the judgements they have made.
I find myself (as my people do here at Good Shepherd) in a state of gratitude and joy that Archbishops Carey and Williams have deemed me a priest in good standing, and are prepared to welcome me in their Dioceses and Provinces to exercise priestly ministries if I was led to serve the Lord with them and under their episcopal authority.
Their actions are unprecendented, and are received by me and the wider Church as a sign that the misuse of church canons and the persecution of priests who seek nothing more than to be faithful to the mind of the Church will not be tolerated. I count myself as one truly blessed in what the Lord called me to endure for six months and for what He has now provided. As Dorothy Kerin of Burrswood once said, “Where God guides, God provides”. It has been a emotionally distressing time for me, my wife, my children, and my people; but we now move forward with renewed commitment and a deeper spirituality. Praise God!
Archbishop Malango of Central Africa, Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh, and the increasing number of ECUSA bishops who have licensed me in their Dioceses are all men of courage and resolve, and are most deserving of our prayers of thanksgiving.
Please continue to hold me in your daily prayers as I and Good Shepherd, Rosement move forward in faith.
The Revd Dr David L. Moyer, SSC
Bishop Charles Bennison Deposes Fr. David Moyer
The Bishop of Pennsylvania, Charles E. Bennison, today deposed Fr. David L. Moyer rector of Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, saying that Moyer had “abandoned the Communion of the Church by openly renouncing the Discipline of the Church”. The Revd Dr David L Moyer was Inhibited for a period of six months commencing March 4, 2002 as mandated by Section 1 of Canon 10 of Title IV of the Canons of General Convention, wrote Bennison.
Bennison writes: “The Revd Dr David L Moyer did not deny the accuracy of the Findings of the Standing Committee, did not submit any statement to the Bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania purporting to retract any of the actions underlying the Finding and Determination, and did not take any other action that would permit the Bishop to withdraw the notice and allow the Inhibition to expire as provided by Section 2 of the said Canon of Title IV. Therefore in accordance with the provisions of the said Section 2 of Canon 10, of Title IV and Section 3 of Canon 12 of Title IV of the Canons of General Convention of the Episcopal Church, in the presence of two priests, I do hereby adjudge and pronounce a Sentence of Deposition within the meaning of Section 1 (d) of Canon 12 of Title IV of the said Canons upon DAVID LLOYD MOYER, who is accordingly, deposed from the ordained ministry.”
The letter of sentence was signed by the Rt Revd Charles E Bennison and witnessed by the Revd Glenn M Matis and the Rev William H Wood.
In a separate letter to Fr Moyer, Bennison writes, “It grieves me deeply that you have not responded to my letters of yesterday and August 7th, or to the statement in the Standing Committee’s Report of February 26, 2002 and that a renunciation grounded in action can be retracted by appropriate action.”
As provided in Section 2 of Canon 10, if a Priest “does not make retraction or denial as provided above, then it shall be the duty of the Bishop to pronounce sentence as provided therein. In accordance with my duty, and in the light of your defiance of the Discipline of the Church, I have pronounced a Sentence of Deposition upon you, a copy of which I enclose.”
“I want to make certain that you are aware of, and give prayerful consideration to the provisions of Canon 13 of Title IV, regarding the Remission of Sentence, with the hope that if you truly wish to remain a Priest in the Episcopal Church you will follow the process and procedures enumerated there. If you do, I would be glad to welcome you back.”
Forward in Faith UK Bennison/Moyer Letters
The Most Revd & Right Hon the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury
Lambeth Palace
London
Dear Archbishop,
I write to you as Chairman of the Co-ordinating Committee Of Forward in Faith International to seek your help in the matter of the impending deposition of Fr David Moyer, Chairman of Forward in Faith North America.
David’s personal predicament is seen by members of Forward in Faith on three continents as an epitome of the predicament in which they too find themselves in their respective churches. An action against Fr Moyer is an action which affects us all.
The Bishops of Forward in Faith North America have agreed, as a sign of the confidence which they place in David, as a gifted pastor and man of faith, to license him in their dioceses and to give notice to the Bishop of Pennsylvania that those licenses will not be revoked if Fr Moyer is deposed. To the members of Forward in Faith in our three continents this will express clearly their rejection of that diocesan autonomy in faith and morals which threatens both the unity of the Communion and their continued place in it.
With all this in mind, we are asking you, in solidarity with the Bishops of Fort Worth, Quincy and San Joaquin, to provide Fr Moyer with a Permission to Officiate in the Diocese of Canterbury. I understand that a similar request is being sent by Forward in Faith North America to other Primates of the Communion.
Yours sincerely,
The Right Reverend John Broadhurst
for the Co-ordinating Committee of Forward in Faith International
Reply from the Archbishop of Canterbury
To Bishop John Broadhurst
Lambeth Palace, London | 27 August 2002
The Rt Revd John Broadhurst
Forward in Faith
7 Tufton Street
London
Dear John,
Thank you so much for your letter of 20 August concerning the impending deposition of Fr David Moyer, Chairman of Forward in Faith North America. As you are aware, I am watching these events with great anxiety and even now hope that we might persuade the bishop not to take this drastic action.
I can confirm gladly that I have the highest regard for David and would have no hesitation in giving him permission to officiate in the Diocese of Canterbury. Indeed, I will go one step further to say that were he to seek a licence to officiate in the Province of Canterbury, I would be glad to offer it.
Can I leave this with you to move it forward?
Yours ever,
George
Archbishop of Canterbury
Letter from Fr Geoffrey Kirk
To the Archbishop of Wales and Monmouth
FiF London | 20 August 2002
The Most Revd the Archbishop of Wales
Bishopstow
Newport
Dear Archbishop,
I write to you on behalf of the Co-ordinating Committee of Forward in Faith International to assure you of the prayers of Forward in Faith for you in the days and months which lie ahead, as you prepare to take up your new role as President of the Anglican Communion.
At our meeting yesterday in Belleville, Illinois, we discussed the impending deposition by Bishop Charles Bennison of Fr David Moyer. David’s personal predicament is seen by members of Forward in Faith on three continents as an epitome of the predicament in which they too find themselves in their respective churches. An action against Fr Moyer is an action which affects us all.
The Bishops of Forward in Faith North America have agreed, as a sign of the confidence which they place in David, as a gifted pastor and man of faith, to license him in their dioceses and to give notice to the Bishop of Pennsylvania that those licenses will not be revoked if Fr Moyer is deposed. To the members of Forward in Faith in our three continents this will express clearly their rejection of that diocesan autonomy in faith and morals which threatens both the unity of the Communion and their continued place in it.
With all this in mind, we are asking you, in solidarity with the Bishops of Fort Worth, Quincy and San Joaquin, to provide Fr Moyer with a Permission to Officiate in the Diocese of Monmouth. I understand that a similar request is being sent by Forward in Faith North America to other Primates of the Communion.
Yours sincerely,
The Reverend Dr Geoffrey Kirk
Reply from the Archbishop of Wales and Monmouth
To Fr Geoffrey Kirk
Bishopstow, Newport, Wales | 4 September 2002
The Revd Dr Geoffrey Kirk
Forward in Faith
Faith House
London
Dear Father,
Thanks very much for your letter about David Moyer but also for the generous good wishes sent by Forward in Faith International.
As you probably know, I have spoken with Fr David on the phone and expressed my concern about the situation in which he has been placed. From what I know of him, I could see no objection to my granting Permission to Officiate in this diocese or considering him for a licence here if the circumstances arose. All I know of him suggests that he is not guilty of any moral or doctrinal delinquency, and is respected as a priest of disciplined life, personal spirituality and great teaching capacity.
However, in this Province the issue of licences entails certain rights and obligations within a diocese (there would have to be a canonical oath taking, he would be cited for formal Visitations, etc.), and my legal officers would be very reluctant to issue any licence to a person not connected in some way with the life of the diocese (we have recently restricted somewhat the number of categories for which a licence is appropriate); and Permissions are again normally given only to those resident here. I think, then, that the most I can do is to place on record what I’ve said in the second paragraph above.
I hope this is some help. It is a worrying situation, and Fr David is in my prayers.
Yours ever in Duo,
+ Rowan
Archbishop of Wales and Monmouth
Posted by Ryan in Bennison/Moyer Archive | Edit |
A Letter from Fr. Geoffrey Kirk to Bishop Bennison
Thursday, October 3rd, 2002
Dear Bishop Bennison,
It was not FiF/NA but I who placed the relevant paragraphs of Archbishop Rowan Williams’s letter with regard to Fr Moyer on the FiF Website. I did so on the clear understanding that the letter was not, as you describe it a ‘private letter to Geoffrey Kirk’, but a formal letter to the National Secretary of Forward in Faith UK, and that as such it was intended for the public domain. The Archbishop concluded his letter:’ I think that the most I can do is to place on record what I’ve said in the second paragraph above’. I would be grateful, therefore, if you would put a notice to that effect on your diocesan website, lest your readers be misled.
I have now put on the FiF website the full texts of the letter of the Chairman of Forward in Faith International to the Archbishop of Canterbury, my letter to the Archbishop of Wales and their respective replies, in case of further innuendo or misunderstanding. The concern about Dr Moyer felt at Lambeth (and no doubt communicated personally to you on more than one occasion) was epitomised for me by the final paragraph of a letter received some short time ago from the Revd Canon Herman Browne, the Archbishop’s Officer for the Anglican Communion. Herman wrote ‘Whilst you were informed correctly that the Archbishop cannot act as decisively as you might like, you can be assured that he has done and is doing an enormous amount, away from the public gaze. to prevent the Anglican Communion becoming a family in which the unfaithful go unrebuked in the persecution of the orthodox.’
It is, of course open to you to try to persuade Dr Williams to say now the opposite of what he said in his letter to me. But I suspect that an appeal from a liberal American bishop to some supposed principal of inter-provincial collegiality will seem to him (as it does to me) just a bit rich.
With all good wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Geoffrey Kirk
Cc. The Archbishop of Wales
The Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold, III
The Revd Dr David Moyer
A Letter to the Archbishop of Wales from Bishop BennisonFriday, September 20th, 2002
The Most Rev’d Rowan Douglas Williams
Archbishop of Wales and Bishop of Monmouth
Bishopstow
Newport
WALES
Your Grace:
Gregory Cameron has emailed me your letter regarding the canonical discipline of David Moyer. I am very grateful for the care and attention you obviously have given to this matter - and for the promptness of your response.
I realize that David Moyer’s deposition, unlike that of others in ECUSA, has become difficult for Archbishop Carey and you because he has effectively made his case a cause célèbre for Anglican traditionalists globally, and because as a global communion we do not have in place the canonical structures with which to handle a case such as his. The implications of the latter are that each province must deal with disciplinary matters internally and until we grow closer as a communion, as I hope we will, without intervention from Canterbury.
The statement in your private letter to Geoffrey Kirk that, at least hypothetically, you would permit or license David Moyer to function in your diocese therefore, as you are very kind to observe, will not make my life any easier. But of far greater significance, it effectively signals on your part a willingness to override ECUSA’s canons, which every ECUSA bishop and I at our consecrations solemnly engaged to uphold. Deposition in Wales, as you note, differs from deposition in ECUSA. According to our canons one can be deposed not only for doctrinal or moral, but also, as in David’s case, for disciplinary, reasons. According to our canons, moreover, David is to vacate ALL ecclesiastical offices and is not to function as a priest anywhere until such a time as he would successfully apply for the remission of his deposition, and yet you are saying he may potentially do so in Wales because you, as do those of us in our diocese, find nothing wrong with him morally or doctrinally. Inasmuch as David was deposed before he transferred into Archbishop Malango’s, and thence Bishop Duncan’s, jurisdictions, moreover, means that by your statement you are giving approbation to their disregard for our canons, too.
I would respectfully ask that you expect as much of David in regard to his own province as you would were he your priest. (Given what I understand are your views on the issues before the church, it is doubtful that David would welcome you for a full visitation to his church any more than he will me). In the third paragraph of your letter to Geoffrey Kirk you state: “However, in this Province the issue of licenses entails certain rights and obligations within a diocese (there would have to be a canonical oath-taking, he would be cited for formal Visitations, etc.) ….” Thus, the Church of England would require no less from Dr. Moyer than the Diocese of Pennsylvania has required: adherence to the canons and, in particular, recognition that he has an obligation to permit his Bishop to make formal Visitations. Our diocese has only asked the same of him.
The Diocese of Pennsylvania has never said that David is “guilty of any moral or doctrinal delinquency,” and the Diocese of Pennsylvania, like you, recognizes that David “is respected as a priest of disciplined life, personal spirituality and great teaching capacity.” But just as these strengths are not, by themselves, enough to have him be formally licensed by you, they are not enough under the Constitution and Canons of this Church.
As you are aware, FiFNA made public your letter to Fr. Kirk and, indeed, only the one paragraph which best serves its purposes. In response to the harm that FiFNA has thereby caused, I hope that as soon as possible you will say publicly something to the effect that while you find nothing erroneous in David morally or doctrinally, his deposition arises out of a disciplinary context within ECUSA, is an internal matter between him, his bishop, his Standing Committee, and ECUSA, and until such time as the remission of his deposition occurs no transfer to or recognition in another province of the Communion is possible.
Finally, in his presidential address to ACC-11, Archbishop Carey names me as one who has acted unilaterally without consulting with the Province and the Communion. I want you to know that on the day of David’s inhibition over six months ago I sent to all ECUSA bishops the Standing Committee document outlining David’s canonical infractions that I also just sent to you — and that, while none elected to do so, every ECUSA bishop had six months to respond. Moreover, on four occasions this past summer I sought to obtain from the ACC Office in London permission to mail to all Anglican Communion bishops a letter summarizing the situation, but never heard back any definitive response to my request. I realize that you are not responsible for this lack of response from ACC, but I do want you to know that I have endeavored to be as responsible as possible in communicating as widely as possible throughout this painful process.
I have emailed Gregory with possible times when we can talk over the telephone, and I look forward to doing so. May God bless you as you begin your new ministry.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Bennison, Jr.
Cc. The Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold III
The Chancellor of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania
A Letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury from Bishop BennisonFriday, September 20th, 2002
The Most Rev’d and Right Honorable George L. Carey
The Archbishop of Canterbury
Lambeth Palace
London SE1 7JU England
Your Grace:
I am very grateful for the time you gave me over the telephone on September 11.
I realize that David Moyer’s deposition, unlike that of others in ECUSA, has become difficult for you because he has effectively made his case a cause célèbre for Anglican traditionalists globally, and because as a global communion we do not have in place the canonical structures with which to handle a case such as his. The implications of the latter are that each province must deal with disciplinary matters internally and until we grow closer as a communion, as I hope we will, without intervention from Canterbury.
The statement that you would permit or license David Moyer to function in your diocese effectively signals on your part a willingness to override ECUSA’s canons, which every ECUSA bishop and I at our consecrations solemnly engaged to uphold. Deposition in England, as you said to me, differs from deposition in ECUSA. According to our canons one can be deposed not only for doctrinal or moral, but also, as in David’s case, for disciplinary, reasons. According to our canons, moreover, David is to vacate ALL ecclesiastical offices and not function as a priest anywhere until such time as he would successfully apply for the remission of his deposition, and yet you are saying he may potentially do so in your province because you, as do those of us in our diocese, find nothing wrong with him morally or doctrinally. Inasmuch as David was deposed before he transferred into Archbishop Malango’s, and thence Bishop Duncan’s, jurisdictions, moreover, means that by your statement you are giving approbation to their disregard for our canons, too. I would respectfully ask that you expect as much of David in regard to his own province as I think you would were he your priest.
The Diocese of Pennsylvania has never said that David is “guilty of any moral or doctrinal delinquency,” and the Diocese of Pennsylvania, like you, recognizes that David is a faithful, gifted, and devout priest. But these strengths are not, by themselves, enough to have him be formally licensed under the Constitution and Canons of this Church.
In response to the harm that your statement has caused, I hope that as soon as possible you will say publicly something to the effect that while you find nothing erroneous in David morally or doctrinally, his deposition arises out of disciplinary context within ECUSA, is an internal matter between him, his bishop, his Standing Committee, and ECUSA, and until such time as the remission of his deposition occurs no transfer to or recognition in another province of the Communion is possible.
Finally, in your presidential address to ACC-11, you name me as one who has acted unilaterally without consulting with the Province and the Communion. This feels very unfair to our diocese and me. Please know that on the day of David’s inhibition over six months ago I sent to all ECUSA bishops the Standing Committee document outlining David’s canonical infractions that I also sent to you — and that, while none elected to do so, every ECUSA bishop had six months to respond. Moreover, on four occasions this past summer I sought to obtain from the ACC Office in London permission to mail to all Anglican Communion bishops a letter summarizing the situation, but never heard back any definitive response to my request. I realize that you are perhaps not directly responsible for this lack of response from ACC, but I do want you to know that I have endeavored to be as responsible as possible in communicating as widely as possible throughout this painful process.
Please know, finally, that I am sympathetic to and grateful for you in your leadership of our beloved church. I realize that the challenges you face to maintain our unity are enormous, and have sought when interviewed over the David Moyer matter to say so to the media. May God bless you and Eileen as you begin the next chapter in your lives and ministries.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Bennison, Jr.
Cc. The Most Reverend Frank T. Griswold III
The Chancellor of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Pennsylvania
Bishop Bennison Threates Another FiF NA PriestThursday, September 19th, 2002
Once again, Charles Bennison has threatened a Forward in Faith, North America priest. On Saturday of last week, Bennison placed a call to Fr. Joseph S. Falzone, retired rector of St. Stephen’s, Whitehall (Diocese of Bethlehem), informing him that if he concelebrated with Fr. Moyer at the Church of the Good Shepherd on the Solemnity of the Feast of the Holy Cross he would pay the price.
For the past several months, Fr. Falzone has been serving the parish of All Saint’s, Wynnewood under a license from Bennison. Bennison informed Fr. Falzone that if he concelebrated, his license would be rescinded immediately.
It is reported that Fr. Falzone questioned the validity of the “deposition” of Fr. Moyer based on the response of the Archbishop Carey, Archbishop Williams, Bishop Duncan, and other bishops and archbishops from around the globe. Bennison was not impressed. He repeated his contention that Moyer is deposed and again made his threat against Fr. Falzone.
All Saints, Wynnwood needs Fr. Falzone and his continuing witness for the “faith once delivered”. Bennison has already refused to renew the license of their priest, the Rev’d Edward L. Rix.
Fr. Falzone, after consultation with several people, decided to sit in the congregation. Fr. Falzone has requested a meeting with Bennison.
The Facts About the Transfer of Fr. MoyerWednesday, September 11th, 2002
There are rumors going around about the sequence of events surrounding the “Deposition” of Father David L. Moyer and the subsequent transfer to the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Forward in Faith, North America, hereby presents the facts.
1. At all times prior to receiving the Sentence of Deposition from Bishop Bennison, Father Moyer remained canonically resident in the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
2. Father Moyer has never requested transfer of his canonical residence from the Diocese of Pennsylvania.
3. Prior to the time that Father Moyer was “deposed”, Father Moyer had not been received into or transferred to any other Diocese or Province.
4. The “Deposition” constituted an illegal and involuntary expulsion of Father Moyer from the Diocese of Pennsylvania. Father Moyer has instituted legal proceedings to have the “Deposition” declared invalid.
5. At the moment of the “Deposition”, the Archbishop of Central Africa, at the request of the Bishop of Pittsburgh, accepted Father Moyer into the Diocese of the Upper Shire. At the same moment, again at the request of the Bishop of Pittsburgh, the Archbishop transferred Father Moyer to the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
6. Father Moyer did not request these actions but has expressed his gratitude to the Archbishop of Central Africa and to the Bishop of Pittsburgh.
Archbishop-designate Backs Fr. MoyerMonday, September 9th, 2002
The Most Reverend Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Wales and Archbishop of Canterbury designate, has added his voice to that of the present Archbishop, Dr George Carey, in support of Fr David Moyer, Rector of Good Shepherd, Rosemont.
Archbishop-designate Rowan Williams
In a letter to Forward in Faith UK’s National Secretary, Fr Geoffrey Kirk, Dr Williams writes: “As you probably know, I have spoken with Fr David on the phone and expressed my concern about the situation in which he has been placed. From what I know of him, I could see no objection to my granting Permission to Officiate in this diocese (of Monmouth) or considering him for a licence here if the circumstances arose. All I know of him suggests that he is not guilty of any moral or doctrinal delinquency, and is respected as a priest of disciplined life, personal spirituality and great teaching capacity.”
The Rev. David L. Moyer files a lawsuit against Bishop Charles BennisonFriday, September 6th, 2002
Reversal of Deposition and Damages Sought
The Rector of Church of the Good Shepherd, the Rev. Dr. David L. Moyer yesterday filed suit against the Bishop of Pennsylvania, Charles E. Bennison in Montgomery County Court, PA alleging that he committed fraud by saying that he promised Moyer a church trial and then reneged on that promise.
Bennison wrote a letter to Moyer making certain demands on the priest stating that if all those demands were not met, that the priest would become “liable to Presentment and Trial” and then backed down from that promise of a trial.
Such a trial would have vindicated Moyer, said the complaint. Bennison made Moyer promises that he promptly turned around and reneged on, said the complaint. The complaint argues that Bennison had already determined the outcome and, contrary to the promise made, planned to depose Moyer without trial or appeal.
The complaint alleges that at the time secret documents were drawn up to deny Moyer a presentment and trial as promised in the bishop’s letter. One document, prepared by Bennison stated that the Bennison sought “an alternative route [to Depose Moyer] without trial”.
The complaint charges that Episcopal Church canons demand a written statement of the charges, a right to counsel, the right to confront witnesses, a fair trial and right of appeal.
Contrary to his promise the Deposition was pronounced by Bennison without presentment, trial and appeal using Canon 10 which was designed to deal with those cases where priests of The Episcopal Church leave The Episcopal Church to become ministers or priests in other denominations, such as the Roman Catholic Church. Under such circumstances, there is normally no need for any trial since the priest is expected to voluntarily renounce his right as a priest of The Episcopal Church.
Moyer has not left The Episcopal Church.
The complaint also charges that Bennison deprived Moyer, (a priest in good standing for over twenty-five years), of all of his rights of priesthood in the Diocese of Pennsylvania; The Episcopal Church and in the entire Anglican Communion. All of this has been accomplished without giving the traditionalist priest any opportunity for a trial to contest the “charges”.
The Deposition was fraudulently imposed and invalid, said the complaint. The complaint charges that the Inhibition and Deposition are part of a scheme by Bennison to gain control of the assets of The Church of the Good Shepherd.
The complaint also charges that the Bishop and the Diocesan Standing Committee, as two separate entities, colluded in writing “reports” and “findings”. The Standing Committee did not initiate the process, Bennison did, and did so for the sole purpose of injuring Moyer.
The complaint alleges that Bennison showed bad faith by a capricious rejection of the statement of the Presiding Bishop of The Episcopal Church, Frank Griswold who wrote saying the inhibition of Moyer was “utterly unacceptable”. The Presiding Bishop wrote two letters, one in March and one in July, condemning Bennison’s actions. Bennison has refused to release those letters to Moyer.
The complaint also charges that a priest in the Diocese of Bethlehem, who was accused of sexual abuse was granted a trial and will be granted the right to appeal while Moyer is denied due process. This is both unfair and contrary to canon law.
Bennison took the action knowing that there is no provision in the Canons to deal with a lawless and rogue bishop who deliberately violates and disregards the Canons. Bennison, however, is not above the law.
Moyer is seeking compensatory and punitive damages.
A Statement by the Council of Forward in Faith UK on the DepositionFriday, September 6th, 2002
The Council of Forward in Faith UK condemns as arbitrary and illegal the actions of Bishop Charles Bennison of Pennsylvania in deposing the Revd David L Moyer, Chairman of Forward in Faith North America and in removing the license to officiate of the Revd Garrin Dickinson.
The persecution, by an apostate bishop, of faithful priests is an offence against the whole church, affecting as it does the very integrity of the bishop’s office as guardian of faith and order.
We call upon Bishop Bennison, even now, to heed the admonition of the Archbishop of Canterbury and his own Presiding Bishop, to rescind the deposition, to re-instate both priests and to reinstate, for the parish of the Good Shepherd Rosemont, that alternative episcopal care which he himself only recently withdrew and which the Canons of the Episcopal Church are agreed to allow.
We applaud the courageous actions of Archbishop Bernard Malango and Bishop Robert Duncan in receiving Fr Moyer into their dioceses as a priest in good standing, and we call upon all faithful bishops to lend them every support and encouragement. We believe that such support is crucial if the slender foothold which traditional clergy and laity still retain in the Episcopal Church is not to be eroded completely.
Bishop Bennison’s action is a stark reminder to the whole Communion that the Episcopal Church is now intolerant of that biblical Faith and apostolic order which remains normative for the majority of Christians. ECUSA is a church in which no opponent of women’s ordination will ever again be elected bishop, in which men opposed to women’s ordination can be ordained in only a small number of dioceses, and where a task force of the national church is charged with bringing those three dioceses opposed to women’s ordination into conformity with the prevailing opinion.
The Presiding Bishop has called the crisis at Rosemont ‘a sad exception’. It is, on the contrary, all too typical. He says, ‘very strongly’, that ‘traditionalists’ have a place in the Episcopal Church. We believe, on the contrary, that the continuance of orthodox biblical Christianity in that Church will be seriously in question if this infamous deposition is not vigorously contested.
Geoffrey Kirk
For and on behalf of the Council of Forward in Faith UK
Fr. Moyer Celebrates Mass at Trinity Cathedral PittsburghFriday, September 6th, 2002
(Press release from the Diocese of Pittsburgh)
Deposed priest the Rev. David L. Moyer will celebrate mass at 12:05 tomorrow, September 6 at Trinity Cathedral in downtown Pittsburgh. A press conference is to follow. The mass at Trinity Cathedral was scheduled to remind everyone of the heritage of religious toleration of the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, William Penn, on whose lands Trinity Cathedral (Pittsburgh) is built.
For thirteen years Fr. Moyer served as the Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, a conservative Anglo-Catholic parish in the Diocese of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia). For the last six months Fr. Moyer has been under a sentence of suspension (inhibition) and was yesterday deposed by the Bishop of Pennsylvania, the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Bennison.
Moyer was deposed on the grounds that he has abandoned the Communion by not allowing Bishop Bennison to preach or preside at Communion or Confirmation at Church of the Good Shepherd. Moyer has countered that Bishop Bennison is too liberal and cannot be trusted in the pulpit of his Anglo-Catholic church. Anglo-Catholics are traditionally considered the most traditional members of the 2.3 million-member Episcopal Church in the United States. Conservative Episcopalians in the 70,000-member Diocese of Pennsylvania (comprised of Philadelphia, Chester and Bucks counties) have also been unhappy with their bishop’s position on the Resurrection and his disbelief that Christianity is the only way to salvation.
Many bishops throughout the world, including the Archbishop of Canterbury the Most Rev. George Carey, spiritual head of the 70 million-member Anglican Communion, have refused to acknowledge the validity of either the inhibition or the deposition of Moyer.
Today, Bishop Robert Duncan of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh has taken action to receive the Rev. David L. Moyer, SSC, as a priest in good standing of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. In August the House of Bishops of the Province of Central Africa approved David L. Moyer as a priest in good standing there, in order that he might be transferred to Pittsburgh were Bishop Duncan to make that request.
Many American bishops and many bishops worldwide have attempted to mediate the dispute between the Bishop of Pennsylvania and the Rector of Rosemont. All of this has been to no avail. Bishop Duncan (Pittsburgh) has repeatedly implored his brother bishop not to proceed to depose this priest. Bishop Duncan has made it abundantly clear on several occasions, most recently in person this past June, that, were Bishop Charles Benison (Philadelphia) to proceed as he has now done, there would be no alternative to the kind of action Duncan and others are now taking.
The Rev. Garrin Dickinson, curate of Good Shepherd, Rosemont, is also a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. Dickinson has informed Bishop Duncan that his license to officiate in the Diocese of Pennsylvania has been withdrawn. Bishop Duncan has instructed Garrin to remain at his post, without a license. If Bishop Bennison desires that this young priest be tried for “invasion” because he is committed to the flock at Rosemont, then it will be in the ecclesiastical court at Pittsburgh where he will have to be tried, as the canons direct.
Bishop Duncan’s statements for intervention:
1) Because I have long known Fr. Moyer as a good and godly priest, and he has appealed to me for protection.
2) Because the canon under which the Bishop of Pennsylvania has acted is precedent-setting, opportunistic, and due-process denying.
3) Because the soul of the Episcopal Church is at stake as innovation supplants received Faith and Order.
4) Because traditionalist witness in the Episcopal Church will always have my active support and creative encouragement.
5) Because the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has failed to avert the deposition, nevertheless calling the course undertaken by the Bishop of Pennsylvania “utterly unacceptable”.
6) Because I believe there to be an inherent imbalance of power between a bishop and a priest, leading in such a dispute to an abuse of power. The dispute will now necessarily become a dispute between bishops, who are by definition power equals.
7) Because recent actions both by Bp. Charles Bennison and by other bishops, each acting contrary to the expressed will of the House of Bishops or the Lambeth Conference, have been based on an assertion that the bishop is absolute in his own diocese, an assertion I desire hereby to put to the test.
It is in light of all these factors that I have received, from the Diocese of the Upper Shire, the Rev. David L. Moyer, SSC as a priest in good standing of the Diocese of Pittsburgh, commented Duncan. Furthermore, It is also in light of all these factors that I assess the inhibition and deposition of the Rev. David L. Moyer by the Bishop of Pennsylvania to be utterly null and void, both legally and morally, and to have no bearing on the decision I have made.
It is anticipated that both Fr. Moyer and Fr. Dickinson will remain resident at Rosemont for the foreseeable future. This circumstance notwithstanding, Moyer will be named Priest Associate of Grace Church, Mount Washington, an Anglo-Catholic parish in the City of Pittsburgh. Moyer’s regular function in our diocese will be based at Grace.
Statement from the Rev. David L. Moyer, SSCThursday, September 5th, 2002
Fr David MoyerI cannot adequately express my thanks to Almighty God for raising up Bishop Robert Duncan as a true Christian leader, a true successor of the Apostles, and a godly man of deep prayer and joy in the Lord. And I thank God as well that I have been deemed worthy to receive a call from the Lord to defend the doctrine, discipline, and worship of Christ as the Church has received them, and to be identified in so doing with the Passion of Jesus.
The persecution of bishops, and priests by those within the Episcopal Church, especially from those in episcopal office is tragic and an offense to God. In my situation, Charles Bennison has refused to publicly affirm basic Christian teachings, and has removed himself from the Church through public pronouncements and teachings that are apostate and heretical. I have always (as a lifelong member of the Episcopal Church and a priest for 25 years) held bishops in high regard, but I cannot do this with a man who has failed his calling as a shepherd and bishop of the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Jesus Christ. It is not too much to ask that a bishop be a Christian.
Secondarily, the Deposition is invalid, unjust, illegal, uncanonical, and unchristian. Never before in the history of the Episcopal Church has this particular canon been used to inhibit and depose a priest who seeks to remain in the Episcopal Church as one who has not committed a moral offense. This canon used against me has historically been reserved for a priest who has left the Episcopal Church for the Roman Catholic Church or one of the Protestant denominations. I had no appeal or trial.
I have been improperly and illegally removed from the Diocese of Pennsylvania, and I do not recognize the validity of this action.
A lawsuit has been filed on my behalf requesting an order setting aside the Deposition, or in the alternative for damages. I am blessed with the legal representation and expertise of Mr. John H. Lewis, Jr. of Montgomery, McCracken, Walker and Rhoads, along with the assistance of Mr. Robert Fitzgerald and Mr. Christopher Pushaw, attorneys.
I remain a priest called by God, and I welcome the provision to be a priest in good standing in the Diocese of Pittsburgh and to be placed on the rolls for the clergy. I welcome the pastoral oversight of Bishop Duncan. I have a hunger and thirst for a strong and caring Father in God.
I am also grateful for the recent action by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the spiritual head of the Anglican Communion. The Most Rev. and Right Honorable Dr. George Carey has communicated to me in order to give me the right to say with confidence that, “The Archbishop of Canterbury believes me to be in good standing with him and is prepared to offer me Permission to Officiate in the Diocese of Canterbury and a license in the Province of Canterbury.”
I also have been receiving licenses for priestly ministries and authority conferred by ordination from an increasing number of bishops from throughout the Episcopal Church.
In addition, I am grateful for the prayers and support of local clergy from other denominations, many of whom came to Good Shepherd on September 4th for a wonderful and rousing ecumenical praise and prayer service. Finally, the prayers and encouragement from people all over the world have been wonderful and a great blessing.
How special it is at this time for my wife and me to have our lives graced with the presence of the Most Reverend Dr. Bernard Malango, Archbishop of Central Africa, in our home. His Grace came specially to be with us as a source of pastoral support and spiritual guidance.
My concern has been and now is entirely focused on the spiritual welfare of the good people under my charge as their rector at the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, who have been served so well during this time by the faithful and godly priests on my staff. You may remember that adding to his unjust actions and showing no concern for souls of the people committed to my charge, Charles Bennison inhibited me during Lent prior to Holy Week. My parishioners have been so steadfast, caring, and supportive of my wife, my family and me, throughout this difficult emotional ordeal. With joy, I have witnessed a deepening in their spiritual lives, and a renewed commitment to Christ Jesus and His Church Catholic and Apostolic. They are poised to move forward with our many ministries to God’s glory and the benefit of others.
Let me conclude with a prayer I have prayed daily for the past six months, written by St. Ignatius of Loyola: “Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deservest to give and not to count the cost; to fight and not to heed the wounds; to toil and not to seek for rest; to labor and not to ask for any reward - Save that of knowing that we do Thy will.”
The Bishop of Pittsburgh accepts Fr Moyer as a Priest of the Diocese of PittsburghThursday, September 5th, 2002
Bishop Robert DuncanI have today taken action to receive the Rev. David L. Moyer, SSC, as a priest in good standing of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh. Fr. Moyer was received from the Diocese of the Upper Shire in the Province of Central Africa.
Fr. Moyer has been the Rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Rosemont, Pennsylvania. Fr. Moyer has been under a sentence of suspension (inhibition) for the last six months and was today “deposed” by the Bishop of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), the Rt. Rev. Charles E. Bennison. Many bishops throughout the world, including the Most Rev. George Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, have refused to acknowledge the validity of either the inhibition or the deposition. In August the House of Bishops of the Province of Central Africa approved David L. Moyer as a priest in good standing there, in order that he might be transferred to Pittsburgh were I to request it. The request was made yesterday.
Many American bishops and many bishops world-wide have attempted to mediate the dispute between the Bishop of Pennsylvania and the Rector of Rosemont. All of this has been to no avail. I have repeatedly implored my brother bishop not to proceed to depose this priest. I have made it abundantly clear on several occasions, most recently in person in June, that, were Charles to proceed as he has now done, there would be no alternative to the kind of action I and others are now taking.
The Rev. Garrin Dickinson, curate of Good Shepherd, Rosemont, is also a priest of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. I have been informed by him that his license to officiate in the Diocese of Pennsylvania has been withdrawn effective yesterday. I have instructed him to remain at his post, without a license. If the Bishop of Pennsylvania desires that this young priest be tried for “invasion” due to my pastoral directive, then it will be in the ecclesiastical court at Pittsburgh where he will have to be tried, as the canons direct.
Why have I intervened?
1) Because I have long known Fr. Moyer as a good and godly priest, and he has appealed to me for protection.
2) Because the canon under which the Bishop of Pennsylvania has acted is precedent-setting, opportunistic, and due-process denying.
3) Because the soul of the Episcopal Church is at stake as innovation supplants received Faith and Order.
4) Because traditionalist witness in the Episcopal Church will always have my active support and creative encouragement.
5) Because the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church has failed to avert the deposition, nevertheless calling the course undertaken by the Bishop of Pennsylvania “utterly unacceptable”.
6) Because I believe there to be an inherent imbalance of power between a bishop and a priest, leading in such a dispute to an abuse of power. The dispute will now necessarily become a dispute between bishops, who are by definition power equals.
7) Because recent actions both by Bp. Charles Bennison and by other bishops, each acting contrary to the expressed will of the House of Bishops or the Lambeth Conference, have been based on an assertion that the bishop is absolute in his own diocese, an assertion I desire hereby to put to the test.
It is in light of all these factors that I have received, from the Diocese of the Upper Shire, the Rev. David L. Moyer, SSC as a priest in good standing of the Diocese of Pittsburgh. It is also in light of all these factors that I assess the inhibition and deposition of the Rev. David L. Moyer by the Bishop of Pennsylvania to be utterly null and void, both legally and morally, and to have no bearing on the decision I have made.
It is anticipated that both Fr. Moyer and Fr. Dickinson will remain resident at Rosemont for the foreseeable future. This circumstance notwithstanding, Fr. Moyer has today been named Priest Associate of Grace Church, Mount Washington, an Anglo-Catholic parish in the City of Pittsburgh. Fr. Moyer’s regular function in our diocese will be based there. As a sign of our new relationship, Fr. Moyer will celebrate the 12:05 mass in Trinity Cathedral tomorrow. This site was chosen to recall to everyone the heritage of religious toleration of the founder of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, William Penn, on whose lands Trinity Cathedral (Pittsburgh) is built.
The Rt. Rev. Robert Wm. Duncan
Bishop of Pittsburgh
5th September, A.D. 2002
22 Bishops Reject the DepositionThursday, September 5th, 2002
We, the undersigned bishops of the Episcopal Church, USA, reject as invalid - spiritually, morally and canonically - the deposition of the Revd David L. Moyer by the Right Revd Charles E. Bennison, Bishop of Pennsylvania.
In doing so, we are joining with the Most Revd George L. Carey, Archbishop of Canterbury, and many other bishops around the world who have refused to acknowledge the validity of the deposition. By Bishop Bennison’s action, Fr. Moyer has been deprived of due process and any court of appeal. We believe no credible case has been made that Fr. Moyer has ‘abandoned the communion’ of this Church. Further, we support the Right Revd Robert W. Duncan, Bishop of Pittsburgh, in his decision to receive Fr. Moyer as a priest in good standing, making him canonically resident in the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Signatories as of September 5, 2002:
The Right Revd Keith L. Ackerman, Bishop of Quincy
The Right Revd Peter H. Beckwith, Bishop of Springfield
The Right Revd David J. Bena, Bishop Suffragan of Albany
The Right Revd Andrew H. Fairfield, Bishop of North Dakota
The Right Revd Daniel W. Herzog, Bishop of Albany
The Right Revd John W. Howe, Bishop of Central Florida
The Right Revd Jack L. Iker, Bishop of Fort Worth
The Right Revd Stephen H. Jecko, Bishop of Florida
The Right Revd Terence Kelshaw, Bishop of Rio Grande
The Right Revd Hugo L. Pina-Lopez, Assistant Bishop, Diocese of Central Florida
The Right Revd Edward Salmon, Bishop of South Carolina
The Right Revd William J. Skilton, Bishop Suffragan of South Carolina
The Right Revd James M. Stanton, Bishop of Dallas
Retired Bishop signatories as of September 5, 2002:
The Right Revd Fitzsimons Allison, Bishop of South Carolina, Retired
The Right Revd Maurice M. Benitez, Bishop of Texas, Retired
The Right Revd Gordan T. Charlton, Bishop Suffragan of Texas, Retired
The Right Revd William J. Cox, Assistant Bishop of Oklahoma, Retired
The Right Revd Alex D. Dickson, Jr., Bishop of West Tennessee, Retired
The Right Revd William C. Frey, Bishop of Colorado, Retired
The Right Revd G. Edward Haynsworth, Assistant Bishop of South Carolina, Retired
The Right Revd John MacNaughton, Bishop of West Texas, Retired
The Right Revd William C. Wantland, Bishop of Eau Claire, Retired
Ecumenical Service Gathers to Intercede for Fr. David MoyerThursday, September 5th, 2002
(by David Virtue)
A packed parish heard Fr. David L. Moyer read the timeless story of David and Goliath at Church of the Good Shepherd last night as he told how hard the last six months had been, and thanked his parishioners for their prayers.
Billed as an ecumenical service of support for Fr. Moyer it became an evening of battle hymns sung, and OT stories read of God defending his people, and NT readings of standing firm in the face of oppression.
By midnight the six months of Moyer’s inhibition are officially up and Charles E. Bennison, Bishop of Pennsylvania is free to depose him and toss him out of his parish and the Diocese of PA.
But this was Moyer’s night. The parish with more than 300 present stood and applauded Fr. Moyer, singing the ancient hymns of the church that included A Mighty Fortress is our God, How Firm a Foundation and The Church’s One Foundation. The hymns captured the spirit of the occasion. Scriptures stressing the need to stand firm in the midst of persecution buoyed the parishioners as they waited in quiet, prayerful anticipation for the ax to fall on their beloved rector.
“It is an excommunication of the people”, said a visiting parish priest, who spoke warmly of Moyer’s ministry. “You are a priest forever Fr. Moyer”, he said, turning to Moyer and intoning in Latin the sacredness and permanence of Moyer’s priesthood.
No Episcopal priest has ever faced being thrown out of his parish and the Diocese of Pennsylvania in its 200-year history because that cleric affirmed the historic Faith while the bishop would not do the same.
Moyer, 52, the beleaguered, but clearly much loved parish priest thanked the many parishioners and friends who came last night for their prayers for he and his family and introduced the archbishop from Central Africa, The Most Dr. Rev. Bernard Malango who came to support Moyer in his hour of deposition.
The African Primate had previously been in New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada supporting the “Vancouver 12″ as they face similar disciplinary actions by the ultra-liberal Bishop Michael Ingham. Malango was tired but clearly happy to be here.
As the evening wore on, priest after priest from across the diocese and the country stood up at the lectern to praise and support Moyer.
The Rev. William Ilgenfritz, St. Stephens, Whitehall, PA, a fellow Forward in Faith priest and wannabee bishop said the struggle Moyer had been in for so long was “not about this building, nor about these stones or mortar. In the end if that is all we care about then we miss the real issue. It is about the people perishing as our churches burn. Your rector has been placed in a situation where he has risked everything to try and save the people.”
Ilgenfritz pleaded, “Allow him to do his ministry. Allow him to do what God has called him to do. I am very proud to know David Moyer and to call him my friend, and I am proud to stand for the faith once delivered.”
“If they take our buildings, pensions and salaries it doesn’t make a bit of difference, they can’t take Jesus from us.”
Do not fear the consequences of being faithful, he said.
“There is part of me that is deeply sympathetic towards Bennison and people like him. He doesn’t know who he is contending with and doesn’t know who he should be contending for. He is gonna lose big time.”
“Pray for him that God will open his eyes to the truth of the gospel and when to know your church is burning and make sure you can get all your brothers and sisters outside.”
“He is not of my color but he is of my kind”, said the Rev. Dr. Maurice Hughes, the Black pastor of Zion AME Church in Philadelphia, who stood up in support of Moyer.
“Ephesians chapter 6 says to put on the whole armor of God. We are contending not against flesh and blood but against wickedness in heavenly places.”
An Australian Anglo-Catholic priest, the Rev. David Chislett from a traditionalist parish in Queensland, Australia, said he and his people “have had the same sorts of things happen to them in Australia except in the Diocese of Sydney. One of the things that has happened to me is that I have gotten excited about OT stories. Over the last 15 years I have come to see the victory of the people of God over their enemies…the OT has come alive to me all over again.”
Chislett said being a Christian is not an insurance policy against Calvary. “When the train goes through the tunnel the safest place is to stay on the train.”
Archbishop Malango said how happy he was to be there with all those who faithfully support Fr. Moyer. “David and Rita have known of my love and care for them and I have written and sent a letter to them and to the Primates in support of David. In seven days I will be in Hong Kong at the Anglican Consultative Council meeting and I will be telling stories, particularly this story to all the bishops.”
By midnight Moyer could learn his fate, but the words of the hymn lustily sung by 300 voices last night will carry him up and bear him along…
“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie
My grace all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.”
The service closed with the singing of Onward Christian Soldiers. It was a fitting end. |
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