Conversion & McGreevey

When Gert and I were married the ceremony was in the Episcopal church. I was reared Episcopalian and that was the church we had attended when we dated. The Episcopal faith was always explained to me as being a slightly more liberal Catholicism. The most notable difference was that Episcopalians permitted divorce.

Then in my youth, the Episcopal faith permitted female priests. Again, that is something most folks can accept and it never seemed a huge issue to me.

Of course, I knew the Catholic faith was steadfast in its faith. When I attended a Catholic school, I was told directly I was not welcomed at the alter. And that began a struggle that I now understand, but fought to understand for a long time. Catholics do not permit any non-Catholic to receive communion in their church. Episcopalians are much more welcoming in this manner. My friend Oli had no issue receiving communion at the Episcopal school we attended, but I was not welcomed to do so at his wedding. It seemed, well, a hardcore policy.

After Gert and I were married we continued to attend the Episcopal church. About a year later, we began discussing our family plans. That discussion brought us to religion. Gert is a Roman Catholic and she expressed her desire to return to her church. That then had an impact on our family discussion. How were we going to raise our children?

For a while, we went with the idea that Mommy would attend one church and Daddy would attend another and that the children would split their time between the two. We were naive in that thinking.

Gert began attending some Catholic churches in the area to see where she was comfortable. She struggled finding such a church. She was going to just go to the church she grew up in, but admittedly that was now a bit far given where we purchased our home. Eventually she tried the “big” Catholic church in town and liked something about it. She liked it enough to invite me.

The Episcopal church we attended was in dire straits. It was a small congregation (albeit larger than the 15-person congregation of another church I attended when I first came to town) and it was not able to pay its way. That meant the diocese subsidized the church. Fortunately, the church had a retired priest as an interim. He joked when he hit the decade mark about what interim meant. Father Vanaman was a good man who provided lots of counsel to me. He, like almost everyone else in the church, was elderly. As Gert and I contemplated our family plans, we did recognize that our children would not have a wonderful children’s program available.

So I visited the Catholic church with Gert and was very much impressed. Those who know me know I like my church service “churchy” and Father Carmel is the epitome of that. Incense, a thick Italian accent, pomp and circumstance. The church had it all. Furthermore, there is a Catholic school associated with this parish.

I had been investigating my faith at this time. What did I believe in? What was important?

It just so happens that the Episcopal church was amid a significant change in what it believes at this time. The church was set to confirm Gene Washington as the bishop of New Hampshire. Bishop Washington was openly gay.

I do believe in tolerance and forgiveness. I do not, however, believe that a church should uphold this behavior as exemplary. A bishop is the definition of a role model. Washington did not meet that criteria for me.

Father Vanaman and the rest of our congregation were adamantly opposed to the church’s action here. As a matter of fact, many Epsicopalians throughout the United States were. It was not long before a fractured church was seen. The larger Anglican church was equally dismayed with this decision too and pressure was applied. To no end, it turns out as Robinson was confirmed and the Episcopal church adopted language that made it very clear it had broken with the Anglican church.

As for me, I sought the counsel of Father Vanaman and Father Carmel. After much research, discussion, and prayer, I decided to convert to the Catholic faith. I enrolled in RCIA and further investigated my faith. Due to another issue beyond my control that I will not detail here, it was a long process. But eventually I made it! :)

What has happened to the Episcopal church? Apparently, it is now the sanctuary for gay community. Former New Jersey Governor McGreevey announced that he converted to the Episcopal faith from Catholicism last Sunday. Furthermore, McGreevey is entering the a seminary to become an Episcopal priest.

This is wrong on so many levels. McGreevey is the poster boy for political corruption. He was driven out of office because of his lies. He announced he was “a Gay American” and left his wife to shack up with a man. They hang a 50×40 photograph a naked man above their bed for his daughter to view. McGreevey then airs all his corruption for all to see, continues to battle his estranged wife, and somehow gets a gig to teach an ethics class at a state university to pad his pension. Now he wants to be a counselor to others, the religious leader of people’s faith. And the Episcopal church seems willing to let him have a go at it.

The Episcopal church has changed and for me I found a home where I am comfortable. There is no way I could rectify my faith with this week’s announcement from McGreevey.

I pray for the man, but I do not respect his decision.

 

 

Also blogged on this date . . .

Tags: , , , ,

Post a Comment

By submitting a comment here you grant ladow.net a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution.