Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut
The Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the USA , which is congruent with the US state Connecticut . It is one of the nine original Episcopal Church dioceses in the United States . The first Bishop Samuel Seabury was the first Anglican bishop to have a seat outside the British Isles . Anglican services had been held in the diocese since 1702, but the diocese itself was not organized until 1785 when Bishop Seabury convened the first diocesan synod.
The bishopric is Hartford . The diocese comprises 177 parishes with around 68,500 baptized members. Acting bishop is the Right Reverend Andrew D. Smith. He is the 14th bishop to succeed the diocese. He is assisted by two auxiliary bishops , Rt. Rev. James E. Curry and Rt. Rev. Wilfrido Ramos-Orench. Smith's predecessors included Right Reverend Walter Henry Gray, who first chaired the state's Civil Rights Commission. Bishop Gray also played a leading role in two meetings of the Lambeth Conference .
At the 2006 Diocesan Synod, Bishop Smith announced that diocesan wards would be free to choose whether or not to hold same-sex blessing ceremonies for Connecticut state- affiliated couples . Connecticut is thus one of ten Episcopal Church dioceses in which these ceremonies are scheduled. Smith's decision was criticized by the American Anglican Council : Rev. Canon David Anderson, president of the organization, said the decision "shows his disregard for the Anglican community and his militancy in promoting the gay agenda ."
Web links
- Official website
- Message from the Hartfourd Courant regarding the approval of same-sex blessing ceremonies
Individual evidence
- ↑ Fernanda Santos: Connecticut Episcopal Bishop wants Bless Gay Unions. In: New York Times, October 23, 2006.