Review of 2003: The Bishop

The first openly gay bishop

"The devil has entered the church ". Those were the words of one cleric when Gene Robinson became the first openly gay Anglican Bishop.

His appointment provoked an unholy row that threatens to split the church and is the latest in our features looking back on the most important stories of the year.

Graham Satchell has travelled to America to meet the controversial cleric in this specially extended interview only available on the Breakfast website.

Q How does it feel to be the first openly gay Anglican Bishop in the world. Does it feel awkward - does it feel good ?

A It feels very good and what makes me feel good about it is what this apparently means to so many people.

I've just had literally tens of thousands of e-mails and letters from people - especially from people on the fringes. I've got an incredible number of letters from people in prisons saying that the church's embracing of me as their Bishop makes them think there might be a community out there that might love them despite what they've done.

Bishops and Archbishops

Q The archbishop of Egypt said homosexuality is a sin - is it a sin ?

A In and of itself absolutely not - its the way god made me.

Q How can you both be bishops and say completely different things in the same church?

A Because any movement in the church it takes some time we're not going to solve it today. It could take 10 years it could take 100 years from now - this is just a first step.

And to be honest if I'm wrong and this is a sin then the full inclusion of gay and lesbian folk in the church will not flourish.

Q The archbishop of Kenya said the devil has entered the church - god cannot be mocked - are you the devil.

A Do I look like the devil? I don't think so.

Q So when you hear these archbishops saying things like the devil has entered the church do you think that is based on scripture is it theology or is it prejudice ?

A It probably is prejudice. In some cases I would not be able to say this in all cases but I think its more ignorance. Not ignorance of information but ignorance of just never having had the opportunity to sit down with someone like me who believes in Jesus Christ and has devoted his whole life to the church and has come to grips with this part of who he is.

So I would say to any of those Archbishops - come here to New Hampshire - come here and live with us - pray with us - study scripture and then tell me that its the devil.

Split

Q Do you think the church will split over this ?

A There are certainly people who are working very hard to make sure the church splits - frankly they've been planning this split for a very long time and this gave them a perfect opportunity to make a lot of noise and I fear they're manipulating a lot of lay people who are troubled by this decision but who would not be up in arms were they not stirred up.

I regret the division just as the Archbishop of Canterbury does - but he should be saying that to those who are wanting to leave and not just to me - because the only way the church will split is if they leave - I'm not going anywhere. Isn't it silly to think this is something fundamental to the church.

Those Archbishop's and I could sit down with a prayer book and we would agree on every phrase of it - we could open up the catechism and agree about everything in it - and they're saying that this one thing trumps all of that - literally is more important than all of that that holds us together.

Q It is for them - I mean they wouldn't be saying things like the devil has entered the church.

A I think they will learn very soon this isn't more important than everything that holds us together.

Q And if the church does split will you feel responsible.

A No not responsible I can't be responsible for actions over which I have no control. I can't make anyone stay in the Episcopal church - if they want to leave then they will choose to leave.

Because I can't stop them from doing so I'm not responsible for those actions. I'm responsible for having allowed myself to be called to be the bishop and then accepting that call that I will be responsible for but not actions over which I have no control.

If it had not happened with me it would have happened very soon with someone else - there are huge numbers of gay and lesbian people who have given themselves to the church who are ordained and serving in responsible positions - which is why my standing down would have made no sense - it was not going to stop this.

Marriage

Q Would you like to get married to Mark ?

A We would bet married in a minute. You know someone can meet in a casino in Las Vegas and two hours later walk up the street and get married and instantaneously they are given all kinds of rights and privileges that Mark and I don't have 15 years after having committed ourselves to one another.

Q Would you like to see that in the church ?

A Yes I actually would I think we'll have to debate for sometime about whether we call it marriage or we call it something else - but clearly the church should be about affirming faithful monogamous life long intentioned relationships that are exemplorary of the love of Christ. And we will never be about affirming promiscuity and non-mutuality those kinds of things.