The bishops say that acknowledging the rights of homosexuals to marry follows the Gospel: "We believe that this continued access [to same-sex marriage] promotes Jesus' ethic of love, giving and hope."
-- From "California's top Episcopal bishops oppose gay marriage ban" by Duke Helfand, Los Angeles Times Staff Writerm 9/11/08
California's six most senior Episcopal bishops Wednesday unanimously declared their opposition to a constitutional amendment on the statewide November ballot that would ban same-sex marriage.
. . . in a joint statement, issued Wednesday at the diocesan headquarters in Echo Park, the six bishops said that "society is strengthened when two people who love each other choose to enter into marriage, engaged in a lifetime of disciplined relationship building that serves as a witness to the importance of love and commitment."
The statement was signed by [Rt. Rev. J. Jon Bruno, bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles,] and Bishops Marc Handley Andrus, Barry L. Beisner, Mary Gray-Reeves, Jerry A. Lamb and James R. Mathes. (Three assistant bishops -- Chester L. Talton, Sergio Carranza and Steven Charleston -- also signed.)
Gay marriage has strained the Episcopalians' international body, the Anglican Communion, with hundreds of bishops from Africa and elsewhere threatening to break away over attempts to change church doctrine and practice.
The issue has created theological fissures in other Protestant denominations, including Presbyterians and United Methodists, with some Methodist ministers in California pledging to perform wedding ceremonies in defiance of their national church.
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