London, England, Jun 20, 2004 / 22:00 pm
A leading Anglican bishop said Bishop Gene Robinson, the first openly homosexual bishop, must be replaced as bishop of New Hampshire if the Anglican Communion is to avoid a schism, reported the London Telegraph yesterday.
Archbishop Drexel Gomez, primate of the West Indies, also said Robinson’s consecration is not valid.
Gomez is a member of the Lambeth Commission, set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, to try to settle the conflict that has emerged in the Anglican Communion over Robinson’s consecration.
Robinson would be the first bishop to be stripped of his post after his consecration.
Jeffrey John, the homosexual cleric named as bishop of Reading last summer, withdrew before his consecration.
The proposals were presented to the 17-member commission during a meeting in the United States last week. The commission's final report, which will determine the future of the Anglican Church, is to be published in October.