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CNN Live At Daybreak
Openly Gay Episcopal Bishop Seeks to Become Bishop
Aired August 04, 2003 - 06:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Episcopal Church could be on the verge of a nasty split. This is the day the church could elect its first openly gay bishop. The Reverend Gene Robinson has made it through two votes now, and as CNN's Susan Candiotti reports, the third and final vote happens this afternoon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The debate was both dignified and compelling. And tonight, Reverend Gene Robinson of New Hampshire won more than the simple majority he needed in the House of Deputies to bring him one step closer to his goal of becoming the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, part of the worldwide Angolan community.
Today, he passed one of two votes that are required to ratify him as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, after the House of Deputies debated the matter for more than 45 minutes. He is a priest who has been married for 13 years with two grown children, then divorced, and has been involved in a relationship with another man for the past 14 years.
After the vote, Robison, though he acknowledged that some people might be very unhappy with the results, said that he feels both peaceful and humbled.
REV. GENE ROBINSON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST: I think we have two wonderful opportunities. One is to say to the world this Episcopal Church is wide open. There is no one beyond God's love, and you are welcome here. We mean what it says in our signs, the Episcopal Church welcomes you.
And, we have the opportunity to show the world how brothers and sisters in the body of Christ can treat each other with respect and forbearance and dignity and far-reaching love.
CANDIOTTI: Those in opposition say that a dramatic line has been crossed in the Episcopal Church, and say that if he is elected and consecrated as bishop that Robinson will be a symbol of pain, as they put it, for many people, and predict there may even be a split within the church.
The voting resumes tomorrow for the even more important vote in the House of Bishops; 100 people voting on that matter. If he prevails there, Robinson will be consecrated as a bishop, an historic vote.
Susan Candiotti reporting in Minneapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And Susan filed that report for us overnight. The final vote, again, scheduled for later this afternoon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired August 4, 2003 - 06:04 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: The Episcopal Church could be on the verge of a nasty split. This is the day the church could elect its first openly gay bishop. The Reverend Gene Robinson has made it through two votes now, and as CNN's Susan Candiotti reports, the third and final vote happens this afternoon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The debate was both dignified and compelling. And tonight, Reverend Gene Robinson of New Hampshire won more than the simple majority he needed in the House of Deputies to bring him one step closer to his goal of becoming the first openly gay bishop in the Episcopal Church, part of the worldwide Angolan community.
Today, he passed one of two votes that are required to ratify him as a bishop in the Episcopal Church, after the House of Deputies debated the matter for more than 45 minutes. He is a priest who has been married for 13 years with two grown children, then divorced, and has been involved in a relationship with another man for the past 14 years.
After the vote, Robison, though he acknowledged that some people might be very unhappy with the results, said that he feels both peaceful and humbled.
REV. GENE ROBINSON, EPISCOPAL PRIEST: I think we have two wonderful opportunities. One is to say to the world this Episcopal Church is wide open. There is no one beyond God's love, and you are welcome here. We mean what it says in our signs, the Episcopal Church welcomes you.
And, we have the opportunity to show the world how brothers and sisters in the body of Christ can treat each other with respect and forbearance and dignity and far-reaching love.
CANDIOTTI: Those in opposition say that a dramatic line has been crossed in the Episcopal Church, and say that if he is elected and consecrated as bishop that Robinson will be a symbol of pain, as they put it, for many people, and predict there may even be a split within the church.
The voting resumes tomorrow for the even more important vote in the House of Bishops; 100 people voting on that matter. If he prevails there, Robinson will be consecrated as a bishop, an historic vote.
Susan Candiotti reporting in Minneapolis.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: And Susan filed that report for us overnight. The final vote, again, scheduled for later this afternoon.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
