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CNN Live At Daybreak
Divisive Moment for Episcopal Church
Aired November 03, 2003 - 06:24 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: Gene Robinson now Bishop Robinson, and his ordination was historic and divisive. It was a divisive moment for the Episcopal Church.
Our Susan Candiotti says time will tell whether Robinson's consecration is a new beginning for the church or perhaps the end.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it your will that we ordain Gene a bishop?
UNIDENTIFIED CONGREGATION MEMBERS: That is our will.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For an audience of about 4,000 supporters, including his long time partner, ex-wife and grown children, Gene Robinson received ceremonial vestments, making him the 993rd bishop of the Episcopal Church and the first one to be openly gay.
BISHOP GENE ROBINSON, NEW HAMPSHIRE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE: You cannot imagine what an honor it is for you to have called me. There are people, faithful, wonderful, Christian people, for whom this is a moment of great pain and confusion and anger.
CANDIOTTI: New Hampshire's retiring bishop urged Robinson not to back down from a firestorm of controversy.
BISHOP DOUGLAS THEUNER, NEW HAMPSHIRE RETIRING BISHOP: Because of your presence, the Episcopate will be more a symbol of unity than it ever has been.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's wrong, people. It's wrong. It's not a church.
CANDIOTTI: For now, Robinson's ordination is anything but unifying.
REV. KENDALL HARMON, ROBINSON CRITIC: This is the defiant and divisive action of a death church. The dialogue is over. It's American arrogant unilateral action at its worst.
CANDIOTTI: Some objectors walked out of Sunday's ceremony and held a prayer service nearby. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who leads the worldwide Anglican communion, issued a statement. "It is clear that those who consecrated Gene Robinson have acted in good faith. But the effects of this upon the ministry, particularly in the non- Western world, has to be confronted with honesty. Standing by Robinson, Barbara Harris, the first woman ordained as an Episcopal bishop more than a decade ago.
REV. SUSAN RUSSELL, INTEGRITY: There were those who said then that would be the end of Anglican as we knew it. It was not the end of anything. It was the beginning of a new vision of mission and ministry for the Episcopal Church.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): What will happen now? No one knows for sure. For his part, Bishop Gene Robinson says he hopes he'll be old news soon. Few think that's likely.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Durham, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
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 November 3, 2003 - 06:24 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Gene Robinson now Bishop Robinson, and his ordination was historic and divisive. It was a divisive moment for the Episcopal Church.
Our Susan Candiotti says time will tell whether Robinson's consecration is a new beginning for the church or perhaps the end.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it your will that we ordain Gene a bishop?
UNIDENTIFIED CONGREGATION MEMBERS: That is our will.
SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): For an audience of about 4,000 supporters, including his long time partner, ex-wife and grown children, Gene Robinson received ceremonial vestments, making him the 993rd bishop of the Episcopal Church and the first one to be openly gay.
BISHOP GENE ROBINSON, NEW HAMPSHIRE EPISCOPAL DIOCESE: You cannot imagine what an honor it is for you to have called me. There are people, faithful, wonderful, Christian people, for whom this is a moment of great pain and confusion and anger.
CANDIOTTI: New Hampshire's retiring bishop urged Robinson not to back down from a firestorm of controversy.
BISHOP DOUGLAS THEUNER, NEW HAMPSHIRE RETIRING BISHOP: Because of your presence, the Episcopate will be more a symbol of unity than it ever has been.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's wrong, people. It's wrong. It's not a church.
CANDIOTTI: For now, Robinson's ordination is anything but unifying.
REV. KENDALL HARMON, ROBINSON CRITIC: This is the defiant and divisive action of a death church. The dialogue is over. It's American arrogant unilateral action at its worst.
CANDIOTTI: Some objectors walked out of Sunday's ceremony and held a prayer service nearby. The Archbishop of Canterbury, who leads the worldwide Anglican communion, issued a statement. "It is clear that those who consecrated Gene Robinson have acted in good faith. But the effects of this upon the ministry, particularly in the non- Western world, has to be confronted with honesty. Standing by Robinson, Barbara Harris, the first woman ordained as an Episcopal bishop more than a decade ago.
REV. SUSAN RUSSELL, INTEGRITY: There were those who said then that would be the end of Anglican as we knew it. It was not the end of anything. It was the beginning of a new vision of mission and ministry for the Episcopal Church.
CANDIOTTI (on camera): What will happen now? No one knows for sure. For his part, Bishop Gene Robinson says he hopes he'll be old news soon. Few think that's likely.
Susan Candiotti, CNN, Durham, New Hampshire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
