Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Sunday

A Church Divided

Aired November 02, 2003 - 10:42   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 in the United States is getting ready to consecrate its first openly gay bishop. The ceremony for the Reverend Gene Robinson gets underway just a few hours from now in Durham, New Hampshire. As Robinson prepares for his new role, his consecration still threatens to tear the church apart.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is with us now live from Durham. And you talked to Reverend Robinson. Was it yesterday you talked to him?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was yesterday, yes, indeed, as he was making final preparations and trying to get his head together for this very momentous occasion, Carol.

And you know, all of this began with a search for a new bishop in the diocese of New Hampshire about a year and a half ago. And it has now evolved into an election and finally a consecration this day that is being heard around the world, in particular, among the worldwide Anglican community. The Episcopal church is the American arm of the Anglican church.

And so this day, about 4,000 people are expected to be attending this consecration. It will go through, but not without continued opposition for many people within the Episcopal church and around the world who are part of the Anglican communion.

The opposition is primarily in part coming from people who say that by consecrating someone who is an openly gay bishop within the Episcopal church, that that violates sacred scripture, that it is all right to minister to gay people, but not in part be ministered by them, at least by a man who is in an open and committed relationship with another man. Nevertheless, bishop-elect Gene Robinson says he is following a calling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENE ROBINSON: This call is not just from God, but this call is from the people of New Hampshire. The clergy and laity of the diocese of New Hampshire have called me to be their bishop. So I'm not just responding to my own call that I feel from God, but their call to me to be their bishop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now there are many critics who say that the future of the Episcopal church because of this consecration, is possibly at stake. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENDALL HARMAN, ROBINSON CRITIC: When you rip apart a family, you go through something like a divorce, it's very hard to recover. And I think this is a Christian form of that level of fracturing. But God can redeem the pain. The question is whether a deaf church will learn to listen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: As you can imagine, there is overwhelming support for bishop-elect Gene Robinson this day. However, there is time built into the ceremony to hear from critics. They will be heard. But then the consecration, Carol, will go on. Back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Susan Candiotti reporting live from in New Hampshire this morning.

RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the issue of gays in the church is raising questions and concerns in other faiths as well. Two gay men who attend a Catholic church in New York say because of their relationship, they're no longer welcome to take part in a long time church activity.

That story from CNN's Michael Okwu.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Sabatino and Robert Voorhees say they've been in a committed openly gay relationship for 25 years.

MICHAEL SABATINO, EXPELLED FROM CHOIR: Oh, this is one where we signed for the marriage license.

ROBERT VOORHEIS, EXPELLED FROM CHOIR: Oh, oh.

OKWU: For just as long, they've been devoted members of the choir at St. Benedict's Catholic Church. But the two men say last month, they were shut out. St. Benedict's pastor told them they were welcome to pray, but they could no longer sing.

VOORHEIS: Once we said we were married, it was -- publicly said we were married, we could no longer serve.

OKWU: Sabatino and Voorheis were married in Canada more than four months after the Canadians legalized same sex marriages.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: May God bless you and keep you.

OKWU: The wedding was front page fodder in the local papers, an announcement in "The New York Times." Though the men claimed they had never hid their relationship, the publicity of their marriage turned out to be bad news for their future at St. Benedict's. The couple claimed their pastor told them parishioners were simply uncomfortable.

SABATINO: It's a don't ask, don't tell policy.

OKWU: Reached by phone, the pastor told CNN, "This is not a matter for the press. This is a matter for the parish, and the parish is fine with it." A spokesman for the New York archdiocese said, "if there's a possibility of what we call scandal and of the Catholic faith to be misunderstood, a pastor has not only the right but the obligation to act."

The Roman Catholic church considers homosexual activity sinful and is opposed to the legalization of gay marriage. In this case, Voorheis and Sabatino say St. Benedict's action has forced them to leave the church.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, guys. How are you? Good to see you.

OKWU: Sabatino and Voorheis say they are now considering joining this Episcopal church run by an openly gay priest.

RICHARD MCKEON, REV., ZION EPISCOPAL CHURCH: I think what we can offer is a place where they can experience God in a safe place, and be accepted. But not only accepted, but be celebrated for who they are.

OKWU: The Episcopal church is about to consecrate the Reverend Gene Robinson as its first ever openly gay bishop. Reverend McKeon sees parallels between Robinson and these two prospective congregants.

MCKEON: Both Robert and Michael and bishop-elect Robinson have been incredibly courageous in being public as a witness to who they are.

OKWU: Courageous to some, sinful to others.

Michael Okwu, CNN, Dobbs Ferry, New York.

(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 2, 2003 - 10:42   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 in the United States is getting ready to consecrate its first openly gay bishop. The ceremony for the Reverend Gene Robinson gets underway just a few hours from now in Durham, New Hampshire. As Robinson prepares for his new role, his consecration still threatens to tear the church apart.
CNN's Susan Candiotti is with us now live from Durham. And you talked to Reverend Robinson. Was it yesterday you talked to him?

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN CORRESPONDENT: It was yesterday, yes, indeed, as he was making final preparations and trying to get his head together for this very momentous occasion, Carol.

And you know, all of this began with a search for a new bishop in the diocese of New Hampshire about a year and a half ago. And it has now evolved into an election and finally a consecration this day that is being heard around the world, in particular, among the worldwide Anglican community. The Episcopal church is the American arm of the Anglican church.

And so this day, about 4,000 people are expected to be attending this consecration. It will go through, but not without continued opposition for many people within the Episcopal church and around the world who are part of the Anglican communion.

The opposition is primarily in part coming from people who say that by consecrating someone who is an openly gay bishop within the Episcopal church, that that violates sacred scripture, that it is all right to minister to gay people, but not in part be ministered by them, at least by a man who is in an open and committed relationship with another man. Nevertheless, bishop-elect Gene Robinson says he is following a calling.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GENE ROBINSON: This call is not just from God, but this call is from the people of New Hampshire. The clergy and laity of the diocese of New Hampshire have called me to be their bishop. So I'm not just responding to my own call that I feel from God, but their call to me to be their bishop.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: Now there are many critics who say that the future of the Episcopal church because of this consecration, is possibly at stake. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KENDALL HARMAN, ROBINSON CRITIC: When you rip apart a family, you go through something like a divorce, it's very hard to recover. And I think this is a Christian form of that level of fracturing. But God can redeem the pain. The question is whether a deaf church will learn to listen again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CANDIOTTI: As you can imagine, there is overwhelming support for bishop-elect Gene Robinson this day. However, there is time built into the ceremony to hear from critics. They will be heard. But then the consecration, Carol, will go on. Back to you.

COSTELLO: All right, Susan Candiotti reporting live from in New Hampshire this morning.

RENAY SAN MIGUEL, CNN ANCHOR: Well, the issue of gays in the church is raising questions and concerns in other faiths as well. Two gay men who attend a Catholic church in New York say because of their relationship, they're no longer welcome to take part in a long time church activity.

That story from CNN's Michael Okwu.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MICHAEL OKWU, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Michael Sabatino and Robert Voorhees say they've been in a committed openly gay relationship for 25 years.

MICHAEL SABATINO, EXPELLED FROM CHOIR: Oh, this is one where we signed for the marriage license.

ROBERT VOORHEIS, EXPELLED FROM CHOIR: Oh, oh.

OKWU: For just as long, they've been devoted members of the choir at St. Benedict's Catholic Church. But the two men say last month, they were shut out. St. Benedict's pastor told them they were welcome to pray, but they could no longer sing.

VOORHEIS: Once we said we were married, it was -- publicly said we were married, we could no longer serve.

OKWU: Sabatino and Voorheis were married in Canada more than four months after the Canadians legalized same sex marriages.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: May God bless you and keep you.

OKWU: The wedding was front page fodder in the local papers, an announcement in "The New York Times." Though the men claimed they had never hid their relationship, the publicity of their marriage turned out to be bad news for their future at St. Benedict's. The couple claimed their pastor told them parishioners were simply uncomfortable.

SABATINO: It's a don't ask, don't tell policy.

OKWU: Reached by phone, the pastor told CNN, "This is not a matter for the press. This is a matter for the parish, and the parish is fine with it." A spokesman for the New York archdiocese said, "if there's a possibility of what we call scandal and of the Catholic faith to be misunderstood, a pastor has not only the right but the obligation to act."

The Roman Catholic church considers homosexual activity sinful and is opposed to the legalization of gay marriage. In this case, Voorheis and Sabatino say St. Benedict's action has forced them to leave the church.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, guys. How are you? Good to see you.

OKWU: Sabatino and Voorheis say they are now considering joining this Episcopal church run by an openly gay priest.

RICHARD MCKEON, REV., ZION EPISCOPAL CHURCH: I think what we can offer is a place where they can experience God in a safe place, and be accepted. But not only accepted, but be celebrated for who they are.

OKWU: The Episcopal church is about to consecrate the Reverend Gene Robinson as its first ever openly gay bishop. Reverend McKeon sees parallels between Robinson and these two prospective congregants.

MCKEON: Both Robert and Michael and bishop-elect Robinson have been incredibly courageous in being public as a witness to who they are.

OKWU: Courageous to some, sinful to others.

Michael Okwu, CNN, Dobbs Ferry, New York.

(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