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US Episcopal Bishop Disaffected by Homosexual Agenda Joins Catholic Church

By Peter J. Smith

ALBANY, New York, March 30, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A recently retired bishop has left the US Episcopal Church (ECUSA) with his wife to join the Catholic Church over the Episcopal consecration of homosexual bishops and same-sex unions.

The Episcopal Diocese of Albany revealed Thursday that retired Bishop Daniel W. Herzog and his wife, Carol became Catholics, making Herzog the third bishop in the history of the ECUSA to join the Catholic Church.

In a letter to his successor, Bishop Bill Love, Herzog explained his decision was a result of the 2003 General Convention, where the bishops affirmed the consecration of Gene Robinson, an openly homosexual bishop elected in the Diocese of New Hampshire. 

“You and many others are aware of the turmoil which has enveloped the Episcopal Church since the decisions and actions of the General Convention in 2003,” Herzog wrote in his letter. “That turmoil was not merely external. It also caused a lot of hidden tears.”

“To my mind, the power which the Convention claimed to exercise in fact negated any previous authority on which I had relied. It caused me to engage in a fresh examination of apostolic teaching and authority.”

Herzog said his decision came after much prayer and study, but he deliberately waited to leave until his retirement early this year so that he would not "walk away from my office and leave vulnerable this diocese which I love."

As a bishop, Herzog had been an outspoken opponent of the homosexualization of the Episcopal Church, and helped establish the Anglican Communion Network, a national network of 10 Episcopal dioceses opposed to radical homosexual agenda of the ECUSA.

However, Herzog’s loss is the second shock endured by the conservative Albany diocese, which earlier in March saw Bishop Herzog’s right hand man, assistant Bishop David Bena, leave the ECUSA to minister as a "missionary bishop" of Nigerian Primate Peter Akinola’s Convocation of Anglicans in North America (CANA).

Archbishop Akinola has called the ECUSA’s ordination of homosexual bishops and blessing of homosexual relationships a “satanic attack” on the Church, and set up CANA within ECUSA’s jurisdiction to minister to the spiritual needs of traditional Anglicans.

Bena emphasized then just like Herzog later that his decision to leave the ECUSA did not reflect upon the love he has for the Albany diocese.

"This diocese is doing well in following the orthodox teachings of the Church," Bena wrote. "Many parishes in the Anglican Communion are not, however, in such a safe environment as is found in the Diocese of Albany. It is to these entities that I have been asked to minister."

Albany’s current Episcopal bishop, Bill Love, called for unity in the diocese, saying that "it is absolutely essential that we stick together, as one body in Christ."
“The recent retirement and subsequent departure of both Bishop Dan [Herzog] and Bishop Dave [Bena] from The Episcopal Church can’t help but have a major impact on each of us and our diocese,” Bishop Love stated in a letter.

However, despite the pleas by many Anglicans for healing and unity, the radical leadership of the ECUSA under its president bishop Katherine Jefferts-Schori continues to take actions that are splitting the US Church,.

Just last week, Jefferts-Schori and the Episcopal Church rejected a Sept. 30 ultimatum from the worldwide Anglican Communion to cease blessing same-sex unions and consecrating homosexual bishops, or face expulsion.

Jefferts-Schori also dealt a blow to traditionalists after she declared the September election of traditionalist Rev. Mark Lawrence as bishop of South Carolina “null and void” claiming technical irregularities. The diocese of South Carolina had earlier rejected Jefferts-Schori’s election and authority an account of her liberal homosexual theology.

Both former Bishop Herzog’s letter and Bishop Love’s pastoral letter can be found on the March 29 posting of the Anglican prayer blog, Lent and Beyond:
http://lent.classicalanglican.net/

See related coverage by LifeSiteNews:

US Episcopal Church: We'll Leave Anglican Communion Before Homosexuality
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/mar/07032303.html

Archbishop of Canterbury Fears Coming Anglican Schism over Homosexuality
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/jan/07010904.html

Homosexual Scandal in Anglican Church Puts Spotlight on Discussions of Reuniting with Catholics
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07021903.html

Anglican Hierarchy ~ US Anglicans Have Seven Months to Shape up or Ship Out
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2007/feb/07022007.html

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