Our beloved Diocese of Los Angeles, ably led by +Bishop J. Jon Bruno these last 15 years, is about to elect a Bishop Coadjutor, that is, a Bishop with inheritance rights, who will become the next Bishop Diocesan of Los Angeles.
In the Roman Church, bishops are appointed by the Bishop of Rome / the Pope, and those bishops in turn appoint priests to parishes.
In the Anglican Church, there is a much more diffuse structure. In most Provinces, ++Archbishops have power of appointment, as do, in varying degrees, +Bishops.
The Episcopal Church is a unique hold-out for electoral process. We empower the Laity as nowhere else in the Anglican Communion / Catholic Church (Italian/Roman or otherwise).
The Primate of the Episcopal Church (Archbishop) is elected by his or her peers in the House of Bishops.
Bishops are elected by the Clergy and (elected at the Parish level) Lay Delegates of a specific Diocese, and later given consent by the Bishops, Clergy and Laity of the National Church.
Parish Priests are elected by the Laity of a particular parish, given consent by the Bishop Diocesan. Vicars are appointed to their Cure by Bishop’s Diocesan.
This is a teachable moment. Here are the definitions of various degrees of bishops within the Episcopal Church:
(Little Crosses before someone’s title means they are a Bishop, as in +The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, or an Archbishop or Primate ++The Most Reverend Michael Curry. After a title, the Cross indicates a priest: The Reverend Wanda Wonderful+ Apart from this context you will only find the symbol in cemeteries or on oak trees “Pam + Loves Joe”).
Bishop Diocesan: The canonically elected bishop exercising full ecclesiastical authority within a particular jurisdiction.
Bishop Coadjutor: The canonically elected bishop who shall, upon the retirement, resignation or death of the Bishop Diocesan, assume full ecclesiastical authority within a particular jurisdiction.
Bishop Suffragan: A bishop canonically elected to assist a Bishop Diocesan, with no rights to ecclesiastical authority within a particular jurisdiction apart from those allocated by the Bishop Diocesan. These bishops are made bishops forever, but have no jurisdictional rights of inheritance.
Bishop Assisting: This is an already consecrated bishop who has served in another jurisdiction who is invited by a Bishop Diocesan to serve within their province of authority. This is to say that, while elected in one location, these bishops relocate to another juridical locale under the authority and discretion of the local Bishop Diocesan.
In the Diocese of Los Angeles, we have one Bishop Diocesan: +The Right Reverend J. Jon Bruno, and one Bishop Suffragan, +The Right Reverend Diane Jardine Bruce.
We recently enjoyed the ministrations of a Bishop Suffragan, +The Right Reverend Mary Glasspool, who is now a Bishop Assisting in New York, and also we recall a Bishop Assisting, +The Right Reverend Sergio Carranza, the former Bishop of the Diocese of Mexico, who served for many years as a Bishop Assisting in Los Angeles prior to his retirement.
If you think this is confusing, note that the Episcopal Church is the only Province within the Anglican Communion that does not have Archbishops serving over provincial areas of jurisdiction. (We do have a Presiding Bishop, see above, elected by the House of Bishops to serve a 9 year term. The current Primate and Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church is ++The Most Reverend Michael Curry).
All 36 Provinces of the Anglican Communion are in spiritual (though not jurisdictional) relationship to the Archbishop of Canterbury. The current and 105th Archbishop of Canterbury is ++The Most Reverend Justin Welby.
(Any of these names may be Googled)
The point being that the December election of the next Bishop Coadjutor for the Diocese of Los Angeles is a pretty big deal. These bishops do not fall from the sky by decree of Rome, Canterbury, Washington D.C. or Hogsworth. At the 2016 Annual Meeting of St. Edmund’s Parish, you empowered your Lay Delegates to make a representative choice.
Here is information about the candidates standing for election in the Diocese of Los Angeles HERE.
One of these candidates will be elected by the Clergy and Elected Delegates from the missions and parishes of the Diocese of LA.
Your lay delegates are:
Michelle Harrington
Cheryl Mendoza
Gary Mendoza
Sylvia Smythe
Alternate Delegate: Carolyn Seitz
Your clergy delegates are:
The Reverend Canon Judith Heffron+
The Reverend Canon Colville Smythe+
The Reverend Canon George F. Woodward III+
Faithfully,
GFW+
John “Jack” Simpson’s Liturgy of Committal will be offered at Miramar National Cemetery, near La Jolla, Monday October 17th at 10am, Canon Woodward presiding.
The appointed Lessons for this coming Sunday, Pentecost 22, October 16th may be found HERE.
Register now for a Saturday Workshop, 9am – 2pm at Cathedral Center “Jesus Among The Many Mosques” sponsored by the Program Group On Global Partnership HERE. 50 free tickets remaining.
Read “The Lead” from Episcopal Café HERE
Kinetic Sand Drawing Tables HERE
The recent edition of Episcopal News from the Diocese of L.A. may be found HERE, and articles from the national Episcopal News Service HERE
St. Edmund’s Nursery School Fall Festival this Friday October 14th from 3:30pm to 6:30pm! Come one come all!
Sunday fun October 9th!
