Uninhibited Abandonment

Wednesday morning.

Last night I came home late from a meeting and checked my email. There was the ENS report that the Title IV Review Committee had determined that Bishop Duncan of Pittsburgh had abandoned the communion of the Episcopal Church, but that the three senior bishops had not consented to his inhibition.
I decided to post this blog entry this morning in real time, as it were. First, I am writing it directly into the Blogger editor rather than offline. Second, I am writing it before I have checked to see what any of the "usual suspects" have to say on the subject.
My intiial reaction is that I am impressed that Bishop Katharine sent the matter to the Title IV Review Committee at this stage. As I wrote earlier, I think it is clear that Bishop Duncan has in fact openly renounced the discipline of the Episcopal Church and that in itself that renunciation constitutes abandonment of the communion of the Episcopal Church. I can only speculate as to why the senior bishops do not agree, but I suspect that at least one of the three senior bishops is applying a criterion that goes beyond the actual facts -- it's like "reasonable doubt" when you're on a jury -- the judge says that reasonable doubt is doubt that you can give a reason for, but then if you vote to acquit no one forces you to give the reason.