The consecration in 2003 of an openly gay man, Gene Robinson, as bishop of New Hampshire had produced sharp criticism from some Episcopalians in the U.S. and from many Anglican bishops around the world.
At this week's meeting, the U.S. bishops expressed "sincere regret for the pain, the hurt and the damage" caused by the Robinson consecration, but not for the consecration itself.
Right Reverend FRANK GRISWOLD (Presiding Bishop, U.S. Episcopal Church): The regret we can offer wholeheartedly and as a unified body is regret for the consequences our actions have had in other contexts, but that does not mean that we necessarily regret the action itself.ABERNETHY: The minority of U.S. bishops who object to the Robinson consecration made it clear they will continue their opposition.
ABERNETHY: One sign of efforts to prevent gay ordination and same-sex marriages from splitting the Episcopal Church was the announcement that the two priests leading the campaigns for equal rights for gays and lesbians have been invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury to come to London for consultations.
