A verdict is probably weeks away. A conviction is almost unthinkable since at least four of the nine bishops on the court have performed or openly endorsed ordinations such as the one Righter performed. The church establishment, led by Presiding Bishop Edmond Browning, backs the gay cause and Righter recently added evidence of this fact. Stopfel's ordination came 12 days after the House of Bishops affirmed a statement on sexuality by Browning and his Council of Advice. Candidates for ordination are expected to conform to this standard.
Timing is everything.
Righter claims the presiding bishop offered strategic advice to those planning to defy his own Council of Advice. A church spokesman said Browning has neither confirmed nor denied the accuracy of Righter's statement. Meanwhile, leaders of Integrity, the church's gay-rights caucus, say between 10 and 40 percent of Episcopal clergy are gay, lesbian or bisexual and that 42 or more bishops have ordained noncelibate homosexuals. The bishops who filed the presentment against Righter knew the odds were against them, said Bishop James Stanton of Dallas. A parish priest took a similar step on Feb. 24 to test the status of doctrine out in the heartland.