The consecration of the Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire
Hi, Asher,
So, who is going to go first?
C'est moi.
My apologies for the delay in response, but we have been off-the-air for a couple of days owing to failure of our DSL modem.
I'm sorry to not have a piece of my own work to contribute, but I think this well fulfills the premises of your invitation.
Here we see a lovely scene from the consecration (in November, 2003) of V. Gene Robinson as Episcopal Bishop of New Hampshire.
Robinson wore a stole and chasuble specially designed and made for the occasion. It was reportedly accessorized by an innovation in consecration vestments, a bulletproof vest, intended to defend against any attempt to assassinate the Bishop, considered a distinct possibility in light of the controversy surrounding the event.
Robinson has been for some while openly in a homosexual partnership. His election as Bishop (by the Diocese of New Hampshire, clergy and lay alike, through its established system of democratic governance), and its subsequent ratification by the national Episcopal church (clergy and lay alike, through its established system of democratic governance) is deemed so outrageous by arch-conservative elements within the church that it has fomented potential schism of the Episcopal Church, and perhaps of the worldwide Anglican Communion of which it a part as well.
Oy vay is mir!
My apologies for the dimensions of the image and its possible effect on the formatting of the message text. I was of course unable to provide a downsized version of the image, as I do not have the rights to it, and have only linked to its site of publication.