Then he ripped Smith saying, "There seems to be solid historical grounds for declaring the office of Bishop of Connecticut vacant."

The Rt. Rev. John H. Rodgers, a bishop in the Anglican Mission in America and former Dean of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry also wrote VirtueOnline saying that the changing of locks and a consequent lockout of the congregation and Fr. Hansen was "bizarre" asking "what in the world is the man thinking?"

"What is he afraid of?" Rodgers asked. "Bishop Smith's unwillingness to accept the Archbishop of Canterbury's panel to have even a minimal advisory role in his deliberations and actions is astonishingly inexplicable. He thereby in one decision places himself at odds with all of the Primates of the Communion and the Archbishop of Canterbury. One wonders if he believes he is a bishop for the whole Communion and a communicant part of it. Will the next thing be a mote and draw-bridge around the diocesan offices?"

Dr. Rodgers, who spent most of his adult life as an Episcopal priest and theologian said, "My suspicion is that he is getting terrible legal advice from someone and acting upon it. It would be far better were he to treat this as a pastoral matter and find a way to put off all precipitous action until the Primates restore order to the Communion or realign it, which could well take place shortly after the next General Convention of ECUSA. Surely eleven or so months is not too long a wait."

In a touch of irony, while a letter from the "Connecticut Six" asking the bishop to refrain from visiting their parishes to preach or preside at Eucharist because of the wide theological gulf that separates them, the Bishop was, at the same time, storming St. John's in Bristol. "It is the irony to end all ironies," said the wife of a priest whose parish faces the wrath of the bishop.

More anecdotal evidence coming in from the bishop's meeting with the parish reveals a bishop out of control, unable to control the meeting and revealing the true reasons why he had inhibited Hansen.

A report from the AAC representative who was there said this: "Nearly 75 minutes into the two-hour meeting, Bishop Smith finally admitted that the grounds for his actions against Fr. Mark Hansen and the parish were based on Mark's being a co-signatory to a letter earlier in the year calling the bishop to recant his theology, understanding of Scripture, and certain votes at General Convention--a letter also signed by the five other Connecticut Six congregations. He stated that this letter, along with Mark's taking a sabbatical which "falls outside of Diocesan policy", provided grounds for abandonment of communion. Since their priest has, according to the bishop, abandoned communion, the bishop had to take over the building and put a new priest in place. When commotion ensued, the bishop raised his voice exclaiming that all his actions were predicated upon Title IV, Canon 10 and yelling: "Let me be clear, you have to work with me."

A number of concerned clergy and laity are drawing up Presentment charges against Bishop Smith. "We will not go down without a fight," he said.

END

Following is the letter The Connecticut Six wrote to the bishop at the same time he was descending on the parish of St. John's in Bristol, CT.

The Rt. Rev. Andrew D. Smith
Bishop
Diocese of Connecticut
1335 Asylum Avenue
Hartford, Connecticut 06105

July 13, 2005

Bishop Smith:

This letter is written in response to the recently promulgated schedule of Episcopal visitations and your stated desire for you, or one of the Suffragan Bishops, to preside at Holy Communion and preach at Sunday Services during these visits.

A visit by you, or one of the Suffragan Bishops, is welcome at any time, but officiating at worship services would be inconsistent with the atmosphere of hostility and mistrust that exists between us.

You have charged our clergy and congregations with "abandoning the communion of the church" and you have threatened the clergy with inhibition and deposition. Additionally, you have stated as fact on numerous occasions that we have defied your authority and our clergy have violated their vows of ordination. We continue to maintain that these charges are false, but you continue to state them publicly and without regard for ecclesiastical 'due process'.

Your public attacks on us and the parishes which we represent have created a hostile atmosphere in which the sanctity and dignity of a shared Eucharist are impossible. The Exhortation, the introduction to the confession of sin, and the Disciplinary Rubrics of the Book of Common Prayer are all quite specific as to the spirit of love and charity which must be present for communal worship to take place - that those conditions do not exist between yourself and us is obvious to the most casual observer. Additionally your desire to share Holy Communion with those whom you have declared to 'have abandoned the communion of the church' makes mockery of both the charge and the Sacrament. Departure from traditional Anglican teaching, as well as abandonment of scriptural authority and Biblical norms on your part constitute a violation of your own ordination vows and are significant factors which militate against your officiating or preaching at any worship service.

In recognition of your authority as bishop of this diocese, you are welcome to visit our parishes at any time; however for the above stated reasons, and in recognition of the wide theological gulf that separates us, that welcome does not include either presiding at the Eucharist or preaching.

We have appended copies of two letters from Bishop Griswold to Bishop Bennison which pertain to a similar situation; we are prepared to adhere to the directions of the Presiding Bishop and request that you do likewise.

Respectfully Yours in Christ +

Saint Paul's Church, Darien:
Rector Senior Warden Christ Church, Watertown:
Rector Senior Warden Trinity Church, Bristol:
Rector Senior Warden St. John's Church, Bristol:
Rector Senior Warden Bishop Seabury Church, Groton:
Rector Senior Warden Christ & The Epiphany Church, East Haven: Rector Senior Warden

cc: The Most Rev. Frank Griswold
The Standing Committee