Saint Francis Ministries hired Robert Smith, known as Father Bobby, as president and CEO in 2014. He became a canonical resident in the Diocese of Chicago in 2012. (Saint Francis Ministries)

Rebecca Wilson, partner at a public relations firm that handles inquiries for the Diocese of Chicago, said the church's investigation "did not identify any wrongdoing on the Rev. Smith's part beyond errors in judgment."

Bassoto's Northern Brazilian diocese includes regions that are home to much of Brazil's Indigenous population, and have been heavily deforested in recent years. She has made advocacy for creation care a major feature of her ministry. In March, Archbishop of Canterbury awarded her the St.

This has been welcomed by some who hold to the historic, biblical teaching on sex and marriage, who acknowledge that there is an irreconcilable division in terms of understanding of the Christian faith, but would like an orderly, negotiated separation to occur within the church. This would have to involve robust protections for biblically faithful ministers, together with their congregations and buildings, should the Church of England be led into accepting heterodox faith and practice.

About 650 bishops attended this summer's Lambeth Conference, a gathering of Anglican bishops from around the world which last met in 2008. Much media coverage of the conference focused on disagreement over same-sex marriage, particularly after primates of Nigeria, Rwanda and Uganda refused to attend in protest at the invitation of bishops in same-sex unions.