I just don’t know what to make of Bishop Deng Bul’s recent comments. Watch and listen to the video HERE and decide for yourself. I imagine a lot of Chicago Episcopalians are going to wonder what to make of them, too. He’s got friends here in the Diocese and long-standing ties to local parishes, and a lot of people will be hurt and disappointed, no matter how garbled Bishop Daniel’s English syntax is.

I mean – there are a lot of gay clergy in this diocese. Chicago bishops have been ordaining them for years. Sure, this has turned some traditionalists off – but we’d rather be welcoming and inclusive rather than rejecting and excluding. My parish, Holy Moly, voted for a gay woman first in the recent election – it was purely symbolism, because we knew that with the “current difficulties” she hadn’t a hope of ratification.

But we’re now happy with Bishop Jeffrey, and I feel for him and for his retired predecessors William and Frank, because they nurtured the relationship with Bishop Daniel (then bishop of Renk) and celebrated with him when he was elevated to Primate of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan. Surely, Bishop Daniel was aware of this diocese’s stance on gay clergy; did he chose to be silent on the issue while accepting our aid and friendship? Or has he only recently been informed, and given a garbled version of the tired fundagelical “Adam and Eve/Adam and Steve” meme to repeat at this press conference? He must have known that our diocesan at the time voted for Bishop Gene’s ratification.

It’s a sad day for Bishop Daniel’s many friends in Chicago.