Charles Bennison Must RESIGN, Episcopal Bishops Say

By Adelle M. Banks
Religion News Service

(RNS) The Episcopal Church's House of Bishops called Tuesday (Sept. 21) for the "immediate and unconditional resignation" of Bishop Charles Bennison of Philadelphia, who had been charged with not reporting his brother's relationship with an underage girl.

"As the House of Bishops, we have come to the conclusion that Bishop Bennison's capacity to exercise the ministry of pastoral oversight is irretrievably damaged," the bishops said in a resolution passed overwhelmingly during their meeting in Phoenix.

Bennison was removed from ministry in 2007 after being charged with "conduct unbecoming a member of the clergy." He was found guilty in 2008 for failing to investigate or discipline his younger brother and fellow priest John Bennison for an affair with an underage parishioner in the 1970s.

The elder Bennison was reinstated as bishop, however, in August after a church appeals court ruled the statute of limitations on the charge had expired.

Episcopal Church spokeswoman Neva Rae Fox said the vote by the House of Bishops was unprecedented. "It was a very emotional time," she said Wednesday. "The bishops took it very seriously."

Bennison was traveling Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.

He told Religion News Service in August he had erred but he had no intention to resign, despite calls by his diocese's elected leadership, the head of the Episcopal Church's lay and clergy delegates, and victims' advocates to step down.

"I know that I made some mistakes in the 1970s of hiring my brother and not overseeing him and not investigating with scrupulosity what was going on," Bennison said. "I own that."

Bennison said when he had "actual knowledge" of his brother's actions, he made his brother John go to their bishop. John Bennison was defrocked in 1977, later reinstated and then resigned in 2006 when sex abuse charges resurfaced.

Comments

[thebigbike]

10:46 PM on 09/26/2010

let me see. does their god have a stuatue of limitations on "sins"?

[Vern58]

01:22 AM on 09/26/2010

At least we are cleaning our own house- and not attepting to sweep the dirt under the rug.

[Gregor53]

08:29 PM on 09/24/2010

I believe the Catholic Church should look at this action and consider it for their own in the future should some abuses continue.  Yes, there appears to have been a coverup, but in the end, the Church is taking an action to protect others in their "flock."

[FlGlades]

07:48 AM on 09/24/2010

Now for all Episcopalians out there in blog land, i do know all episcopals priest arent abusers. THis is a society issue. I am sure we can find an sex abuse suvivor site out there for every denomination under the sun. WHich is my point on the blogs attacking the Catholic church. This isnt an individual church issue, this is a society at large issue. We have pedophiles throughout american society and its time we address the causes in our society.

[Olaugh]

02:15 PM on 09/24/2010

You still don't get it.  It is not the abuse (which is a societal ill) but the cover-up.  The Episcopal Church has exposed the crime and now the Bishops are going above and beyond to insure that the person involved in covering up the crime is punished.  The Catholic Church has yet to come clean or to hold the cover-up conspirators responsible.

[FlGlades]

04:39 PM on 09/24/2010

You dont get it they have cover it up which is what i proved below

[FlGlades]

04:51 PM on 09/24/2010

Are you going to judge the democratic party the same. After all they covered up the affair of a president and a student intern at the whitehouse

[thebigbike]

10:48 PM on 09/26/2010

One of the things I am glad about is your screename is so recognizable so, even though my scrolling finger gets tired, I CAN scroll past

[FlGlades]

07:27 AM on 09/24/2010

Yep the censors are busy deleting my link to a webpage on Episcopal Sex abuse

[FlGlades]

07:22 AM on 09/24/2010

DENVER -- A former Denver school teacher and Episcopal priest accused of sexually assaulting at least two boys in his Denver home was sentenced Thursday morning to 24 years in prison. Donald Shissler, 68, pleaded guilty to the charges in August as part of a plea bargain. He was originally charged with two counts of sexual assault on a child, two counts of sexual assault on a child by a person in a position of trust, one count of sexual assault on a child -- pattern of abuse, and one count of sexual exploitation of children. Based upon evidence found in his home earlier this summer, there may be as many as 20 additional victims, detectives said. Police said they seized hundreds of pornographic pictures and videos from Shissler's house when he was arrested. Rappaport concluded in her sentencing remarks that Shissler is a sexual predator who clearly committed crimes against young boys for almost 18 years, including sexually assaulting a boy he adopted. Prosecutor Kerri Lombari called Shissler's case "the most disturbing case I have ever worked as a prosecutor." (October 17, 2002)

[FlGlades]

07:22 AM on 09/24/2010

PROVINCETOWN, RI. The pastor of an Episcopal church in Provincetown has resigned and left town after admitting he sexually molested a teenage boy more than 25 years ago while assigned to a Maryland parish, church officials said. On Thursday, a 48-year-old man told the Baltimore diocese that he was molested by Barasda, who was a priest in the victim's parish. The abuse allegedly started in 1966, when the victim was 14 years old, and continued for two years, Arnold said. (The Boston Globe, 12/25/2002)
Episcopal pastor admits molestation

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[FlGlades]

07:21 AM on 09/24/2010

Well read below if the censor will release my post on other abuse in the Episcopal/ Anglican Church

there is apparently an abuse network

http://www.reformation.com/CSA/episcopalianabuse.html

[FlGlades]

07:19 AM on 09/24/2010

So for those in denial and say this is the only case in the Episcopal Church read below

[FlGlades]

07:18 AM on 09/24/2010

MINNEAPOLIS, MN-An organization calling itself SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) will file a lawsuit against an Episcopal priest who abused a California youngster years ago, and still serves in a parish today. David Clohessy, 46, a national director of SNAP told VIRTUOSITY that he could not name the priest pending the suit, but would release the name shortly. Clohessy did express one serious concern. "I fear that some 400 ex-Roman Catholic priests will surface in other denominations including the Episcopal Church." (Aug. 2, 2003)

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South Austrailia, AUS. A South Australian police task force into child sex abuse within the Anglican Church had identified 217 victims and 48 possible offenders, police said today. However the number of victims could rise to more than 400 as investigations continued, Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said. Mr Hyde today likened the scale of police investigations into child sex abuse to those for the infamous Snowtown bodies-in-the-barrels murders in 1999. (The Age, July 16 2003)
Major sex abuse uncovered in Anglican Church

[curiousdwk]

06:59 PM on 09/23/2010

Religion is relevant in our society? I don't think so.

[NegSpin]

10:38 PM on 09/23/2010

What? Since there are billions of people who are religious, of course it's relevant.

[FlGlades]

06:45 PM on 09/23/2010

Does that mean the democrates are going to prosecute Bill Clinton for his affair with a interin

[XaurreauX]

12:12 AM on 09/24/2010

No, Democrates died over 3,000 years ago. ;^]

[SouthJerseySteve]

06:03 PM on 09/23/2010

Imagine the horror had this been an underage BOY!?!?

[Hysterian68]

04:10 PM on 09/23/2010

Compared to the gross institutional malfeasance widespread in the Catholic Church, this Anglican bishop's crimes are about as serious as canceling a church taffy pull. At least Anglicans can elect their bishops and the House of Bishops can get rid of them.

Look at the popish clunkers and purple-clad child sodomizers and the entire culture of the hierarchy where obstruction of justice has been raised to a fine art. The laity and the lower clergy are powerless. They're told by the local bishop and by Rome, drop dead!!!

[nwlover]

02:40 PM on 09/23/2010

"Religion is pure bunk." Thomas Edison