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Homosexual bishop scandal deepens: Asian Age
London, June 23: The schism in the Church of England caused by the appointment of a homosexual bishop deepened on Saturday night when it emerged that his boyfriend was another member of the clergy and they have recently bought a flat together.
London, June 23: The schism in the Church of England caused by the appointment of a homosexual bishop deepened on Saturday night when it emerged that his boyfriend was another member of the clergy and they have recently bought a flat together.
Senior figures on the evangelical wing of the Church of England claimed that facts about the private life of Canon Jeffrey John, who has had a 27-year relationship with the Rev. Grant Holmes, were being kept hidden in an effort to contain the row over his appointment as Bishop of Reading. They have now called on the Rt Rev. Richard Harries, the Bishop of Oxford who appointed Dr John, to clarify the couple’s living arrangements. Dr John’s promotion, despite his admission of a long-term homosexual relationship, has caused the most serious crisis in the Church’s recent history. Critics say his appointment contravenes Church of England rules prohibiting the ordination of active homosexuals and that it could tear apart the Anglican Communion.
In a statement issued last week, Dr John insisted that he and his boyfriend, whom he did not identify, had not been sexually active for a decade. He added: “My partner and I have never lived together (apart from one brief period while he was moving house) because our separate ministries have never made it possible to do so. However, we rely on each other for support and spend as much free time together as possible.” On Saturday night, however, the Diocese of Oxford confirmed that the men jointly own a £235,000 flat at Roehampton, south-west London, near the church where Mr Holmes works. They hold regular dinner parties there.
Senior figures on the evangelical wing of the Church of England claimed that facts about the private life of Canon Jeffrey John, who has had a 27-year relationship with the Rev. Grant Holmes, were being kept hidden in an effort to contain the row over his appointment as Bishop of Reading. They have now called on the Rt Rev. Richard Harries, the Bishop of Oxford who appointed Dr John, to clarify the couple’s living arrangements. Dr John’s promotion, despite his admission of a long-term homosexual relationship, has caused the most serious crisis in the Church’s recent history. Critics say his appointment contravenes Church of England rules prohibiting the ordination of active homosexuals and that it could tear apart the Anglican Communion.
In a statement issued last week, Dr John insisted that he and his boyfriend, whom he did not identify, had not been sexually active for a decade. He added: “My partner and I have never lived together (apart from one brief period while he was moving house) because our separate ministries have never made it possible to do so. However, we rely on each other for support and spend as much free time together as possible.” On Saturday night, however, the Diocese of Oxford confirmed that the men jointly own a £235,000 flat at Roehampton, south-west London, near the church where Mr Holmes works. They hold regular dinner parties there.
Friends have told The Telegraph that before buying the flat last year Mr Holmes may have used Dr John’s Southwark house as a correspondence address. The disclosures have further angered the critics, who say the statements given by Dr John last week were misleading.