After reading Dr. Jim Simon's recent pronouncement at the TEC Executive Council Meeting to Canon Kearon, Sec'y to the Archbishop of Canterbury: "Currently, there are over 100 priests, deacons and one bishop canonically resident in the Province of The Southern Cone as well as another Bishop canonically resident in the Province of Rwanda functioning in our diocese without licenses and laying claim to some of our parishes", I thought it might be helpful to look back and compare what Dr. Jim previously has stated about parish property.
In a New York Times article published on October 5,2008, we read:"The Rev. James Simon, a conservative who is the remaining member of the Standing Committee, said he had heard from many people who hoped to avoid litigation with a compromise on the property issue, as a symbol of healing after the split. But Mr. Simon did not sound hopeful. 'I wish it were that simple,'he said".
Dr. Jim also posted on his blog on June 28, 2008 an apologetic piece he wrote titled, "Reasons for Staying in the Episcopal Church" His seventh of ten points is this: "Property Issues: Perhaps the most distasteful aspect of the proposed realignment would be the inevitable lawsuits which will arise over parish property. While many of us who wish to remain with TEC have no desire to enter into such suits, it remains to be seen how TEC will respond".
You make the call: Has something changed along the way?
