Members of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (and many other Pittsburghers as well) have been greatly embarrassed by the behavior of the Rev. F. Earle Fox, widely identified in press reports as “a priest from Pittsburgh.” The Rev. Fox, of course, is canonically resident in this diocese, although his physical residence is in Virginia. He has drawn much attention to himself—and unwelcome attention to Pittsburgh—by his outrageous recitation of anatomical details of homoerotic sex acts in front of the men, women, and children gathered in New Hampshire to witness the consecration of Bishop V. Gene Robinson. The message of the Rev. Fox, happily abbreviated through the intervention of Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, seemed indistinguishable from that of a much-photographed sign outside the arena where the consecration took place Sunday: “God Hates Fags.”
In your address to the special convention in September you called on the diocese
....to express your love for all who are living in sexual relationships outside of Holy Matrimony, whether men and men, or women and women, or men and women. I am also asking you to express your love for all who fall short of the mark in any way, for all sinners, for all of us. I am asking you to care enough to tell them (us) the truth, both about God’s incredible love for them where and as they are, and about his will as to how they can best love him in return. I am asking you to uphold the whole of the Scriptural witness, not just the parts that are easiest to accept.
The Rev. Fox’s behavior is woefully at odds with this statement. We ask you to do all in your power to see that the Rev. Fox receives appropriate pastoral, episcopal, and psychological care to help him understand that his actions in New Hampshire were an embarrassment to himself, his diocese, his superiors, his Church, his vows, and his Lord. We also call upon you to disavow his statements concerning homosexuality and his actions in New Hampshire this past weekend. Your silence sends a message of agreement with his position. If you are truly sincere in your message of love and welcome, you must demonstrate that embracing welcome now by clearly stating that Earle Fox did not speak for you or the diocese.
Obviously, the Rev. Fox did not benefit from your address at special convention. Whereas the Rev. Fox’s actions may be atypical of clergy who reside canonically, but not actually, in this diocese, they do raise concerns about the difficulties of providing adequate episcopal care and oversight in such circumstances.
Lionel E.
Deimel
Susan J. Boulden
Co-conveners, Progressive Episcopalians of Pittsburgh