Although I grew up Catholic, I decided a long time ago that I no longer wanted to be Catholic anymore. Nothing against my particular Church or anything, but I was looking for a slightly more open-minded Church. The first time I went to an Episcopal service, it was for a U2charist. I knew there was something about the Episcopal Church I liked. :) Then I realized that the first gay priest, the one all the fuss was about, was a Bishop in the Episcopal Church here in NH. Between that and the experience of going to an Episcopal mass, I was completely and totally sold on the Episcopal Church. And now Rev. Robinson is going to give the first invocation at Barack Obama's inauguration!
January 12, 2009
Openly gay bishop to deliver first inauguration event invocation
Posted: 06:44 PM ET
From CNN Associate Political Editor Rebecca Sinderbrand
Robinson became the U.S. Episcopal church’s first openly gay bishop in 2003.
(CNN) — The first openly gay priest ordained by a major Christian denomination will deliver the invocation at the kickoff inauguration event Sunday at the Lincoln Memorial.
The Rev. Gene Robinson, Episcopal bishop in New Hampshire, has accepted an invitation issued by the Obama team prior to the announcement of the Rev. Rick Warren’s selection to deliver the invocation at the president-elect’s swearing-in, Politico reported Monday.
Robinson had been a critic of Warren’s role, calling his inclusion in the event “really, really unfortunate” because of the California minister's support for California's Prop. 8, which barred same-sex marriage.
“It's about this particular venue and the role that he has in praying for all of America, and I'm just not sure he'd pray to God the same way I would,” Robinson told Beliefnet last month.
“…This particular choice [of Warren] is not about having everyone at the table for a discussion or some sort of general forum. Every choice related to who does what at the inauguration is highly symbolic, and I think the transition team failed to ask the question of what, symbolically, this might say to some of our citizens.”
Robinson said at the time his disappointment would not affect his plans to attend President-elect Obama’s inauguration.
