Oh, what to wear!?

We in Rhode Island have had a woman presiding over the Episcopalian community for many years, which has reduced inter-religious dialogue to superficialities at best. No theological cooperation is really possible when two churches are divided on the fundamental questions of marriage, divorce, contraception, and abortion. What's left -- except to cooperate on the yearly heating bill campaign and stocking the local soup kitchens?

Thus, it is fascinating how the theological divide is now coalescing about her surprising decision to marry -- something she (and her family) assumed was out of the question, until she stumbled on Mr. Right while visiting a troubled parish in Newport. We'll ignore for the moment the facts that the groom is divorced and a fallen-away Catholic. What I find fascinating is the unique situation of a woman bishop marrying -- not a first, she points out, but a rather singular ceremony in the course of normal events.

Although it is not common for a sitting Episcopal bishop to get married while heading a diocese, it is not unprecedented. Bishop Wolf noted that Bishop Carolyn Irish, the Episcopal bishop of Utah, married an old friend a few years ago. Bishop Wolf and her fiancé are planning to be wed at the Cathedral of St. John, Providence, on April 21, with the U.S. Episcopal Church’s former presiding bishop, Frank Griswold, officiating.

Where the rub comes in is precisely in the question of her attire:

Bishop Wolf said she hasn’t picked out a wedding dress as yet but plans on wearing a white A-line gown rather than her usual Episcopal garb.

“I think that on this one day, being a bride is more important than being a bishop,” she said [emphasis mine].

Thus, we have arrived at the point of metaphorically mixing milk and vinegar. It curdles the mind -- this is where the whole theology of the all-male priesthood comes into play: she has no doubt that in the wedding ceremony, she will be the bride -- and on her Day of Days, that takes precedence. And yet, then she will resort back to being "bridegroom" the next? Instinctively, she recognises her distinct vocation within marriage, but it runs counter the reality charade she undertakes in her presumed vocation to the priesthood.

The Catholic Church has always made a firm distinction between a celibate priesthood (simply a discipline) and the all-male priesthood (a dogma). I found her dilemma fascinating, and her choice bodes well for the man she's marrying, though problemmatic (as ever) for the flock she leads.

Same-sex unions are sterile -- and that applies to individual unions, parishes, and dioceses. I do hope her dress looks lovely, but perhaps she could apply the principles she used in making her decision for April 21st to the larger picture. The nuptial realities are deeper than she imagines.

Comments

[kristen]

Thanks for my belly laugh of the day! When I was preparing for ordination in the Methodist church, I saw nothing out of the ordinary in that. But once I converted, and started reading John Paul II - the whole idea of the Incarnation of Jesus, and the priest as the one literally standing in the place of Christ, the Incarnation, pretty well inoculated me against ever wishing that I might be something else...because I had a role to play too, in the Catholic worldview - I could follow Mary, and attempt to stand in her place. The Prots discourage that kind of devotion to Mary, and thus a woman "ordained" is always consigned to try to be the bridegroom (never a bride), and then of course, to rail against all of one's fellow bridegrooms for not being sensitive to how hard one is trying to BE the bridegroom...

[Tom]

The Providence Journal article says,"Although it is not common for a sitting Episcopal bishop to get married while heading a diocese, it is not unprecedented. Bishop Wolf noted that Bishop Carolyn Irish, the Episcopal bishop of Utah, married an old friend a few years ago."

Another Episcopal bishop of Utah, Otis Charles, also married, but he was retired and married his "significant other," Felipe Sanchez Paris, at St. Gregory’s of Nyssa Episcopal Church in San Francisco. The bishop wore his clergyman suit (with the distinctive lavander shirt worn by Episcopal bishops) along with a flowered wreath and some garland. One can view the “wedding” pictures at his website at otischarles.com