LONDON, March 12 (UPI) -- The Church of England is opposed to the Episcopalian Church in America's proposed ordination of the first lesbian bishop.
The Rev. Bonnie Perry is one of five shortlisted candidates standing for election for the bishopric of California on May 6, the London Telegraph reported. She has been the pastor at All Saints' Episcopal Church, Chicago, since 1992.
Perry's selection is highly controversial because the Anglican Communion believes that the ordination of actively gay clergy is incompatible with scripture, the newspaper said. The Church of England does not even recognize female bishops.
The Episcopalian Church in America elected homosexual clergyman Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in 2003. The appointment prompted the Archbishop of Canterbury to set up a commission last October to investigate the legal and theological implications of the ordination, the newspaper said.
