Anglicans Appoint HIV-Positive Priest

(London, England) Turmoil in the Church of England persists due to its insistence in accommodating homosexuals and homosexual behavior. In the latest development, an Anglican bishop has appointed an HIV-positive gay clergyman to the position of parish priest.

From Times Online:

The man, who will take charge of a London church later this month, has been appointed by a suffragan, or assistant, bishop known as a backer of homosexual clergy.

The priest, who has asked not to be identified, is said to be adhering to church rules that require gay priests to refrain from sexual activity.

Although about 25-30 Church of England clergy are thought to have died from Aids-related illnesses over the past 15 years, this is thought to be the first case in which a bishop knew a priest had the disease.

Although I would consider the act of a bishop appointing an HIV-positive homosexual priest a big deal, it's understandable that the Brits don't get charged up about it. There are an estimated 1,500 homosexual Anglican priests who live openly with their lovers, called "lodgers," and the relationships are not questioned unless there's a complaint.

Maybe it's just me, but my reaction to this situation is ambivalence. Of course, the church should be open to everyone and accepting of diverse individuals, but I'm smelling something more akin to enabling and promoting homosexual behavior. It appears that the Church of England has blown past tolerance of homosexuality as a value and, instead, it now embraces gays and lesbians as necessary administrators for tending the flock.

And, since AIDS is reducing the homosexual clergy at a rate of a couple a year, shouldn't there be a public health warning? Sounds like a mini-epidemic to me. Also, given that the Anglicans have liberally salted and peppered their church with homosexuals and homosexual-friendly policies, one must assume that the number of HIV-positive individuals in the Church of England will likely grow.