The controversy in the diocese of New Westminster over whether to bless gay relationships took a grave turn last month as Archbishop David Crawley moved to discipline the diocesan bishop of the Yukon, Terrence Buckle, for asserting "episcopal authority" over disaffected parishes in the Vancouver-based diocese. In a separate action, the bishop of New Westminster also struck a commission to investigate several of his clergy for alleged "disobedient and disrespectful conduct."
In the first development, Archbishop Crawley announced that disciplinary proceedings, as provided for by the church canons, had begun against the Yukon bishop. "Bishop Buckle is acting unlawfully," stated his …