Monday, July 21, 2008

Lambeth: Outrage in the Cathedral (UPDATED)

The Sermon at the first Sunday Eucharist of Lambeth featured preaching the inclusive “gospel” . . .

Bishop Duleep de Chickera, of Colombo, Sri Lanka, said in his sermon that the church must be "an inclusive communion for anyone and everyone, regardless of color, gender, ability or sexual orientation. . ."

. . . and a Buddhist chant:

De Chickera concluded his sermon with a low, rhythmic Buddhist chant as the cathedral bells tolled.

After the service, Bishop Neil Alexander of Atlanta said he was "particularly moved" by de Chickera's sermon since it "lifted your soul," however, Bishop Robert Duncan of Pittsburgh said the inclusion of the chant was "very, very troubling" since it was an "invocation of something other than the God we know."


I may have more to say about this in due time.

UPDATE: More detail on the Eucharist can be found here. Note that Bishop de Chickera is an advocate of Liberation Theology and was hand-picked by ++Rowan to preach.

However, it appears the words of the chant in question were not Buddhist, though the tune was.

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