WASHINGTON (RNS) Hundreds of American bicyclists die in collisions with cars each year, but a fatal December crash in Baltimore has triggered some serious soul-searching within the Episcopal Church: The drunken driver, authorities say, was a bishop.
Now clergy and laypeople alike are rereading church policy on alcohol and the consecration of bishops, how addiction is handled and whether the church itself was in any way culpable in the death of cyclist Thomas Palermo, a 41-year-old husband and father of two.
The Rev. Gay Clark Jennings, president of the House of Deputies, one of two main governing bodies of the 2 million-member denomination, said many Episcopalians are asking why church leaders allowed Heather Cook to be confirmed as bishop last September despite their knowledge of her struggle with alcohol.
“Sometimes a tragedy happens and people move on after a couple of weeks,” Jennings said. “This particular tragedy has caused many people to not only look at the issue of alcoholism and other drug addictions but also how we select and elect our leaders, our bishops.”
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Funding would be nice too, Tucker added. While the church may work hard to face up to addiction problems, and update its policies to reflect current understandings of addiction, it could prove itself by designating dollars for those efforts.
That could happen, Jennings said, noting that the church will consider addiction issues at the General Convention before it passes a budget.
In the meantime, the Diocese of Maryland has formally asked Cook to resign. After posting bail, she checked herself into a Maryland addiction treatment facility. She now awaits trial.
