Cuba fails to elect a bishop

Cuba fails to elect a bishop
Wednesday, 23rd September 2009. 4:36pm
By: George Conger.

The Diocese of Cuba was unable to elect a bishop last week, making it
the fifth time in the past 10 years its synod has been unable to choose
a bishop for the Caribbean island.

Delegates to the Sept 5 meeting in Havana deadlocked after 12 rounds of
voting with the Rev Emilio Martin, the Rev Alfredo Sierra, and the Rev
José Angel Gutierrez unable to garner the requisite two-thirds
majorities from the lay and clergy delegates. On June 20 the Cuban Synod
was also unable to agree on a candidate, with the election ending in a
stalemate after 10 rounds.

The general secretary of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Ven Michael
Pollesel, told the Episcopal News Service that while Fr Gutierrez
withdrew after the fourth and Fr Sierra after the sixth ballot, Fr
Martin was unable to receive a two-thirds majority from both the clergy
and laity.

The rancour among the delegates was such that on the 12th ballot, Fr
Martin polled 16 of 31 clergy votes, and 22 of 36 lay votes with 14
blank clergy and 13 blank lay votes were submitted.

A one-time member of the American church, the diocese withdrew from the
Episcopal Church in 1967 in the wake of the political dissension between
the US and Cuba. A Metropolitan Council composed of the Archbishops of
Canada and the West Indies and the US Presiding Bishop have exercised
jurisdiction over the diocese.

In 2003 the US General Convention voted to re-admit Cuba to the US
Church, but the Cuban diocesan synod narrowly rejected the invitation.

In January 2004, the Metropolitan Council appointed the former Dean of
Havana's Holy Trinity Cathedral, Bishop Miguel Tamayo of Uruguay, to
serve as interim bishop of the diocese after the diocese failed to elect
a bishop, and in 2007 two suffragan bishops were appointed by the
Metropolitan Council to help bridge the theological and political divide
within the diocese.

The matter has now been referred back to the Metropolitan Council for
further action.

Religious Intelligence - News - Cuba fails to elect a bishop (23
September 2009)
http://www.religiousintelligence.co.uk/news/?NewsID=5049