A tissue of lies was all that supported claims made by three of the four deputies from the Diocese of Central Ecuador that the episcopal election process in their diocese was corrupt, the Rt. Rev. Wilfrido Ramos-Orench told the House of Bishops at the close of their afternoon session on July 10.

The Rev. Luis Fernando Ruiz was elected Bishop of Central Ecuador by the House of Bishops March 17 after the diocesan convention deadlocked 18-18.  Bishop Ramos, the Provisional Bishop of Central Ecuador, broke the tie by sending it to the House of Bishops for resolution.

However, during the July 10 afternoon session of the House of Deputies, the Rev. Lourdes Inapanta, clergy deputy from Central Ecuador asked the deputies to reject Resolution B023 affirming his election.  A clerical error prevented Fr. Ruiz’s elections materials from being distributed to the deputies, and the vote was postponed.

At the close of the simultaneous session of the House of Bishops, the Rt. Rev. Francisco Duque, Bishop of Colombia, rose on a point of personal privilege and told the bishops he had been approached by Spanish-speaking deputies, concerned by what they had been told about the election by the Central Ecuador delegation.

Included among the papers distributed to the bishops for that session, was Resolution D050 submitted by Ms. Inapanta, which asked for new elections in the diocese, citing 13 flaws in Fr. Ruiz election.

Bishop Duque told the bishops that certain “unjust remarks” had been uttered against Fr. Ruiz and Bishop Ramos, and he asked Bishop Ramos to clear the air over the allegations.

Bishop Ramos told the bishops the “last 48 hours have been very painful.  The integrity of the process has been challenged.  My integrity, my reputation is at stake.

“One of our delegates is making lies,” he said, and “I feel betrayed.”

Bishop Ramos said the bishop-elect was a “man of integrity” and if “we don’t move forward it could be disastrous for the future of the diocese.”

The Presiding Bishop’s Deputy for Pastoral Development, the Rt. Rev. Clayton Matthews, told the house that the former Bishop of Central Ecuador, the Rt. Rev. Neptali Larrea, had been deposed unanimously in 2005.  An investigation subsequently found that no elections had been held since 1979 for the Standing Committee.

The Episcopal Church has been helping Central Ecuador “become an Episcopal diocese” once again, he said, and had engaged the Rev. Gay Jennings to serve as a consultant to the diocese.  Fr. Riuz’s election had been conducted according to “best practices,” Bishop Matthews said.

Bishop Ramos stated the Committee on Consecration of Bishops had given Fr. Ruiz its unanimous consent, and urged the bishops to support their choice. Central Ecuador verged on falling back into the “dysfunctional system” and could regress to “where we were before,” unless the bishops stood firm.

(The Rev.) George Conger  reporting from General Convention.
 
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