No Jurisdiction

Today I attended the burial office for the Rev. Bill Pitner at Holy Nativity Church on Saint Simons Island. Bill was a wonderful priest who was a big help to me personally and I was thankful for the well-attended liturgy with a good sermon by the Rev. Dee Shaffer, who Bill mentored.

But I did want to share one comment which our bishop said in passing. There was no stand for his crozier (the shepherds crook he carries in liturgy) and one was improvised from a flag holder. I asked if it would suffice and Bishop Louutit said, "I only need to carry the crozier in and out. I won't pronounce a blessing as I don't have jurisdiction."

"No jurisdiction?" I asked, "Is Bill canonical resident somewhere else?" I was using the term for how one can maintain official, or canonical, residence in one diocese while living in another. I knew that Bill served his entire ministry in the Diocese of Georgia, so I didn't understand when the Bishop said Bill had been resident in our diocese but wasn't any longer. Bishop Louttit explained with a smile, how Bill is beyond his jurisdiction as Bill has passed to the life eternal and is with his Lord. No bishop has jurisdiction where Bill now rest from his labors. Bill needs no blessing pronounced by his one-time bishop as he is now being blessed by being in the presence of the Holy Trinity from whom all blessings flow.

I'm not sure why I found this quite wonderful, but I did and do and so wanted to share this with you gentle readers.

peace,
Frank+
The Rev. Frank Logue
Canonically and Physically Resident in the Diocese of Georgia