New Episcopal Bishop in Rhode Island Embraces Marriage Equality

Rev. Nicholas Knisely, the new bishop of the Episcopal Church in Rhode Island, supports marriage equality and plans to change current local policy to allow priests here to bless same sex unions. He announced the decision in December at the Diocesan Convention just 14 days after starting his new job here in Rhode Island. “I am going to give permission, indeed I have already done so in one case for a couple desiring a ceremony later this month,” he said, according to a transcript on his blog. “But my giving of this permission represents a significant change in policy for the Diocese of Rhode Island. While Bishop Wolf did vote in favor of the blessing liturgies at General Convention, she did not allow such services to take place.”