U.S. Episcopal leaders have confirmed Reverend Gene Robinson as the church’s first openly homosexual bishop.
Reverend Robinson was elected late Tuesday. Sixty two of the 107 votes cast were in favor of the New Hampshire clergyman.
The vote was delayed by one day after allegations surfaced that the clergyman touched a man inappropriately and was affiliated with a Web site which had a link to a pornographic site.
A one-day church probe dismissed the allegations and the bishop who conducted the probe said there was no need to pursue the matter further.
Bishop-elect Robinson is a divorced father of two children. The 56-year-old clergyman has been in a relationship with a male partner for the past 13 years.
Even before the misconduct allegations surfaced, church conservatives had warned that the installation of an openly gay clergyman could trigger a split in the 77 million worldwide Anglican community.
A similar controversy in Britain last month prompted a decision by a gay bishop-elect to withdraw his name.
Reverend Robinson’s conservative opponents say that his relationship with another man violates biblical scripture and that his confirmation would force them to consider breaking away from the church.
They also say his confirmation could trigger a schism in the 77 million Anglican community.
