Shared episcopal ministry

Bishop Leonard Whitten, former bishop of Western Newfoundland, cuts the traditional cake in the Church of St. John the Baptist in Pointe Claire, Quebec, after administering the rite of confirmation to five young candidates. Bishop Barry Clarke of Montreal later presented him with a licence to officiate as an assisting bishop in the Montreal diocese. It was the first pastoral visit by Whitten following an agreement for shared episcopal ministry last fall. The agreement was reached after several parishes objected to approval of a protocol for same-sex blessings and the ordination of clergy with same-sex partners.