Diocese suits to be heard in Orange County

Marisa O’Neil

An Orange County Superior Court judge will handle lawsuits filed by

the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles against three breakaway

churches, including one in Newport Beach.

Attorneys for St. James Church in Newport Beach, All Saints’ in

Long Beach and St. David’s in North Hollywood asked Judge David

Velasquez to combine the three cases and have them heard in Orange

County, rather than Los Angeles County. Velasquez granted that

request this week, and the Judicial Council in San Francisco will now

decide which judge will hear the case.

“All the cases are similar, and they all stand on the same

principles,” said The Rev. Praveen Bunyan of St. James. “This is good

for us.”

The diocese is suing the three parishes for return of property,

including church buildings.

St. James seceded from the Episcopal Church of the United States

in August and placed itself under the Diocese of Luwero in the

Anglican Church of Uganda, Africa. The other two churches followed

suit.

“We strongly believe the diocese and Episcopalian Church were

wrong in going to claim properties that are rightfully ours and not

honoring our religious freedom and with whom we affiliate,” Bunyan

said.

The parishes left the Episcopal Church because they disagreed with

its more liberal views on homosexuality, the divinity of Jesus Christ

and the supremacy of the Bible. The Anglican Church holds more

conservative views closer to those of the original Church of England.

Orange County is the preferred venue for the suits in part because

St. James, the largest of the three parishes, was the first to

announce its departure, said its attorney, Eric Sohlgren. A judge in

the state Court of Appeals that oversees the Los Angeles courts is

also named in the suit as a member of All Saints’, Sohlgren said.

“That creates an awkward situation for any trial judge,” he said.

An attorney for the diocese said they did not object to combining

the cases and having them heard in Orange County.

“We’re very pleased with the ruling and look forward to having the

matter heard in Orange County,” attorney John Shiner said.

Another hearing to set court dates to hear motions by the parishes

to dismiss the case is scheduled for Jan. 14.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (714) 966-4618 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.