The Diocese of Virginia is embroiled in an extraordinary Title IV disciplinary case in which a white priest’s commitment to reparations for slavery conflicts with his bishops’ commitment to the sacrament of Holy Eucharist.
The Rev. Dr. Cayce Ramey “has abandoned the priesthood, and he should be deposed,” declared the Rt. Rev. Gayle Harris, a retired suffragan bishop from Massachusetts, who now serves as an assistant bishop in Virginia. She is one of two Black bishops who testified against Ramey at a two-day ecclesiastical trial at diocesan headquarters in Richmond, which was livestreamed via Zoom. The witness list also included two white bishops, a seminary dean, a prominent theologian, and others.
At issue are several alleged canonical violations related to what Ramey describes as “a Eucharistic fast.” The church attorney in the case, who is the equivalent of a secular prosecutor, described the fast this way: “In 2022 the Respondent refused to receive Holy Communion himself and did not celebrate Holy Eucharist or administer it to others, stating that he would not do so again until there is clear proof of repentance and amendment of life in the Episcopal Church regarding white supremacy and racial injustice.”
Throughout the hearing and the dozens of pretrial briefs that preceded it, Ramey and his supporters focused on the theological and moral underpinnings of his actions. The bishops and church attorney focused on whether those actions violated Ramey’s ordination vows, along with other alleged canonical infractions.
Like every other Episcopal priest, when Ramey was ordained he vowed to “be loyal to the doctrine, discipline, and worship of Christ as this Church has received them,” and “in accordance with the canons of this Church, obey your bishop and other ministers who may have authority over you and your work.
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