Obama picks gay bishop to wrap Easter Prayer Breakfast with invocation

The Washington Times

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

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  President Barack Obama closes his eyes and bows his head as Dr. ... more >

Story Topics

• Religion_Belief
• Social Issues
• Gene Robinson
• Newsmax

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When President Obama needed a preacher to fulfill the closing prayer duties at the annual White House Easter Prayer Breakfast, he turned to none other than the Episcopal Church’s first openly gay bishop — who said he was as shocked as anyone at the appointment.
The Right Rev. Gene Robinson said in a tweet, accompanied by a photo of Mr. Obama behind a podium at the event: “POTUS ‘preaches’ at the Easter prayer breakfast. Then, out of the blue, asks ME to close with prayer. OMG!”
Newsmax said he also emphasized that the words he chose to close the breakfast with were “totally off the cuff! OMG!”
The bishop, 66, retired from his New Hampshire diocese in 2013. He now spends time helping out the Washington Center for American Progress on gay rights issues, Newsmax reported.
Even though he’s gay, Mr. Robinson once thought marriage should be defined as between a man and a woman, Newsmax said. But he later changed his mind and began an open gay relationship with Peace Corps worker, Mark Andrew. The two made it legal in a civil union ceremony in 2008, Newsmax reported.