When asked if she believed homosexuality was a sin, she said, "I don't believe so. I believe that God creates all of us with different gifts.

"Some people come into this world with affections ordered toward other people of the same gender and some people come into this world with affections directed at people of the other gender."

In the worldwide Anglican church, women are only allowed to be bishops in Canada, the United States and New Zealand.

Jefferts Schori supported the 2003 consecration of Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, the first openly gay bishop in Anglican history.

Asked how she reconciled her position on homosexuality with passages in the Bible declaring sexual relations between men an abomination, Jefferts Schori said the Bible was written by people from a different time asking different questions.

On June 20, Episcopal leaders voted to reject a proposal to put in place a temporary ban on gay bishops.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 24, 2006
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