Anglican bishops get gongs

The first woman in the world to lead an Anglican diocese, Penny Jamieson, has topped the Queens Birthday honors list. The new leader of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, Archbiship Whakahuihui Vercoe, refused to attend her ordination. Jamieson got a Distinguished Companion of the Order of Merit, which is equivalent of a knighthood.

Meanwhile, Author Witi Ihimaera, who also got a similar gong for, among other things, writing the novel Whale Rider has called for the resignation of Archbishop Vercoe, following his statements released during the weekend about a backlash against gays. Ihimaera is both Maori and gay.

Auckland Anglican bishop Richard Randerson also got a gong - a companion of the NZ Order of Merit. He has also jumped into the fray over the "world without gays" story in the Herald, saying that Maori find homosexuality "culturally difficult".

It was the first time since 2001 that the clergy has topped the honors list here, although that was New Years Honours list.

The only member of the clergy to ever recieve New Zealand's top honour - the Order of New Zealand,(ONZ) limited to 20 living people - is Cardinal Thomas Williams, in 2000. The Rt Rev Te Whakahuihui Vercoe MBE also got a gong that year. He got the New Zealand Order of Merit (NZOM) which was also not awarded this year. In 1999 the (then) head of the Anglican Church was gonged, although he did not get a knighthood. Knighthoods were scrapped the following year.