Consent by the House of Deputies to the election of the Rev. Luis Fernando Ruiz Restrepo as Bishop of Central Ecuador was postponed after a deputy from that diocese objected to the election process and then it was discovered that deputies lacked all of the necessary documentation on the bishop-elect.
 
The House of Bishops elected the Rev. Luis Fernando Ruiz, rector of the Catedral de San Pablo in Bogotá, Colombia, as Bishop of Central Ecuador on the first ballot on March 17 during their spring retreat after a special electing convention in Central Ecuador last February was declared deadlocked after one ballot. The Rt. Rev. Wilfrido Ramos-Orench, provisional Bishop of Central Ecuador, cast the deciding ballot on a  resolution calling on the House of Bishops to select a bishop for the diocese.
 
Speaking in Spanish, the Rev. Lourdes Inapanta of Central Ecuador asked the House of Deputies to let the diocese start the bishop election process over again by defeating Resolution B023. She then proceeded to list 13 concerns with the way that Fr. Ruiz was chosen, among them that Bishop Ramos appointed the members of the search committee that produced the original slate of five nominees, that no Ecuadorians were among the five candidates and that there had only been one ballot cast at the special convention before a deadlock was declared.
 
“I am sorry that I do not know you better,” Ms. Inapanta said. “I am also sorry you do not know me or my diocese very well.”
 
Speaking just before Ms. Inapanta, Christopher Hart of Pennsylvania said he too had initial misgivings about Fr. Ruiz, but came away impressed after meeting with him at a committee hearing earlier during convention.
 
“He is enthusiastic and more importantly his bishop believes he is up to the task,” Mr. Hart said.
 
Deputies were supposed to have received biographical information as well as background material on the way that Fr. Ruiz was elected, but this material was not in the deputies’ handbook and the Rev. Gregory Straub, secretary of general convention, said he did not possess a copy either.
 
Bonnie Anderson, president of the House of Deputies proposed that debate over Resolution B023 be terminated with a time certain for debate to resume after the necessary documentation was located and distributed. Acting on Mrs. Anderson’s proposal, a deputy made a motion to end debate and the motion was seconded.
 
At the time that debate was suspended a number of deputies were lined up at microphones waiting to speak to the motion. Their names were recorded and they will be permitted to speak when debate on the resolution resumes. The Committee on Dispatch of Business will determine when debate over the resolution will resume.
 
Steve Waring  reporting from General Convention.
 
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