From the Pittsburgh Post Gazette-
The national Episcopal Church has asked to join a lawsuit over who owns an estimated $20 million held in the name of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Since Oct. 4, when the majority of the diocese voted to secede from the national church and realign with an Anglican province in South America, there have been two rival bodies called the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The Episcopal Church recognizes only the smaller diocese, which it says is entitled to all diocesan assets. It wants to join a lawsuit filed four years ago by parishes opposed to the looming secession. A court order, which both sides signed in 2005, said that parish property would be negotiated, but diocesan assets belonged to "the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America."
Both dioceses now claim to be that diocese.
Rich Creehan, spokesman for the Episcopal diocese affiliated with the national church, welcomed the filing but said he expected church headquarters to have a limited legal role.
"The presence of the Episcopal Church gives the court a resource to turn to to ask who's who in their eyes," he said.
Calls to leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of Pittsburgh (Anglican) were not returned.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09048/949620-53.stm
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