3 gay priests make short list for Episcopal bishop posts

(CNN) - Episcopal churches in California and Minnesota moved towards appointing gay bishops over the weekend, less than a month after the denomination lifted a self-imposed freeze on promoting open gay clergy into the top ranks of the church.

The Diocese of Los Angeles, one of the largest in the country, included a gay man and a lesbian on its short list for assistant bishop positions on Sunday.

A day earlier, the Diocese of Minnesota put a lesbian priest on its list of three candidates to lead the statewide religious community.

The nominations seem likely to increase tensions in the 70-million-member Anglican Communion, the world's third-largest Christian community.

The Anglican Communion has been wrestling with how to handle homosexuality, a question that shows signs of tearing the church apart.

The Episcopal Church, as the American branch of the Anglican Communion is known, voted overwhelmingly last month to allow gay men and lesbians to become bishops.

Individual diocese have moved quickly in the wake of the vote.

Los Angeles announced six candidates for positions as assistant bishops, including Mary Glasspool and John Kirkley, both of whom spoke openly about being gay in statements on the diocese Web site.