The ACNA’s “institutional relationship” was “unclear” at this point, he said. He added that he hoped further dialogue would address this issue. However, he declined to answer a question about his “personal thoughts on the defrocking” of Canadian theologian J.I. Packer and Pittsburgh Bishop and ACNA leader Robert Duncan.
Pressed on what he would do about infractions of past agreed statements, Archbishop Williams said his authority was limited by canon law to the Church of England. “It remains true” the Anglican Communion has no organ “for discipline,” and this could only be remedied by a “Communion executive” or a “common canon law.” Until such structural mechanisms were in place, Archbishop Williams said there was little he could do.
The primates’ communiqué reiterated the call for a moratorium on cross-border violations of provincial sovereignty, rites for the blessing of same-gender unions, and the consecration to the episcopate of non-celibate gay clergy, and reaffirmed the 1998 Lambeth Resolution 1.10 as the standard statement on human sexuality for the Anglican Communion.
And just before Rowan Willaims left office, he declined to comment on the Anglican Church in North America despite the fact that it now has 5 million parishoners in 10,000 parishes and the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada together have only three parishes and 500 communicants….
Fascinating parsing of words. I think that what he meant to say is that the Anglican Communion is like Nearly Headless Nick from Hogwarts – hanging on by a thread.
If ++Venables and ++Orombi can say:
“A liberal expression of Christianity is not Christianity [as we know it],†Bishop Venables said. Addressing this gap needs to take place before structural or legislative solutions are imposed on the church.
…
“Being an Anglican without knowing Jesus†conferred membership “in a club†and not in the true church, Archbishop Orombi said. Before a vote on a third province is taken, he said, “we have to see what happens to the Communion.â€
then they are clearly saying that “liberal Christians” are not a part of the AC. If that is not a schism, then what is?
So +Rowan’s happy that the can gets kicked down the road for a little while longer. OK. First, do no harm. And Integrity’s upset. And that’s good. If they really are upset. And 815 is still whistling past the graveyard on their way to continue shopping for millstones for to wear upon their collective necks (and you know how that ends).
Ready for the next move.
Rowan, the unwilling, leading by unknowing, has done so little with so much for so long that he can now do nothing with anything. Good thing that spiritual head of the anglican church was merely titular! God forbid he should DO anything with that alleged authority – moral or otherwise. No fear of Thomas a Becket opposition to usurpation by those colonials or even members of the CoE – but I mix my metaphors.
BfT19, the Nearly Headless Nick reference is so exquisitely apropos! For once we agree. Except that Rowan clearly is not in the league of the successfully decapitated by choice. Sir Nick’s beheading was botched by another.