So, The Episcopal Church has decided to go its own way, making official its view that whatever heterosexuals may do, so may gays. The dissenting bishops, which included John Howe of the Diocese of Central Florida, essentially said that in their dioceses, they will not go along with the new policies, and there is no plausible way they can be compelled to do so. These bishops also expressed a commitment to “our communion with the See of Canterbury.”
That is a reference to Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams. The dissenters are pinning their hopes on the chance that Williams will declare The Episcopal Church is no longer in fellowship with his office. That would have little practical effect, because each constituent part of the Anglican Communion is independent, but it would have a lot of symbolic meaning. For one thing, it would mean that even so cultured and thoughtful a leader as Williams might refuse to go along with The Episcopal Church’s decision.
The Americans have put Williams in a difficult position. The Episcopal Church’s Presiding Bishop, Katharine Jefforts Schori, wrote to Williams following the convention, explaining why her church has not broken faith with their fellow Anglicans, but that is wishful thinking.
Williams has 36 other Anglican churches around the world to deal with, a majority of which think that The Episcopal Church has done a radical and unsupportable thing. As one conservative, Bishop Tom Wright of Durham, England, wrote in The (U.K.) Times, last week’s action marks a break: “In the slow-moving train crash of international Anglicanism, a decision taken in California has finally brought a large coach off the rails altogether. Both the bishops and deputies (lay and clergy) of (The Episcopal Church) knew exactly what they were doing.”
But ousting The Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion would be an unprecedented step, very un-Anglican, and it’s more likely Williams will play for time, hoping to find some way to keep all his constituent Anglican churches in the same orbit.
[blockquote]But ousting The Episcopal Church from the Anglican Communion would be an unprecedented step, very un-Anglican, and it’s more likely Williams will play for time, hoping to find some way to keep all his constituent Anglican churches in the same orbit.[/blockquote]
That’s like saying the Pope leans Catholic in his beliefs or that bears will routinely relieve themselves in forested environs. What is more important than the (in)actions of the archditherer are those of the Global South Primates. Personally, I think they will remain in the AC while also remaining out of communion with TEC, secure in the knowledge that the Western AC is increasingly enervated, decrepit and bleeding membership daily. It’s just a matter of time before a GS Archbishop is able to lay claim to leadership of the AC, at which point the apostates and heretics can start counting their days in it.
I think there’s the strong possibility that the Anglican Covenant is going to provide the way for Rowan Cantuar to resolve the dilemma……IF TEC signs onto it. ++Jefferts Schori has repeatedly said that they will not, and therein lies the problem.
Is TEC going to continue to go off on their own? Sure! Do they care about the rest of the Communion? They SAY they do, but so far, they haven’t PROVEN that they do. Their actions have spoken a LOT louder than their words, so I think the solution to ++Williams’ dilemma is to LET THEM GO.
And so, to the Archbishop of Canterbury, I say this:
It’s time for you to make the decision which you know you MUST make, Your Grace. Choose this day whom you will serve: The Episcopal Church, or Christ and His Church in the Anglican Communion.
There IS a difference.
The thing is, Cennydd, that Rowan has played goaltender for TEC so long that, should he suddenly do what is right, they would have a legitimate gripe that he’s betrayed them.