New Zealand General Synod–Covenant section seen as 'punitive and unAnglican'

“Punitive, controlling and completely un-Anglican” ”“ that’s how Dr Tony Fitchett sees Section 4 of the proposed Covenant.

But even if General Synod were of a mind to toss that section out, holus bolus, now is not the time to do that, he suggested.

While there’s a feeling that the Covenant has been “done to death” and General Synod had the power, making that decision was important enough to warrant using the same mechanisms used for changing the constitution, for example.

He said there’d long been pressure for an instant decision.

Read it all.

Posted in * Anglican - Episcopal, Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, Anglican Covenant, Anglican Provinces

8 comments on “New Zealand General Synod–Covenant section seen as 'punitive and unAnglican'

  1. robroy says:

    The [url=http://accurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2010/05/silence-has-been-deafening-or-shine.html ]Anglican Curmudgeon takes the old ditherer[/url] to task and mentions that it appears that provinces on both sides won’t sign on to the Covenant. This announcement lends credence the AC’s prediction.

    Perhaps, we could restart the Windsor process from the beginning?

  2. LumenChristie says:

    The Anglican Covenant is Stillborn.

    Requiscat in Pacem.

  3. Reid Hamilton says:

    Good.

  4. tired says:

    I suppose Tony Fitchett, as arbiter of things Anglican, will be just as quick to denounce the heretical innovations of TEC/ACoC as un-Anglican.

    🙄

  5. dwstroudmd+ says:

    The covenant was not still born. It was deliberately aborted by colonialists. The chief colonialist made sure of it.

  6. art says:

    What is rather fascinating about this post from Lloyd Ashton media man of the Province is the amount of space devoted to one Tony Fitchett. For already on the web is the clear information two dioceses last year voted to affirm the Covenant at their local synods. So not all in Aotearoa New Zealand want to fall under the spell of TEC’s “Unanglican ways” – far from it!

  7. New Reformation Advocate says:

    Thanks for that welcome reminder, art (#6). And I’m glad that the Diocese of Nelson isn’t alone in affirming the Covenant.

    Part of the problem we’re facing, of course, is that there are currently no official arbiters of what is “Anglican” or “unAnglican.” That’s one of the symptoms of the disease that’s afflicting us.

    Gee, if Dr. Tony Fitchett thinks that section 4 of the Covenant is “punitive” and “controlling,” just imagine what he’d think of something that really was adequate to the challenge we face.

    It will be interesting to see how the discussions about what to do about the Covenant fare in Canada and the CoE, which also have Synods this summer.

    David Handy+

  8. art says:

    Indeed David Handy! Re both definitions/depictions of “Anglican identity” and other General Synods. Watch this space … prayerfully …