The alternative theory is that the Anglican Communion is already entirely and irrevocably broken. The ’deep tearing’ of the ’fabric of communion’ which was warned about by the Primates in 2003 has taken placed unnoticed by an easily distracted media. Traditionalist Anglicans might have expected action to be taken in the wake of the Windsor Report and the call for a withdrawal of the American and Canadian Church’s from the counsels of the Communion. In contrast, their place at the table has been cemented. The Episcopal Church has two members on the newly styled Standing Committee of the Anglican Communion, all of its bishops bar one were invited to the Lambeth Conference. While it is true that an Anglican Covenant (if it is ever adopted by a majority of Provinces) might resolve future problems, it has no chance of resolving this one.
One-third of Anglican bishops refused the Archbishop’s invitation to attend the 2008 Lambeth Conference, it can no longer be pretended that there is a common Anglican ministry interchangeable throughout the world, and two Global South Primates have themselves stepped down from the Anglican Standing Committee. The only action which appears to have been taken in response to the consecration of Gene Robinson is the deliberate downgrading of the Primates’ Meeting to a committee which now meets irregularly and is ignored by its convenor.
While it is true that the demise of the Anglican Communion has been attended by no burial rites, or funeral orations, but make no mistake it is dead. Of course, there are still relationships throughout the world between Anglican Provinces, but the Anglican Communion as it was before the momentous events of 2003, is simply ”˜no more’. To echo the surrealist words of Monty Python, “It is a dead parrot.”
–Andrew Carey, Church of England Newspaper, May 20, 2010
“…Remarkable bird, id’nit, squire? Lovely plumage!
C: Look, I took the liberty of examining that parrot when I got it home, and I discovered the only reason that it had been sitting on its perch in the first place was that it had been NAILED there.
(pause)
O: Well, o’course it was nailed there! If I hadn’t nailed that bird down, it would have nuzzled up to those bars, bent ’em apart with its beak, and VOOM! Feeweeweewee!
C: “VOOM”?!? Mate, this bird wouldn’t “voom” if you put four million volts through it! ‘E’s bleedin’ demised!
O: No no! ‘E’s pining!
C: ‘E’s not pinin’! ‘E’s passed on! This parrot is no more! He has ceased to be! ‘E’s expired and gone to meet ‘is maker!
‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life, ‘e rests in peace! If you hadn’t nailed ‘im to the perch ‘e’d be pushing up the daisies!
‘Is metabolic processes are now ‘istory! ‘E’s off the twig!
‘E’s kicked the bucket, ‘e’s shuffled off ‘is mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin’ choir invisibile!!
THIS IS AN EX-PARROT!!
(pause)
O: Well, I’d better replace it, then.
(he takes a quick peek behind the counter)
O: Sorry squire, I’ve had a look ’round the back of the shop, and uh, we’re right out of parrots.
C: I see. I see, I get the picture.
O: I got a slug.”
I do not agree that we have reached this point at this time…but we are headed in that direction unless decisive action is take.
Amen to Andrew. Thank goodness. Someone has it right.
Unless it ia concluded that the Communion is dead because TEC and its allies are essential to its being, I can’t see how this diagnosis stands. Granted that the Communion may be financially poor without TEC money, but poverty is a holy vocation. The Sec. Gen. has now enforced those areas within the auhority of Canterbury and is inviting the Primates etc to take the futher steps necessary to enforce the Moratoria. Even the ENS article above admits that Windsor has been endorsed by the Instruments of Communion and now seems to challenge the authority not only of Canterbury but the other Instruments in the name of autonomy. This is a clear challenge. “The game’s afoot.”