The four international speakers who have addressed the house all spoke critically of The Episcopal Church’s failure to consult adequately with its partners. They also mentioned how the church has made things worse by responding to requests for explanation with excuses about polity and cleverly worded statements that are contradicted by facts on the ground. Bishop Mouneer Anis of Egypt, Primate of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and the Middle East, had the most pointed criticism, but the criticism from Archbishop Phillip Aspinall of Australia came as something of a surprise because he and the Province of Australia are generally regarded as friendly to The Episcopal Church.
“We are deeply, tragically, horribly ”˜stuck,’ not only in The Episcopal Church, but in the Anglican Communion as a whole,” said Bishop John Howe of Central Florida in the preface of a resolution he proposed. “In the past three days we have heard again what we already knew, that we have damaged our relationships with many parts of the Communion by failing to give sufficient attention to ”˜common discernment,’ and by moving ahead with decisions in the area of human sexuality before the rest of the Anglican family is able to accept those decisions.”
Bishop Howe’s was one of at least two new resolutions known to be circulating for the first time since Friday. He does not think any of the proposals has achieved any momentum. This makes the job of the writing group appointed by Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori much more difficult.