Daily briefings are being released by the Anglican Communion Office, and while these have listed a number of the issues being discussed, such as what it means to be a primate in different regions of the Communion, they have not mentioned the big questions such as what the implications of the boycott might be for the future of the Anglican Communion; or what relationship these Primates can expect with their non-attending peers.
Paul Feheley, working with the Anglican Communion Office, said that the press was not being “gagged”; but there was a desire to keep the media away “to allow the Primates the space they need” to be able to have conversations “in a way that’s free”.
Of course, the absence of most of the conservatives means that there is no occasion for the briefing and counter-briefing that has been seen at earlier encounters of the Primates.
All, then, awaits the final communiqué, planned for Sunday afternoon, which is expected to deliver the conclusions of the Primates who are present. In the mean time, I count 22 Primates in a circle, deep in discussion ”” visible only from afar.
I was just thinking that reading the meetings of the bishops of the Anglican Communion called by +Canterbury is like reading historical snippets regarding the ‘fall of the Roman Empire.’
But that’s not a correct analogy since the Roman Empire had a central authority structure that gradually became less and less effective.
In the case of the Anglican Communion we have the pretense of an archbishop, +Canterbury, exercising authority by calling meetings and determining ‘who’s who’ and ‘who’s in and who’s out’ in the Communion but it is in fact just a pretense.
And, it seems that the Anglican Communion will just fade away over time and that a robust expression of “…the Faith once given…” will replace today’s Anglican Communion.
And its becoming more and more clear that that “robust expression” will come, with the exception of CANA, from nations other than Great Britain.
Eleves, please change my comment (#1.),
“And its becoming more and more clear that that “robust expression†will come, with the exception of CANA, from nations other than Great Britain.”
to read
“And its becoming more and more clear that that “robust expression†will come, with the exception of CANA, from nations other than the industrialized nations such as Great Britain.”
To AnglicanFirst, hang in there. I frequently share such despair. And the Primate’s Meeting does seem like some sort of grotesque Kabuki theater. However, I think the Anglican Communion has been in decline for at least the fast four decades, slowly but steadily losing a person here and a church there. The last decade has seemed like a sea change. Everything could come crashing down tomorrow . . . or there could already be a spark for something wonderful. Furthermore, I know too many great Brits to ever write off Great Britain, especially in a good fight.