Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has scheduled a press conference Jan. 21 to announce the official launch of this summer’s Lambeth Conference. He will be joined by the Most Rev. Gerald (Ian) Ernest, Archbishop of the Indian Ocean, and the Most Rev. Ellison Pogo, Archbishop of Melanesia. Archbishops Ernest and Pogo are members of the Lambeth Design Team that has been planning the program.
OK, everybody, what questions do we want the press to ask him concerning the conference? And do we know any reliable press people invited to ask them?
Ah, the photo op!
Archbishop Earnest is the new head of CAPA as I understand it. One point of this press conference will surely be to demonstrate that the head of CAPA is involved in the Lambeth Conference, as is +Egypt et al.
#3 – Inasmuch as ACI, Fulcrum and likely others have been working to have the TEC VGR consecrators disinvited from Lambeth, which I tend to believe is one of the few things that could encourage certain primates that there is sufficient reason to attend, is there any possibility that the Archbishop may make indications of that on the 21st? Time is drawing short.
Here is (in part) what I wrote about +Ellison Pogo in 2004:
[i]Sir Ellison Pogo had been awarded a Knighthood of the British Empire. He has been known as a prominent spokesperson for the South Pacific in many international forums, and has been called a hero for his efforts to bring together warring factions. His church paid the price when seven members of the Melanesian Brotherhood lost their lives as the price of peacemaking. In March of this year [2004], he attended and advised a United States gathering of Episcopal Bishops who were planning for “Delegated Episcopal Pastoral Oversight,” and he was praised by Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold for his work. Ellison commented that “The Episcopal Church is very good at giving but not as good at receiving from others.”[/i]
“One point of this press conference will surely be to demonstrate that the head of CAPA is involved in the Lambeth Conference, as is +Egypt et al.” That is the main point, in my opinion.
This does not bode well for orthodoxy. The ABoC bends over backwards to give the appearance of balance. ++Ernest and ++Pogo are seen as more moderate-conservative than liberal and therefore they are there to balance a message that is less favorable to conservatives. If there were also to be a couple moderate-liberals (in addition to ++Rowan) at the press conference, that might be a small reason to hope for positive developments, but I sure don’t see it.
One hopes we will learn that the Design of the conference is to avoid any consideration of the real issues before the Communion as announced previously. PB Schori might have to have Beers write Rowan a letter otherwise.
#6 Alfonso- So is this a case where, as Walt Kelly would say, “We have met the enemy, and he is Pogo” ?
If I were the ABC I wouldn’t be making references to a “launch”. Vessels far worthier than the Anglican communion lie strewn across the N. Atlantic.
The key bit is the reaffirmation that over 600 have accepted. This will not be a small conference, and those who do not attend will be missing out on the chance to influence the final form of the Covenant – arguably the most important innovation in church life for over a century, and one which could ensure its orthodoxy. The Conservatives are in serious danger of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
#10
Hear, hear!
I fear any covenant will be processed to death as it will have to be accepted by each jurisdiction. Revisions will abound that will need to be reconciled. And even if it is universally accepted, one can expect from experience that its wording will be stretched to the limit amid protestations of compliance.
How about reexamining the extent to which the partial neutering of this Lambeth Gathering (i.e., moving away from the normal debate and decision-making) has helped enable ECUSA’s apostasy and ECUSA leaders’ abuse of power?
How about considering whether set-up, financing, and composition of the Lambeth bureaucracy undercuts what the Anglican Communion stands for? Why not go off the ECUSA dole?
“Most Rev Gerald (Ian) Ernest, Archbishop of the Indian Ocean”- That must be an ancient See!
14. Established in 1973 to be precise.
See!
Water you talking about? How many dioseas does it have?
What the orthodox must realize is that while it is unlikely that Lambeth would be the final victory in the fight, it is, nevertheless, an important battle.
TEC has now been drawn into making some extremely unwise, but very belligerent moves recently, which will undermine it internationally and likely with the ABC. Every invited orthodox bishops who is invited should attend Lambeth and (as Oprah would say) own their power.
Even if they don’t stage a coup as per the “New Reformation Advocate”, I think that they could probably pass several important resolutions such as:
1) a reaffirmation of Lambeth I.10
2) an affirmation that the CANA, AMiA, etc. bishops are full members of the Anglican Communion
3) an affirmation of the Dioceses of San Joaquin, Pittsburgh and Fort Worth and their bishops
4) a disapproval of TEC’s use of abusive and harassing litigation
5) a call on the other Instruments of Unity to discipline TEC in specific ways
Now I realize that the liberals will work to block all of these, and if passed, will work to ensure that they are never implemented. Well, nobody said it would be easy. This is no reason to avoid the field of battle.
At this point, the key is to keep the pressure on 815 and TEC. They are already beginning to crack. Go read some books on battle and fighting. In most cases, the trick is to goad the stronger party into losing its cool and so into making strategically and tactically unwise moves. I think that TEC has been so goaded. Now is not the time to loosen up!
#17. 7 dioceses, covering Madagascar, Mauritius and the Seychelles.
#18, it is my understanding that the ABC has already declared that Lambeth 2008 will not have resolutions on its agenda. Rather, the time will be taken up with discussions on critical issues such as the draft covenant. I agree with #10 that self-designated (my term not his) orthodox or conservative bishops should not boycott Lambeth but be there to contribute to the debates and discussions. It would be truly unwise for them to boycott.
Lambeth 2008 may not solve anything, but as every negotiator knows (e.g., those in fights over contracts between union and management), it is much better to keep talking and work to find a resolution than to break off talks (as in the present writers’ strike, which is going nowhere and damaging both sides).
The metaphors of warfare and the kinds of tactics #18 recommends will not help bring all members of the Communion together. They have done nothing so far except to cause division. I tend to agree with him that the enemies of 815 have goaded the leadership into responding, but they have left the leadership at this point with no alternative, unless they were to stand by and watch. And then bind up the wounds of those who remain.
Bob from Boone: If you think that KJS and 815 have no alternatives to what they are currently doing, you lack both wisdom and imagination.
If KJS had kept her word, and pushed for the DES Communique to be implemented – had she used her reputed great leadership powers and her moral suasion to persuade TEC’s HOB to accept the Pastoral Plan, then no diocese or parish would have left TEC from the date such Plan would have been accepted.
What will most help to heal the Communion now is for 815 legal standing to be completely and utterly cut away from beneath it by the official organs of the Communion. This will force 815 to come to the bargaining table IN GOOD FAITH and negotiate a fair solution to the problem.
But, no, KJS verbally agreed to the DES Communique when she was there that left NO OTHER PRIMATE with any doubt as to what the verbal affirmation meant, then came home and promptly broke her word and repudiated the agreement.
Then even after she violated her word, and DSJ responded, the moderate Dan Martin provided another possible course of action for KJS.
KJS and 815 have proceeded with as much violence, harassment and intimidation as is possible under the laws of the USA against the bishops, clergy and laypeople who oppose them.
A correction to the paragraph mix-up in my last post:
Bob from Boone: If you think that KJS and 815 have no alternatives to what they are currently doing, you lack both wisdom and imagination.
If KJS had kept her word, and pushed for the DES Communique to be implemented – had she used her reputed great leadership powers and her moral suasion to persuade TEC’s HOB to accept the Pastoral Plan, then no diocese or parish would have left TEC from the date such Plan would have been accepted.
But, no, KJS verbally agreed to the DES Communique when she was there that left NO OTHER PRIMATE with any doubt as to what the verbal affirmation meant, then came home and promptly broke her word and repudiated the agreement.
Then even after she violated her word, and DSJ responded, the moderate Dan Martin provided another possible course of action for KJS.
KJS and 815 have proceeded with as much violence, harassment and intimidation as is possible under the laws of the USA against the bishops, clergy and laypeople who oppose them.
What will most help to heal the Communion now is for 815’s legal standing to be completely and utterly cut away from beneath it by the official organs of the Communion. This will force 815 to come to the bargaining table IN GOOD FAITH and negotiate a fair solution to the problem.
#22 jamesw:
Really? You’re sure about that? Because my recollection is that when the DES communique came out, there was much hemming and hawing amongst the reasserting crowd over whether the DES version of “APO” was acceptable or not. I’m not at all convinced that even had it been implemented that it would have stopped all, or even most, of those parishes and dioceses determined to break off.