U.S Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori, leader of the liberals, called for calm and said: “It is possible that aspects of this matter may change in the next 14 months.”
But, judging by the furious reaction to Williams’ decision, the chances of bridging the yawning chasm between liberals and conservatives look as slim as ever.
In the liberal camp, Integrity USA President Susan Russell accused Williams of lacking leadership, by not inviting Robinson, and said: “He has allowed himself to be blackmailed by forces promoting bigotry and exclusion in the Anglican Communion.”
Minns, in turn, said: “It should be remembered that this crisis in the Anglican Communion is not about a few individual bishops but about a worldwide Communion that is torn at its deepest level.”
British religious commentator Clifford Longley, reflecting on the harsh rhetoric being bandied around, told Reuters: “In trying to maintain this entity called the Anglican Communion, Williams’ job has become virtually impossible.”
“Maybe this is the point when it is brought home to the Americans that this is not a pain-free option.”
As I said elsewhere, perhaps the best thing that could happen for the Communion is to let the extremists from the right and the left to remove themselves from Lambeth and the majority in the center to emerge.
Imho, a lot still depends (or should depend) upon TEC’s actions in the next several months. TEC has the opportunity to declare whether it wants to walk apart or not (all indications so far, are that it intends to walk apart). If TEC continues its path, so be it, and Williams should rescind the invitation to most of the TEC bishops. The only way to avoid some realignment is if TEC repents. If TEC doesn’t repent, the only way to salvage some form of a recognizable Anglican Communion is for TEC to be given the boot.
It would look like 1 where people don’t believe too much, do what they want and are told they can feel good about themselves.
One does get tired of reading the everused BIG LIE–as did Susan Russell in this story–that those who believe in traditional Christian morality are guilty of bigotry. In fact, it is rare for those in favor of tearing down Christian morality to Not throw this slander around. But, of course, such accusations in the American context are supposed to immediately intimidate one’s opponents into becoming silent. Fortunately, most people are intelligent enough to see through
this discredited strategy and see it for what it is.
I read that Bp Calalcanti of Recife hasn’t been invited either. It was my understanding that the Most Rev. Gregory Venables, Primate of the Southern Cone of America, extended protection to Bishop Cavalcanti and his clergy in their unprecedented excommunication at the suggestion and/or with the support of the ABC.
After the Dar Es Salaam debacle, the threats of the African bishops to boycott Lambeth are hollow at best. They howled about how they weren’t going to attend Dar Es Salaam if Schori was invited and/or attended. She did. Then they did. Then they howled about how they were going to refuse to take Holy Communion with her. Only seven did that, most of whom weren’t from Africa.
The orthodox were assured that “this was it” and that measures would be taken. They weren’t. Not only did the African bishops totally cave on all the threats they made, they went 180 degrees the other way. They elevated and empowered Schori by electing her to the Primates Standing Committee. To say that she was elected by default, because Canada and Mexico were either vacant or about to be, doesn’t hold because they could have left the seat on Standing Committee vacant. They wanted her there.
The African bishops say they won’t attend Lambeth? Wanna bet? The African bishops are not who they claim to be.
Dave W. Would you care to give us a list of which Primates didn’t receive Communion? I think most were African. Also, it was not the African primates who elected KJS to the Standing Committee. KJS is the rep. from the Americas. It is the American provinces who elected here. The Africans elected Abp. Orombi.
I’m not trying to defend the African Archbishops. Just want Dave to have his facts straight.
I truly hope we don’t see geographic game-playing or setting the African GS bishops against the other GS bishops. That would be a tragedy. (One of the things about the Global South movement that so excited me a few years ago was its cross-ethnic and non-geographic nature. Its 4 most prominent Primates and leaders back in 2003 were ++Akinola, ++Gomez, ++Venables and ++Yong, representing Africa, Caribbean, S. America & Asia. If that unity across regions and continents is lost it will be tragic.
Oh and since Dave W. may not bother to give us the list of which Primates didn’t receive Communion in Tanzania, you can read it here.
http://www.anglican-nig.org/GSPrimates_in_Tanzania.htm
Last time I checked 5 of 7 was a pretty good majority. So much for Dave’s “most weren’t even African.” Sorry Dave.
Karen B:
I humbly stand corrected. Yes, I did post claims that were not factual. Mea culpa. I only remember reading about how it was Abp Venables who refused Communion with Schori, and some others who were not from Africa.
I am glad to see that you do not defend the African Primates. In my estimation, they have betrayed the U.S. orthodox. Again, I could very well be wrong, but the story I got was that it was within their power to leave that seat on the Primates’ Standing Committee vacant. I understand that Schori is the North American representative. But as I understand it, the African Primates could have taken steps to prevent her from being put on that Standing Committee and they didn’t, which indicates their approval and accepatance of her.
So now when I hear about how the African Primates are “threatening” not to attend Lambeth, I take it as a boy who cried wolf story. I no longer believe that the African Primates mean what they say. I believe that the so-called September 30th deadline will come and go and they won’t do anything. I’ve lost all confidence in them and respect for them. I have no faith in their leadership and cannot see any future for Anglicanism any more if it’s left in their hands than it would be left in the hands of the US revisionists.