The Anglican Communion Institute receives favorably the news that considerable canonical discussion took place, or was sought, by as many as 36 Bishops in yesterday’s proceedings. It is significant that over a quarter of the House of Bishops (and, including the probable votes of those not present, it would be close to a third) voted against this deposition, many apparently on the basis that the Presiding Bishop and her supporters were overturning the constitutional and canonical foundations of the church on this matter. The legitimacy of the House’s action and the Presiding Bishop’s leadership has been placed in serious question before the eyes of the Communion and the larger public. No one should minimize the role this may play in the unfolding re-establishment of the Communion’s common life.
Over the past weeks we have been pleased to be able to post Mr Mark McCall’s discussion of these and other matters, of interest to all who do not wish to see the constitution and canons of The Episcopal Church bent to foreign purpose. The Communion Partner Bishops and many others on this occasion clearly recognized the danger of dismissing procedures put in place precisely to avoid preemptive deposition of a Bishop of the Church (the inhibition phase and a required majority of all Bishops). We are grateful for their witness. We will shortly be posting a response from Mr McCall on the issue of hierarchy and canonical order in TEC. This addresses a paper, prepared for a group in Pittsburgh , defending a form of hierarchy which arguably extends to what was manifested in yesterday’s vote to depose.
[blockquote] No one should minimize the role this may play in the unfolding re-establishment of the Communion’s common life. [/blockquote]
They’ve got that right. I suspect there’s a bunch of other, big shoes about to drop soon.
No such thing is unfolding. There is a new common life coming into being, but it is not unfolding, it is not the Communion’s, and it is not a re-establishment of anything. It is not “unfolding” but is instead being laboriously built at great personal cost, living stone upon living stone, against all opposition from the Institutionalists. It is not “the Communion’s” because The Communion, in all its Institutionalist manifestations, has failed to bring about what is needed and has instead been co-opted by those who are filled with disdain and contempt for “the Communion.” And it is not “re-establishing” anything; the faithful Anglican leaders we have around the world are leaving the failed Institutionalists to their own crumbling colonial establishment, praise God.
It is significant that over a quarter of the House of Bishops (and, including the probable votes of those not present, it would be close to a third) voted against this deposition, many apparently on the basis that the Presiding Bishop and her supporters were overturning the constitutional and canonical foundations of the church on this matter.
If you do not believe that such a deposition is possible under the Constitution and Canons, then why would you vote? You would abstain.
If you see an injustice being done, you fight it with any means at hand rather than looking the other way, as people turn away from a mugging or worse, leaving the victim to possible murder. Cowardice is the word that comes to mind. But don’t worry, Beerkat have played into the Lord’s hands and made +Duncan’s (yes, “+”) standing in the Communion at large even higher.
[blockquote] “The Anglican Communion Institute receives favorably the news that considerable canonical discussion took place, or was sought, by as many as 36 Bishops in yesterday’s proceedings.” [/blockquote]
The operation was a failure but the patient lived.