Members of synod for the Episcopal Church of Cuba narrowly voted in favour of returning to the church\u2019s former affiliation with The Episcopal Church at their recent meeting last month in Cardenas, Cuba.<\/p>\n
The move came two months after the historic decision by the United States and Cuba to re-establish diplomatic relations after a 54-year hiatus. The Cuban church had been part of a province in The Episcopal Church until the 1959 revolution, which made travel and communication between the two churches difficult. The Metropolitan Council of Cuba (MCC)\u201d\u201dwhich includes primates of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Province of West Indies and The Episcopal Church\u201d\u201dwas subsequently created to provide support and oversight.<\/p>\n
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and Archdeacon Michael Thompson, general secretary, attended the synod\u201d\u201dwhich ran from Feb. 19 to 22\u201d\u201das representatives of the MCC.<\/p>\n
Hiltz said the vote on that resolution, which was 39 in favour and 33 against, showed that the synod was divided on the issue. \u201cWhen the results of the vote were announced, there was just absolute silence,\u201d\u009d he said. \u201cThere were some people that were feeling a sense of victory and others who were feeling a real sense of loss.\u201d\u009d<\/p>\n