The suggestions included the development of a formal covenant agreement by which individual Anglican provinces would promise to act in union with the Anglican Communion as a whole on fundamental matters of faith and morals; the establishment of a “faith and order commission” that would provide guidance on matters of doctrine and morality; and the establishment of a “pastoral council” to address conflicts between provinces.<\/p>\n
The outcome of the July 16-August 3 Lambeth Conference “in many respects was positive”, …[Canadian Monsignor Donald] Bolen said.<\/p>\n
“A sense of direction emerged which was largely, but not universally agreed, and which should translate into greater cohesion within the Anglican Communion, giving it stronger boundaries and a stronger sense of identity.”<\/p>\n
In addition, he said, the Catholic participants at Lambeth were encouraged by the “strong support” shown for the call for moratoriums on blessing same-sex unions, on ordaining openly gay bishops and on violating the structure of the Anglican Communion by naming bishops outside one’s own jurisdiction.<\/p>\n
The practice has occurred when conservative Anglican provinces have named bishops for traditionalist Anglicans in the United States, where the US Episcopal Church has shown greater openness to homosexuals and has ordained women priests and bishops.<\/p>\n
Because the Anglican Communion has no strong central authority like the Pope, because the Lambeth Conference does not have legislative powers and because the jurisdictional authority of the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury is limited, “at best the conference indicates a direction,” Msgr Bolen said.<\/p>\n
“We went into the Lambeth Conference in a wait-and-see mode and we came out of it with some encouragement, but still waiting,” he said.<\/p>\n