Not all Primates want to interfere in ECUSA GC

ACNS 3522 | USA | 24 JULY 2003

Anglican leaders raise concerns regarding human sexuality; Archbishop of
Cape Town responds

by Matthew Davies

A gathering of over 60 worldwide Anglican leaders held a press conference yesterday at Truro Episcopal Church, Fairfax, Virginia (a suburb of Washington, DC), to raise awareness of their concerns regarding issues of human sexuality in the Episcopal Church and Anglican Communion.

Their discussions particularly focussed on the upcoming General Convention of the Episcopal Church, USA, where it may be decided to confirm the election of Canon Gene Robinson, the first openly gay man to be elected bishop in the Anglican Communion. The other chief concern is that the triennial Convention may vote to approve the blessing of same-sex unions.

Participants at the gathering included Anglican Primates and Archbishops, US Episcopal bishops and international Anglican bishops, clergy and laypersons.

Archbishops Peter Akinola of Nigeria, Bernard Malango of Central Africa, Emmanuel Kolini of Rwanda, Yong Ping Chung of South East Asia and Peter Jensen of Sydney, Australia, wrote a letter to the Primates of the Global South asking that they confirm their agreement with a statement that they had drafted. The text of the statement read:

"We, primates of the global south of the Anglican Communion wish to indicate to the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the USA that, should the Convention decide to confirm the election of Canon Gene Robinson as bishop or approve the blessing of same-sex unions or both, then we will convene within three months to confirm our view that ECUSA has thereby placed itself outside the boundaries of the Anglican Communion and that appropriate action will follow."

The Archbishop of Cape Town, the Most Revd Ndungane Njongonkulu, has responded to the request expressing that he "cannot in conscience and faith agree to support this draft statement".

"I believe that it is wrong and contrary to our Anglican Tradition and understanding of Canon Law to presume to interfere in the affairs of another Province," he said. "Such actions are a major threat to the fabric of our Communion. Let us respect the integrity of each Province."

Archbishop Ndungane was keen to proclaim that the Anglican Communion is bound together by shared links with the See of Canterbury and that "it would be profoundly inappropriate for any Province or any group of Provinces to presume to take on a role which properly belongs to the See of Canterbury, and with the whole Communion acting with the See of Canterbury."

"We need to approach each other with the love of Christ," he said. "We need to recognise that there are those who love our Lord on both sides of this difficult debate around human sexuality."

At the end of the statement the Archbishop said, "I would therefore plead with you my brothers to draw back from the way envisaged by the draft statement, and rather seek other ways of addressing our differences in the Body of Christ."