ENS reports:
The Most Rev. Dr. Robin Eames, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, delivered the 2005 Pitt Lecture at the Berkeley Divinity School at Yale October 12, issuing a warning on the future of World Anglicanism.
The full text of his lecture Where now for World Anglicanism? can be found here.
30 CommentsHansard has published the full text of yesterday’s debate in the House of Lords. You can read it all, starting here
and, after a short unrelated business item, continuing here.
The speeches by bishops can be found as follows:
Bishop of St Albans
Bishop of Oxford
Lord Carey of Clifton
Bishop of London
Lord Habgood
and a short intervention by the Bishop of Winchester
Tomorrow there will be a House of Lords debate on euthanasia.
The churches issued this joint press release:
Nine leaders from six major British faith groups join together in unprecedented stand against assisted suicide and euthanasia
Richard Harries wrote this column in the Observer today: To be or not to be? It’s not our choice
The BBC Sunday programme lead with a related story:
Assisted Dying Listen here with Real Audio (8 minutes)
The House of Lords will debate a Select Committee report on assisted dying tomorrow. There is no doubt where the major faiths stand on the issue. They are opposed. On Friday nine leaders from six major British faith groups, Christians, Muslims, Sikhs, Jews, Hindus and Buddhists, warned against any changes in the present law on assisted dying and euthanasia. The difference between the two is that euthanasia occurs when an outsider takes action to end someone’s life for compassionate reasons, while in the case of assisted dying an individual is helped to take their own life.
The Archbishop of Canterbury wrote an article in the Mail on Sunday which you can read about
here (the actual article seems not to be online) and also here. There is however a report that Peer rethinks euthanasia Bill plans while the Independent reports ‘Do-it-yourself’ euthanasia clinic to open in Britain.
Earlier this year, the Bishop of St Albans spoke in the General Synod on this topic: you can read the full text of that speech here and the motion that was passed is here. The synod briefing paper can be downloaded (RTF) from here.
More recently, Bishop Herbert has criticised the British Medical Journal for publishing five articles (including an editorial) effectively in favour of euthanasia but only one article against it. See details here. An earlier article by the bishop on this topic can be found here.
He also wrote The chilling ‘therapeutic option’ for the Church Times in September.
2 CommentsBefore the Sentamu confirmation event, Stephen Bates wrote this piece for the Guardian: A pivotal moment which asks whether the Church of England’s first black archbishop can bring new impetus to a communion on the brink of schism…
After the service, Geoffrey Rowell wrote A new knot in the net that links communities in fellowship
for the Credo slot in The Times.
Ruth Gledhill reviews two books about Opus Dei in A wholesome reality shines beyond the dark conspiracy.
Earlier in the week Simon Jenkins had written in the Guardian that: London should keep its hands off the treasures of the north which deals mainly, but not exclusively, with the Zurbaran pictures at Auckland Castle. He says:
I am sure the Church of England would never think of selling its London treasures to meet its property losses. It would never part with the Westminster Abbey reredos, the Litlyngton Missal or the Charter of Offa. In St Paul’s Cathedral, works by Grinling Gibbons, Jean Tijou and Henry Moore are, we can assume, secure for the time being.
Christopher Howse writes in the Telegraph about A burglary in the Abbey but this turns out to have been in an earlier period.
1 CommentA new General Synod is elected every five years and meets two or three times a year. It comprises three Houses: Bishops, Clergy and Laity. The number of members given below is for the 2005-2010 Synod.
Members vote according to their own conscience; nobody can instruct them how to vote.
Members vote as individuals; there is no voting by diocese as in the USA. The results of votes are decided by counting the numbers of members voting for and against a motion. In most cases the count is of the whole Synod and a simple majority is required for a motion to be passed. Sometimes each House votes separately (and then each House must vote in favour) and in some of these cases a two-thirds majority is required in each House.
A simplified account of how Synod is elected follows below the fold.
1 CommentJim Naughton the Communications Director for the Diocese of Washington has published Archbishop Eames Speaks at Cathedral, VTS which contains an account of the questions asked at the public lectures, as well as from an interview with Eames. One quote:
During an interview at the college, Eames expressed concern over the role that wealthy conservative donors in the United States were playing in the current controversy. He said he was “quite certain” that many church leaders in the developing world had been offered financial inducements to distance themselves from the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada.
“I think it is happening, I just don’t think it is moral,” Eames said. “Is it the might of finance that will influence a theological outlook, and then that outlook come to dominate he Communion?
“It raises a serious question for me: what is the real nature of their faith and their Anglicanism? It is certainly different from mine.”
Conservative leaders have said they are simply trying to help poor provinces that cannot in good conscience accept financial support from provinces that differ with them on the issue of homosexuality.
Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, on the American TV network PBS has its Anglican Communion Update which also contains an interview with Eames. More detail of the interview with Kim Lawton is on this page.
3 CommentsI’ve now collected most of the Synod election results. The missing results are
Armed Services
Bath and Wells (clergy)
Carlisle
Chester (Chester archdeaconry laity)
Exeter
Gloucester
Newcastle
Norwich
Ripon and Leeds (laity)
Salisbury (laity)
Sodor & Man
Truro
Winchester (laity)
Channel Islands
London University
Other Universities (Southern)
Other Universities (Northern)
If you have any of the missing results please email them to me here.
People will be trying to analyze the new Synod. Here is an attempt by Church Society to do this for the diocesan bishops and an analysis by their general secretary David Phillips.
19 CommentsAn article All-embracing partnership Act by Joshua Rozenberg in yesterday’s Telegraph discusses the Civil Partnership Act and previews a lecture to be given later this month on the subject. The article points out that:
As the distinguished family lawyer Stephen Cretney explains in his Clarendon Lectures, to be delivered in Oxford later this month and published by Oxford University Press, the new legislation does not require civil partners to be homosexual or indeed to have a sexual relationship of any kind. They do not even need to live together.
The benefits on offer under the Civil Partnership Act 2004 are available to pretty well any unrelated couple of the same sex aged 16 or over, provided neither of them is already married.
And it goes on to say:
Dr Cretney recognises that friends who simply share common interests may be deterred from registering as partners by the fear that their friends would wrongly assume that they were homosexual. But he points out that no less a body than the Bishops of the Church of England has explained that civil partnership is “not predicated on the intention to engage in a sexual relationship”.
On the difference between this and marriage, it notes that:
…there are significant differences between the two relationships, despite attempts by ministers to suggest otherwise. Unlike marriage, civil partnership law has no problem with promiscuity: although adultery coupled with intolerability opens the door to divorce, sexual infidelity does not provide a basis for dissolving a civil partnership. Similarly, although a marriage is voidable on the ground that either party is incapable of consummating it, there is nothing comparable in the Civil Partnership Act.
Another difference was designed to appease those who believe that “gay marriage” is against God’s law. Although two people of the opposite sex may choose to marry in a place of worship, civil partners have no such choice: the law says that “no religious service is to be used while the civil partnership registrar is officiating at the signing of a civil partnership document”.
The whole article is an excellent summary of the position.
Update
An earlier Guardian article mentioned that the Association of Registration and Celebratory Services in conjunction with the Society of Registration Officers has drafted A CEREMONY FOR CIVIL PARTNERSHIPS for optional use within those local authorities that choose to do so. It’s important to realise that individual local authorities have very considerable discretion in such matters, and also that wholly civil ceremonies not only for births, marriages, and deaths, but also for wedding anniversaries, adoptions, etc. is a fast-growing activity in the UK. This is the context in which this particular draft needs to be seen.
Update
Parts of the Guardian interview have also been published in Uganda, see New Vision under the headline Dr. Sentamu prepared to ordain women bishops.
The routine formal Church of England confirmation ceremony for its diocesan bishops got more attention than usual yesterday when the new Archbishop of York, John Sentamu underwent the process.
Stephen Bates in the Guardian actually got to talk to him beforehand and has an interview with him in From Uganda with love … Church of England’s new No 2 spells out his creed. Some sample quotes:
Dr Sentamu said: “Some of our disagreements are not Christian really … It seems to suggest that all the great evils of the world are being perpetrated by gay and lesbian people, which I cannot believe to be the case. What is wrong in the world is that people are sinful and alienate themselves from God and you do not have to be gay to do that. To suggest that to be gay equals evil, I find that quite unbelievable.
“Is somebody saying a gay and lesbian can’t live in Christ? What matters in the end to me is to do what my mother said to me as a little child: John, never point a finger at anybody because when you do three other fingers are pointing back at you. All of us are sinners, all of us have baggage. Why should my baggage as a heterosexual be more acceptable than the baggage of a gay person?”
Other newspaper reports:
Telegraph Jonathan Petre Black archbishop vows to speak out
Independent Ian Herbert Refugee who fled Amin is confirmed as archbishop
Other web reports:
Times Online Simon Freeman Church welcomes its first black archbishop
BBC First black Archbishop confirmed
Pictures and an explanation for those not familiar with the process, at ACNS here.
The new archbishop has also been appointed to the Privy Council. Further explanation here.
14 CommentsSo far I have about 40% of the General Synod election results; you can see them here. If you have any of the missing results please email them to me here.
0 CommentsThe Anglican Communion: A Growing Reality was the title of a lecture given by Archbishop Robin Eames at Virginia Theological Seminary on 4 October. The full text can be found on ENS here.
A further lecture by him is scheduled for tomorrow. I will add another link here when it is available.
Update
The full text of the second lecture, The Anglican Communion: What Communion? is now available on ENS here. This lecture is essential reading.
Press Reports Update
Reuters has reported on this in Top Anglican cleric warns against gay rights split
The Living Church has Archbishop Eames: More Must Be Done to Heal Breach in Communion
The Church Times today (went to press Wednesday evening) also carries a very brief report, under the heading Anglican pain and referring mainly to the section on reconciliation. It starts this way:
32 CommentsThe Archbishop of Armagh, Dr Robin Eames, spoke this week about the “hurt and dismay” caused by the present dispute about sexuality and authority in the Anglican Communion. In a pair of lectures at the Virginia Theological Seminary, where he received an honorary doctorate, Dr Eames said: “The impressions of the Anglican Communion I gained in the preparation of the Windsor report are dominated by one word: pain.”
We haven’t reported on this topic since July.
Jonathan Petre in the Telegraph had a story today about one possible compromise, Williams may give up consecration role over women.
This suggests that traditionalists might accept something less than a “third province solution” if the archbishop did not himself consecrate women bishops (something like the custom in London whereby the diocesan bishop hasn’t for some years now ordained any women (or men) priests personally).
The story doesn’t explain how this would work in the Northern Province: presumably the Archbishop of York would have to take some similar action there. And it would seem unlikely that this solution would work if either archbishop was herself female.
The September issue of New Directions had an article by the Bishop of Guildford, who is chairing the working group producing specific recommendations for the synod to consider: Going forward:
What provision should be made for those who cannot recognize women bishops? The Rt Rev. Christopher Hill, the Bishop of Guildford, bears the responsibility for discerning the possible answer, and here gives a personal view of the issues involved.
The reactions of the flying bishops to the synod vote in July can be found on the Forward in Faith website: Beverley, Ebbsfleet, Richborough, and also Fulham.
30 CommentsHere is a press release from the host diocese:
30 September 2005
The Episcopal Diocese of Egypt welcomes the Third Anglican Global South to South Encounter
From 25th – 30th October 2005, about 120 delegates, representing 20 provinces within the Anglican Communion, from Africa, Asia and Latin America, will be meeting in Egypt for their third Global South Encounter. The Conference will take place at the Red Sea.
We, here in Egypt, are honored and privileged to be hosting this historic gathering of Anglican Archbishops, bishops, priests and laypersons from throughout the Global South. We also believe it will be a special time of encouraging one another, learning from each other, and most importantly, praying together. Our focus will be on “One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church”. This Conference is important as it is being held at a critical time in the life of the Anglican Communion.
I warmly welcome the news that Archbishop Rowan Williams has accepted the invitation of the Global South Working Committee and will join us for part of the Conference. This will be his second visit to Egypt and we are most grateful to him for taking the time out of his busy schedule for this occasion.
Throughout the Biblical story, from Abraham to Jesus, Egypt symbolized a divine place of refuge and sanctuary. From the patriarch Abraham going to Egypt during a time of famine, to the tribe of Israel moving to Egypt when there was famine in their land, to the Holy Family escaping Herod to Egypt to protect the Christ child. Egypt symbolized God meeting His people in their time of need. So Egypt in the Scriptures reminds us of God’s faithfulness. Our prayer is that during this Encounter, God will provide spiritual refreshment and new ministry vision to all who attend. As we gather by the Red Sea, may we be reminded of the presence of God among us and His unfailing promises.
It is worth mentioning that the first South to South Encounter was held in Limuru, Kenya, 1994 and the second was held in Kuala Lampur in 1997. Today we are excited to welcome all attendees and we encourage them to come to Egypt with a sense of expectation for the presence of God. It is a real honor for us to have this gathering in our land.
The Rt. Rev. Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis
Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Egypt, North Africa and the Horn of Africa
Cairo, Egypt
The counts of the elections to General Synod will be taking place over the next few days and I shall be listing the names of successful candidates here.
If anyone can help me by supplying these names for the laity or clergy of any diocese or for any of the special constituencies please let me know by emailing me here.
I’ll post updates as the results come in.
3 CommentsA document has been issued by the Recife Diocesan Standing Committee. This is reproduced in full below the fold. It can also be found linked from the official diocesan site.
An alternative view is presented in a document which can be found on the American Anglican council blogsite, here.
In case you are wondering which body is the real Anglican Diocese of Recife, you can check here.
Update
The Presiding Bishop of the Southern Cone, Gregory Venables has intervened in Brazil, see
SOUTHERN CONE PRIMATE ACCEPTS REJECTED BISHOP AND CLERGY
Text of Abp Venables’ letter
These events are also reported by TLC in Southern Cone Primate Annexes Brazilian Diocese
29 CommentsThe Church of England Newspaper reported the publication of the new book on the Windsor Report under the headline Anglican liberals attack Windsor report.
Andrew Linzey has commented on a significant inaccuracy in this report in a letter to the CEN editor. The text appears here below the fold.
14 CommentsIn The Times Alan Webster writes about Coram and Barnardo’s in A vision that inspires hard work and high ideals for the next generation.
Christopher Howse in the Telegraph writes about the Spiritual side of Trafalgar. Over at the Tablet, he reviews the latest book on Opus Dei by John Allen, Out of the shadows.
The Guardian godslot is written by Alex Wright:
We need a more nuanced debate about religion, and must stop seeing it in terms of being either a fantasy or a destructive force…
Giles Fraser writes in the Church Times about the Silly season of political conference and Synod.
Church Times readers of this week’s Press column may find the full version of the article in the New Yorker (which is quoted by Andrew Brown) here at INTELLIGENT DESIGN by Paul Rudnick.
Returning to the Tablet Robert Mickens reports on the meeting between the Pope and Hans Kung in New-found harmony?
0 CommentsFrom the official Nigerian website:
PRESS BRIEFING BY THE PRIMATE OF ALL NIGERIA, THE MOST REV’D PETER J. AKINOLA ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2005 which should be read in full, but includes this:
To refresh your memories, in Onitsha we took a number of actions to clarify our commitment to the apostolic faith. One of the things we did to strengthen this position was to amend our constitution.
Our amended constitution deleted all such references that hold colonial intonation defining us with the See of Canterbury and replaced them with a new provision of Communion with all Anglican Churches, Dioceses and Provinces that hold and maintain the Historic Faith, Doctrine, Sacrament and Discipline of the one Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.
This action has been largely misrepresented by those who think that schism in the Anglican Church has become inevitable following the disarray the United States and the Canadian Churches brought on the Communion because of their revisionist agenda on homosexuality. And most recently the House of Bishops of the Church of England’s apparent double-speak on the Civil Partnerships Act that comes into force by December 5, this year.
There is also this paragraph towards the end of the much earlier release MESSAGE TO THE NATION
CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX DOCTRINE ON HUMAN SEXUALITY:
The Synod condemns the position the House of Bishops of the Church of England has taken regarding human sexuality which runs contrary to the decision taken at the All Primates Meetings, and commends the untiring effort of our Primate and other like-minded Primates for maintaining their stand on Christian orthodoxy, and calls on all doctrinally alert Anglican to stand up in defence of New Testament Christianity, as opposed to the revisionist theology of ECUSA, the Church of Canada and the Church of England.
And this Open Letter from the Archbishop of Nigeria to his Fellow Anglican Leaders (which I haven’t yet found on the official website)
The press briefing (first item above) has resulted in press reports such as:
Mail & Guardian Online Nigerian archbishop warns of break with mother church
Washington Post Nigerian Warns of Split From British Church
Reuters Nigeria archbishop sees pro-gays leaving Anglicanism
An earlier report, in the Church Times of last week, is here: Nigerians distance themselves from Canterbury
35 CommentsAn article appeared in last week’s Church Times:
Why Archbishop Akinola is wrong.
This was written by Francis Bridger and Graham Kings of Fulcrum.
They had originally titled it “From Communion to Association: Nigerian disconnections”. The article deserves careful reading.
Update
A letter appeared in the Church Times the following week and is now available on the Fulcrum website. The letter is from Dr Philip Giddings, Canon Dr Chris Sugden, Canon Ben Enwuchola, and Canon Martyn Minns and can be read here (scroll down a bit).
Further Update
An interesting response by Ephraim Radner to the article (and the letter) can be found here.
A book has just been published which is entitled Gays and the Future of Anglicanism but which is in fact a series of 22 essays (plus an Introduction and an Afterword) all of which are critical responses to the Windsor Report.
The book information can be found here, from the publisher, and from Amazon (American version of that page here).
titusonenine has already mentioned it here and here and also Fr Jake here.
Ekklesia has this report.
The full text of what Archbishop Barry Morgan said about it can be found below the fold.
13 Comments