Giles Fraser foresaw this event when he wrote his column published in today’s Church Times entitled Wormwood with the Primates:
Allow them to do our work for us. The fact that they won’t take communion together is a cracking start.
Jan Nunley has the scriptural context for the quotation used in the press release at Global South Seven refuse Eucharist. She also has this picture of Archbishop Akinola fending off the press.
As Jim Naughton notes this is less of a big deal than the last time, but the Associated Press wasn’t on hand for that.
According to Stephen Bates in the paperback edition of his book, fourteen refused to communicate at Dromantine:
Footnote 22 on page 319:
The following primates are understood to have declined to take Communion with the Archbishop of Canterbury: West Indies, Southern Cone, Pakistan, Uganda, Nigeria, Central Africa, Kenya, Rwanda, Congo, Tanzania, West Africa, Indian Ocean, South East Asia, Sudan.
Jim Naughton has some information to report relating to Drexel Gomez’s view on this.
George Conger has a report for the Living Church about what happened: Communion Broken, Says Global South:
News of the broken communion arose at an impromptu press briefing at 1:30 p.m., given by Canon James Rosenthal, director of communications for the Anglican Consultative Council. Canon Rosenthal said that some of the Global South primates had attended the corporate Eucharist that day, the first of the conference.
This followed a press chase of Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria shortly after the primates’ broke for lunch and worship. Dressed in mufti, Archbishop Akinola was spotted by reporters lounging in the lobby on the second floor of the White Sands Hotel, site of the conference.
As Archbishop Akinola descended the stairs, with a sheet of papers and file folders in his hand, a paparazzi frenzy began as photographers, reporters and television cameras descended upon the Nigerian church leader.
As questions were shouted at him, Archbishop Akinola responded “no comment” and placed his files in front of his face and began running back toward the “ring of steel,” the security cordon surrounding the primates’ section of the hotel.
Pursued by reporters including one clad in a bathing suit and towel, the archbishop made good his escape.
Later in the afternoon, taking a side route, Archbishop Akinola returned to the office and was closeted with the Rt. Rev. Martyn Minns, Bishop of the Convocation of Anglican Churches in North America. A press briefing by Bishop Minns is expected later.
Here is an earlier report by Scott Gunn and another report by Colin Coward.
Peter Ould has some notes again from today’s press briefing.
Ruth Gledhill has blogged about it: Communion broken in Dar es Salaam.
The Associated Press story is evolving, here is the latest version as of now: U.S. Anglican Leader Met With Boycott.
I must say that Ruth Gledhill’s comments are rather irrelevant and superfluous given we can read the first hand accounts of those in Tanzania.
She is perfectly at liberty to have absented herself from the proceedings but quite how this qualifies her journalistic credentials is laughable to me!!
oh I see ! She has remained in London ! Well, why traipse half way around the world when you can sit at home , feet with lap top ? I can almost guarantee that her pieces (and pronouncements) will be no less authoratative than usual ! wicked! … : – )
I propse we establish and endow the George Carey Prize for Christian Journalism —- Ruth ‘d be sure to get it !……
Whatever we may think of her journalism, is it really fair to criticise her because her paper refuses to pay for her to go to Tanzania? Seems like she really does have an impossible job at the moment!