See below for CAPA speaks.
The Church Times has two reports:
AIDS heads African agenda
Council resists sexuality debate
… How sad, though, that the fractures of the Communion’s struggles over sexuality kept appearing, in an attempt to persuade the meeting to adopt an entrenched line in response to the US Bishops’ statement from New Orleans (News, 28 September). How sad that whenever we looked at a document, we found it had been drafted by a Western pen. How sad that paragraphs appeared in the draft communiqué that spoke of matters that had not even been debated. And how encouraging it was that the meeting roundly threw them out, and left the issue of sexuality to the Primates.
How rich an experience it was to share the diversity of fellowship across the continent and beyond. How humbling to see the concerted attempts by many delegates to build a sense of community across the traditional lines of high or low church, pro- or anti-Lambeth 2008 — delegates younger and older, female (well, a few), and male.Here was a mature Church, in creative dialogue with itself, on matters of importance.
While there was a concerted attempt to get both the Council and the CAPA Primates to take a firm stand with the “Global South” and against Lambeth, this was clearly not the mood of the meeting. Their concern was an African agenda. Yes, the majority take a conservative view on the sexuality debate, but there was much talk over coffee and tea about the pressure being exerted by the US conservatives (who were very visibly present at the meeting) to “keep CAPA on board”.Many resented this, even those who would sympathise with the position…
…Yet the mood of the meeting was expressed most strongly when the final communiqué, hich, it appeared, had been drafted largely by the Rt Revd Martyn Minns, was discussed. Its many references to the sexuality debate, which had simply not been discussed, were voted off…
Glad to see AIDS shaping the agenda, although I grieve about AIDS and look forward to a cure. In the meantime, the suggestions from the Toronto International AIDS conference come to the fore. Souls need protection from AIDS, and that protection can not rely on only abstinence and only sex within marriage. Sex happens. Condoms are required. Those who are in the forefront of the battle against AIDS keep reminding us that the biggest danger and greatest vector for AIDS transmission comes from the abuse of women: their inaability to say “no” and their objectification as prostitutes or plunder to… Read more »
“Yet the mood of the meeting was expressed most strongly when the final communiqué, hich, it appeared, had been drafted largely by the Rt Revd Martyn Minns, was discussed. Its many references to the sexuality debate, which had simply not been discussed, were voted off…”
And, yet, the con-evos will insist that this whole thing is NOT being driven by the US right-wingers and that the majority of the Global South Anglicans–not just their primates–are firmly in their corner.
To be fair, most Anglicans in churches represented at CAPA probably do not agree with the position of the Episcopal Church. However, it does not immediately follow from this that they agree with the approach of Minns et al. And it certainly seems that even their representatives to CAPA are getting very tired of the whole thing.
Robert Leduc – Perhaps it is because they are indeed Anglicans – and can “agree to disagree” and find other more productive ways to deal with disagreements that schism and realignment. What a concept!
Minns is a …. Nigerian bishop, right?
The writer includes the sentence: “The communiqué that the Primates of the provinces issued separately remains a strong statement. It rejects the US Bishops’ response from New Orleans as inadequate, and calls for the Lambeth Conference to be postponed.”
I really don’t see a great rebellion against Minns, Akinola or any other “baddie” in Liberal-land.
Interesting piece on religion – “religions” would be more correct – in Nigeria from the International Herald Tribune. Thanks to Fr. Jake for blogging and bookmarking this.
http://frjakestopstheworld.blogspot.com/2007/10/syncretic-nigerians.html
Cameo appearance by our old buddy Akintunde Popoola.
Good article. I read both statements from CAPA a few days ago and wondered about the disparity in subject matter between the two statements.
This appears rather hopeful. May the Holy Spirit continue Her good work w/ the incoming CAPA chair!
NP, I suppose I am stating the obvious, but it bears repeating. Minns may be a Bishop of the Church of Nigeria, but he is not an African bishop. He is a Nigerian Bishop not because of the concerns of the Church in Africa, he is a Nigerian bishop so that he can minister in (and influence the larger church in) the United States. The Church Times is correct in calling him a US Bishop because he is just that: an American Bishop. His orders may flow through the Church of Nigeria, but that does not make him African. He… Read more »
Jakers, isn’t it plain that the good reverend Minns is a 21st century Obadiah Slope–nothing more, nothing less? Sorry, but this is all too much.
Lessee. Section after section gets Tossed from the communique, but NP still believes that Akinola et all have support.
In fact, this is further evidence of how badly Akinola has blown it. Even a group who would, by a wide margin, agree with him on the substantive issue have, nonetheless, told him to get stuffed.
I think the next verse is “Two wheels on my wagon”…
Malcolm – to avoid the kind of misreading you have posted above, I posted one sentence from the report on CAPA which, unlike too many TEC statements, is unequivocal in its rejection of the TEC HOB NO statement. You ignore that sentence… and assert that Akinola et al have no support – but he and Minns are “baddies”, I know. You would have a point, Malcolm, if CAPA had issued a statement saying something like “We are focussing on African issues and agree with +York that TEC issues are second order”…..but they said no such thing, did they? No, they… Read more »
Anyone for Lord of the Dance ?! Seriously it is only the dance of love within us and between us that can bring us thru the world’s and the churhes’ brokenness… ‘You would have a point, Malcolm, if CAPA had issued a statement saying something like “We are focussing on African issues and agree with +York that TEC issues are second order”…..but they said no such thing, did they? No, they rejected the TEC HOB NO statement in crystal clear terms.’ Posted by: NP on Monday, 15 October 2007 at 7:04am BST Let’s not worry too much about all these… Read more »
L Roberts – so, are you saying we should ignore the fact that CAPA rejected the TEC HOB NO statement? I think that is relevant – especially if people want to make out that CAPA has somehow snubbed ++Akinola or +Minns……they did, in fact, make a crystal clear statement re TEC HOB NO statement (showing they were not fooled by the doublespeak and empty promises)
JSC fudge
– this link is interesting (given how some on TA were very interested in Ndugane et al not being happy about how certain GS statements were made in the past…..)
http://www.kendallharmon.net/t19/index.php/t19/article/6883/
NP – We definitely shouldn’t ignore the CAPA rejection of the TEC HOB NO statement. For those who missed the second communique:-
http://www.globalsouthanglican.org/index.php/weblog/comments/capa_primates_meeting_in_mauritius_october_2007/