Updated Sunday afternoon
The Primates of the Anglican Communion, meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, have issued no less than three communiqués, in addition to the earlier Statement on Zimbabwe.
Statement from the Primates of the Anglican Communion on the Situation in Gaza
Statement of concern from the Primates of the Anglican Communion on the situation in Sudan
The Windsor Continuation Group has also published its report, available as a webpage here, or as a PDF here. See also background note here.
Update
A presentation to the primates on Global Warming and Climate Change has also been published (PDF).
The Standiing Commission on Faith Order and Unity? I may have misremebered the exact title. Anyway, it sounds an awful lot like the Vatican outfit that the current Pope used to head, which used to be called The Inquisition. I guess this report is about what one could expect. I do not think that continued ‘gracious restraint,’ meaning continued marginalization of glbt Christians, will fly in TEC. I think it was wise of ++KJS to respond by refering to General Convention, which will very likely reconsider the hasty actions of the last one. The one fine thing they did was… Read more »
Having read through the report, I think there is something in there for everyone, or just about. I don’t know that I would call it “balanced,” but it does try not to reject anyone out of hand – even the folks of ACNA, for all the difficulties identified for them to develop a “province” (although, once again, recognition of the GLBT community is implicit rather than explicit). That said, I fear the report will only satisfy Canterbury. There is a distinct lean toward centralization, to be able to “speak with one voice,” in a way the Archbishop loves. There is… Read more »
I can’t help thinking that more people will have heard about what’s happened in Alexandria from this and a few other decent blogs than will have read through these communiques and statements. The anglican church really is failing to engage with today’s culture (with a few notable, and largely unofficial, exceptions).
Can the Church of England in South Africa ( a far larger and more unified denomination than ACNA ) also be inivited to the holding provisional status? They have been out in the cold since 1930.
Personally I don’t see how this changes the dynamics of ACNA, FCA, GAFCON, Primates Council or the dynamics of the inclusivists. It’s the same centralisation agenda as a solution and it won’t work.
“39. The recent advent of the “Anglican Church of North America” (ACNA) changes the context and the balance of any discussion about interventions. Those caught up in the various patterns of intervention are beginning to look to resource their protest and their identity from within an American ecclesial body. This development could bring to an end formal cases of intervention, but give rise to a new and equally intractable problem – parallel jurisdictions based on theological difference .” – WCG Report – From a very fulsome and comprehensive Report, the WCG has drawn attention at this point in its extensive… Read more »
The Windsor Continuation Group report really is worth reading prayerfully in detail.
It formed the major background paper for the Primates’ Meeting and remained confidential till published – something worth noting in the age of the Web…
Bishop Clive Handford chaired the Group and deserves the thanks he received.
Most of its recommendations were taken up by the Primates.
Unlike ‘Pluralist’, who has regularly been vocal against the Covenant, I do think this will work.
Let us continue to pray.
“13. This conversation will include continuing the Listening Process[9], and the “Bible in the Church” Project. It is urgent that we as primates, with the rest of the Communion, directly study the scriptures and explore the subject of human sexuality together in order to help us find a common understanding.” I wonder how many of the Provinces really have a “listening process”? And in how many Provinces is the process simply the Primate saying to the glbt community “You listen to me and shut up — at the risk of jail time or worse”? Their response to ACNA, on the… Read more »