Episcopalians Chastised Over Gays

By Elizabeth A. Kennedy Associated Press

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania — Anglican leaders demanded Monday that the U.S. Episcopal Church unequivocally bar official prayers for gay couples and stop consecrating any more gay bishops to undo the damage North Americans have caused the Anglican family.

In a statement ending a tense six-day meeting, the leaders said that past pledges by the U.S. denomination on gay unions and consecrations have been so ambiguous that they have failed to fully mend “broken relationships” in the 77 million-member global Anglican Communion.

The Episcopal Church, the U.S. wing of Anglicanism, must clarify its position by Sept. 30 or its relations with other Anglicans will remain “damaged at best.”

“This has consequences for the full participation of the church in the life of the communion,” the leaders said.

The meeting in Tanzania was the latest of several summits to try to keep Anglicans unified despite deep divisions over how they should interpret the Bible. The long-simmering debate erupted in 2003 when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire.

Anglican traditionalists believe gay relationships violate scripture, and they have demanded that the U.S. church adhere to that teaching or face discipline.

Supporters of ordaining gays believe biblical teachings on justice and inclusion should take precedence. They have accused theological conservatives of demanding a conformity of belief among Anglicans that never before existed. The Anglican fellowship was founded in the 16th century by King Henry VIII and spread worldwide by the British Empire.

Discussions at the closed-door gathering this past week were so highly charged that debate over the final statement took hours longer than originally expected. The Anglican leaders, called primates, were said to be working on revisions until the last minute.

In the final document, the leaders said they were confused by resolutions on gay issues passed by the 2006 Episcopal General Convention — the church’s top policy-making body. The primates had asked the denomination for a moratorium on electing gay bishops and on developing official prayer services for same-sex couples.

The resolution the General Convention adopted asked church leaders to “exercise restraint by not consenting to the consecration” of candidates for bishop “whose manner of life presents a challenge to the wider church.” However, it is not binding.

The General Convention has also repeatedly rejected resolutions over the years that would have allowed for a churchwide liturgy for blessing same-sex couples. However, a few dioceses have formed committees to develop local prayer services, while other dioceses have allowed individual priests to conduct the blessing ceremonies privately.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the communion, does not have the direct authority to force a solution on the conflicted parties. He said the requests contained in the document released Monday “will certainly fall very short of resolving all the disputes, but will provide a way of moving forward with dignity.”

The final statement expressed deep concern over feuding within the Episcopal Church regarding the wider communion. Some of the 38 Anglican provinces have broken ties with the U.S. denomination or declared their relationships impaired over Robinson’s consecration. Some other U.S. parishes have left the Episcopal Church to affiliate with Anglicans in Africa.

Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola recently set up a network for conservative U.S. parishes as a rival to the Episcopal Church. Lawsuits have been filed in the Diocese of Virginia over two prominent churches, Truro Church and the Falls Church, along with several smaller churches, that have joined up with Akinola and want to take their property with them.

Anglican leaders called on all sides in the conflict to end their lawsuits and recommended the creation of a pastoral council and a special vicar to oversee conservative U.S. dioceses and parishes that feel they cannot accept the leadership of Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori. She supports gay relationships and is the first woman head of the church.

Traditionalists are a minority in the 2.3 million-member U.S. denomination.

Separately, Anglican leaders released a draft set of common principles meant to allow the 38 Anglican provinces to remain independent, but recognize their actions have an impact on each other.

The proposed Anglican Covenant, which will likely be revised before it is finalized years from now, states that a church could lose full membership in “extreme circumstances” but could take steps to regain its full member status.

(c) 2007 Deseret News (Salt Lake City). Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.