Posted on 06/02/2004 4:47:31 PM PDT by ahadams2
Canada's Anglicans withdraw proposal on same-sex unions
ST. CATHARINES, Ont. (CP) - A proposal authorizing Anglican Church of Canada dioceses to provide blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples was pulled Wednesday, just hours before a scheduled vote on the matter at a national church meeting. The move reflected caution and confusion among church delegates over the impact the go-ahead would have on the Canadian church - and internationally in the 77 million-member Anglican Communion of which it's a part.
World Anglicanism is already severely split over consecration of an openly gay bishop by the Episcopal Church in the United States.
It remained possible that liberals would try to restore the original proposal to allow "local option" on gay policies, meaning each diocese gets to decide for itself whether to allow the blessing ceremonies.
A revised proposal calls for a two-year study of whether same-sex rituals are "a matter of doctrine," delaying action till the next national meeting in 2007. That measure appeared to be gaining momentum Wednesday afternoon.
If the 2007 meeting decides doctrine is involved but wants to allow same- sex unions, that would require amendment of church law at two consecutive meetings - further delaying any approval until at least 2010.
The vote was at the centre of some heated debate at the church's triennial national meeting.
Montreal Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, selected Monday as the Canadian Anglican church's new leader, has said he favours same-sex blessings, but not gay marriages in church.
Hutchison was one of five Canadian archbishops to sign a letter last year opposing interference by outside primates in a decision by the diocese of New Westminster, B.C., to bless same-sex unions.
The Anglican Church in Canada, which the 2001 Census showed having two million adherents, is Canada's third largest church, after the Roman Catholics and the United Church of Canada.
the bad guys blinked ping.
They found out they didn't have enough votes... this time. All the ugly discussion is to be postponed until 2007 or 2010, depending on how loud the conservatives scream again. The Anglican Church of Canada peered into the bottomless pit they were about to jump into, and stepped away.
And that's the Anglican Communion breathing a sigh of relief about this turn of events. The next crunch point is when the Lambeth Commission comes out with its report in October and the conservative primates give ECUSA three months from then to repent or be marginalized.
Back from the brink.
Does this invalidate the position taken by the Bishop of British Columbia, and give grounds to refuse to comply with his policies?
That's weird. So he approves of homosexual unions being blessed, even though it violates scripture and tradition, but a wedding is going too far. Or at least the weddings are too far for him right now, but the same-sex unions are holy enough to be blessed.
You wrote "Does this invalidate the position taken by the Bishop of British Columbia, and give grounds to refuse to comply with his policies?"
Not yet. The heretics are trying to wheel and deal a solution whereby merely the first part of the original resolution (the part that doesn't require homosexual 'blessings', but can be read to allow diocesan bishops to exercise 'local option' anyway) through as a compromise. The question is whether or not enough of the queasies understand that even this will be sufficient to result in a response similar to that received by ecusa.
We *should* know late this evening whether that comes to pass or not.
You wrote "So he approves of homosexual unions being blessed, even though it violates scripture and tradition, but a wedding is going too far."
In order to understand someone like this, you have to always keep in mind that leftists consider all conservatives (and especially conservative Archbishops from underdeveloped countries) to be stupid. Hutchison is betting that by not actually using the word 'marriage' he can lie his way out of any confrontation with the Global South Anglicans - he's wrong, but obviously not capable of seeing that.
vote to defer further discussion of homosexual 'blessing' until 2007 passed in both orders. The heretics are now desperately trying to get some sort of statement affirming homosexuals passed, but that will have to wait until tomorrow.
No, the infamous Bishop of New Westminster (Ingham) says he will go ahead with gay blessings. The motion failed tonight but he says it won't make any difference to him.
From the Vancouver Sun:
"ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — The Vancouver-area diocese will still be able to bless same-sex unions even if the Anglican Church of Canada’s highest governing body fails to pass a contentious motion today authorizing dioceses to permit them, maintains Bishop Michael Ingham.
As the bishop at the centre of an international Anglican storm because he consented to same-sex blessings in 2002, Ingham said Tuesday the decentralized structure of the Canadian church allows dioceses to proceed on their own with rites blessing homosexual relationships."
Tomorrow they debate the amendment: "(6) Affirm the integrity and sanctity of committed adult same sex relationships."
I really don't think this has a snowball's chance in hell of passing, but you never know. It could still be full speed ahead on the good ship Titanic. Stay tuned.
The work of the Lambeth Commission is apparently making clear to the Synod that there may be consequences for their actions. (I would not be surprised to learn that Rowan Williams has been making mention of it to people like Hutchinson.) It emboldens the orthodox to stand firm, and it makes the revisionists reassess their strategic position.
In giving it more thought, I really think the revisionists have made a strategic decision. They have to know that passing this proposal would have forced the Lambeth Commission to deal with them. A strategic retreat at this point has the likely effect of softening the Commission's position, and possibly strengthening the revisionist position in the long term: there's unlikely to be another Lambeth Commission, so any softness can be exploited over time. Moreover, they're probably hoping that allowing the orthodox to declare a "victory," the orthodox will do as they always do, and assume that the war is over.
I hope the affiliated Evangelical Lutherans take a similar stand and withdraw similar motions that are due to be discussed at their Eastern Synod conference later this month.
I can't believe it. They passed that motion after all. This is horrendous. The Titanic just sank.
From CaNN:
MOTION on Amendment to Resolution A-134, to add a section (6) "Affirm the integrity and sanctity of committed adult same sex relationships." CARRIED in clergy & laity; CARRIED in bishops. With some odd procedural rulings at the end. A-134 Question itself must be put to the house... developing.... CARRIED in both houses.
CaNN says:
11:26am EST
BREAKING: a possible limited walk-out from General Synod... developing...
interesting - from what I've heard, part of what was holding the queasies in line yesterday was the fact that, with the losses due to the Indian School cases, they were afraid that also losing all of the conservative parishes would put them financially deeper in the hole than they already are.
Any thoughts on that?
Too little information but...
Just wondering if they were waiting for one or two conservatives to be occupied with something else after they thought they had won the issue for now. Is there anyone who would know what is happening on the floor?
Conservative parishes are the richer ones. and they are mainly the ones who are withholding funds to the dioceses. The liberals, though, hold the leadership positions and don't care whether they kill the church or not. Things like losing membership or money don't stop them from pushing their liberal 'agenda'. They paused from going over the cliff yesterday but jumped today, taking the church with them.
Heard from CANN:
*** BREAKING NEWS*** : A group of orthodox Canadian bishops will read a statement tonight from the floor of General Synod.
I don't know what this is about. It could be mass resignations or just a statement of mourning.
It's more a carefully worded statement of regret. I interpret this as a 'hang in there' for the faithful orthodox remnant who received such a major blow today. Maybe it's a strong statement in 'bishop speak' but it seems rather wishy-washy from where I sit.
EMAIL FROM SOME ORTHODOX BISHOPS
We write to you from the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada meeting at St. Catharines, Ontario.
In recent days the Synod has made a number of contradictory decisions which may be causing confusion in the Church. On the one hand, the Synod has deferred a decision concerning the blessing of same sex unions for three years in order to explore whether such ceremonies would be a matter of doctrine. This consideration will need to be engaged by all 34 synods of the Anglican church of Canada. On the other hand the Synod appears to have pre-empted this work by summarily expressing the opinion that it affirms the “sanctity” of committed adult same sex relationships.
We regret that it also ignores the work of the Lambeth Commission for Anglican Provinces not to take any action on these matters before the release of their report.
Faithful gay and lesbian members of our Church, who are themselves deeply divided on these questions, have a right to expect the Church to respond to their request for theological guidance with respect to their relationships with the utmost theological and pastoral integrity. We believe that General Synod failed to meet that challenge.
We must point out that General Synod’s opinion is in error and contrary to the teaching of Scripture and the tradition of the undivided Church, the clearly expressed conviction of the Anglican Communion at the Lambeth Conference of 1998, the overwhelming ecumenical consensus of the Church inside Canada and abroad, and the 1997 Guidelines of our own House of Bishops.
We urge Anglicans across Canada distressed by this expression of opinion not to despair and urge them to take their full part in the diocesan and provincial synods which will contribute to a decision of whether this is a doctrinal matter.
We express our sorrow particularly to the Inuit and Indigenous churches whose representatives spoke clearly to the Synod but whose voices were ignored. We express our appreciation to the Bishops and people and churches of the Global South who have implored our Church unsuccessfully to abide by the mind of the Communion. We express our appreciation to all the people in the congregations of the ACiNW, and assure them of our ongoing support, and full recognition.
Many of us will take comfort in the Article of Religion (XXI) which reminds us that Councils of the Church often fall short in their seeking God’s will. We are told in that Article that in many Councils of the Church, there has been much error, “even in things pertaining unto God.” The point of this teaching of our Church is to give us confidence that when the Church acts unwisely it is still the Body of Christ. We invite all Anglicans to continue to uphold the teachings of the Anglican Church worldwide which stands unchanged.
If we are faithful to our Lord’s call to the costly love that alone can sustain us in our common life, then the world, whatever else it sees, will see the love of Jesus at work in our frailty and imperfection and find hope for its own future.
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