www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Anglican Primates to suspend The Episcopal Church (USA)

[urlhttp://www.primates2016.org/articles/2016/01/14/statement-primates-2016/[/url]

14 Jan 2016

Today the Primates agreed how they would walk together in the grace and love of Christ. This agreement acknowledges the significant distance that remains but confirms their unanimous commitment to walk together.

The Primates regret that it appears that this document has been leaked in advance of their communiqué tomorrow. In order to avoid speculation the document is being released in full. This agreement demonstrates the commitment of all the Primates to continue the life of the Communion with neither victor nor vanquished.

The Communique from the Primates will be released tomorrow.

Questions and further comments will be responded to at a press conference tomorrow at 1500. Full details are available here.

Read today's statement:

1. We gathered as Anglican Primates to pray and consider how we may preserve our unity in Christ given the ongoing deep differences that exist among us concerning our understanding of marriage.

2. Recent developments in The Episcopal Church with respect to a change in their Canon on marriage represent a fundamental departure from the faith and teaching held by the majority of our Provinces on the doctrine of marriage. Possible developments in other Provinces could further exacerbate this situation.

3. All of us acknowledge that these developments have caused further deep pain throughout our Communion.

4. The traditional doctrine of the church in view of the teaching of Scripture, upholds marriage as between a man and a woman in faithful, lifelong union. The majority of those gathered reaffirm this teaching.

5. In keeping with the consistent position of previous Primates’ meetings such unilateral actions on a matter of doctrine without Catholic unity is considered by many of us as a departure from the mutual accountability and interdependence implied through being in relationship with each other in the Anglican Communion.

6. Such actions further impair our communion and create a deeper mistrust between us. This results in significant distance between us and places huge strains on the functioning of the Instruments of Communion and the ways in which we express our historic and ongoing relationships.

7. It is our unanimous desire to walk together. However given the seriousness of these matters we formally acknowledge this distance by requiring that for a period of three years The Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies, should not be appointed or elected to an internal standing committee and that while participating in the internal bodies of the Anglican Communion, they will not take part in decision making on any issues pertaining to doctrine or polity.

8. We have asked the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a Task Group to maintain conversation among ourselves with the intention of restoration of relationship, the rebuilding of mutual trust, healing the legacy of hurt, recognising the extent of our commonality and exploring our deep differences, ensuring they are held between us in the love and grace of Christ.

Christ is in our midst!!

So what happens after three years if the Episcopal Church does not change its new marriage stance? What happens if it continues to elect practicing homosexuals as bishops and ordains them as priests?

Bob

If the Anglican Communion holds firm--and the trend is in that direction--the Episcopal Church will be expelled and the Anglican Church in North America will be seated as the only true Anglican body on this continent.

The real challenge will be how this plays with the Church of England and the Archbishop of Canterbury, as the C of E is caught in the liberal drift, albeit not as far along.

Personally, I view this week's action as beginning to take a scalpel to a cancer on the Body of Christ. Painful, yes. Necessary for overall health, absolutely.

It makes no difference with AmChurch and its ecumenical schmoozing with TEC:

Anglican Suspension of Episcopal Church Not Expected to Affect Catholic Dialogue

JOHN BURGER
Aleteia
JANUARY 15, 2016
http://aleteia.org/2016/01/15/angli...ot-expected-to-affect-catholic-dialogue/

UPDATE, JAN. 15: Presiding Bishop Michael Curry said Friday the U.S. Episcopal Church will not roll back its acceptance of gay marriage despite sanctions imposed this week by Anglican leaders, the Associated Press reported.

The Catholic official who coordinates dialogue with the Episcopal Church in the United States does not expect talks to be suspended by the Anglican Church’s discipline against its U.S. affiliate.

“This does not necessarily mean that the dialogue here in the United States between the U.S. Bishops’ Conference and the Episcopal Church would need to be suspended, because it’s not a dialogue with the Anglican Communion,” said Paulist Father Ronald Roberson, associate director of the Secretariat for Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. “It’s very specifically with the Episcopal Church. They don’t claim to represent anyone other than themselves.”

Father Roberson believes that where the statement says “the Episcopal Church no longer represent us on ecumenical and interfaith bodies,” it would not apply to USCCB-Episcopal Church dialogue.

“It remains to be seen how it’s all going to work out,” Father Roberson said of the new sanction.

He said that any reversal of the church’s decision to allow same-sex marriages, which came with a vote by the church’s General Convention last summer, would probably need another vote by the same body.

The local Episcopalians don't seem very worried about any of this. I suspect they, along with their bishops, don't really care so much. Committees will be formed, calls for unity and healing that completely mis-diagnose the illness will be issued, and it will be business as usual. All is happy in ECUSA-land.

Well Charles, that is all fine and dandy, but at least I have a real solution to this problem . . .

It is called the ORDINARIATE

Have you ever been a sponsor for Anglican/Episcopal joining the Catholic Church? Not to be missed!

Alex

The Ordinariate is small both in numbers and geographic locations. I would be happy to see one in my area, but I don't see any signs of that happening yet.

Dear Charles,

First of all, I don't think we should be talking to ajk any more - he wants us all to submit to Rome and end all debate .

Secondly, I've been in cahoots with Ordinariate Catholics who have all kinds of interesting things to say regarding "who is about to join" and "who is thinking of joining." The fact is that many Anglicans/Episcopalians "swim the Tiber" (I don't want to encourage ajk here . . .) when there is a proverbial straw that breaks the camel's back.

And from what I've heard from my Ordinariate friends, there are different straws that do that for individuals and parishes. All I'm saying is that even something like this would remove some of them from their comfort zone to think about the Ordinariate.

I saw a recent Anglican newsletter where there were again letters published calling on the Anglican Church to join with the "Bishop of Rome" who, in the face of the weakness of their own bishops, would "move to correct the problems in our dioceses."

So I guess these Anglicans want the Pope to come to them . . . But seeing a role for the pope might make them think about the "mountain coming to Mohammed" (peace be upon him).

Alex

Christ is in our midst!!

It seems to me that this is a very painful thing. Of course it should be said that, like a physical body, a healthy ecclesiastical body cannot tolerate everything. I find it sad when things come to this point, but I guess it cannot be avoided.

Bob