The Primates'
Statement: A Call for Unity
In its recent
"call to action," the American Anglican Council (AAC) appealed to the
Primates "to intervene in the Episcopal Church to: (a) Discipline those
bishops in the Episcopal church who, by their actions, have departed
from biblical faith and order; (b) Guide the realignment of Anglicanism
in North America; (c) Encourage orthodox bishops as they extend
episcopal oversight, pastoral care, and apostolic mission across
current diocesan boundaries; and (d) Support isolated and beleaguered
congregations and individuals in their life and witness as faithful
Anglican Christians." Both David C. Anderson and Bishop Duncan,
respectively president and vice-president of the AAC, indicated that "realignment" should involve ousting the
Episcopal Church, USA (ECUSA), from the Anglican Communion and
recognizing their organization or members as the "true" Anglican church
in the United States.
Immediately
after last week's Primates' meeting, Bishop of Pittsburgh Robert W.
Duncan, Jr., distributed the unanimous declaration of the Primates (see
overleaf) prefaced by his own "introductory statement" asserting that
the declaration "reveals a crucial intervention in the affairs of North
American Anglicanism." It does
nothing of the sort, and Bishop Duncan's "analysis" is uniformly
faulty.
The Primates,
while recognizing the "profound pain and uncertainty" felt by some,
took none of the steps requested by the AAC. In particular, they
declared:
- (On unity) "[W]e
affirm our pride in the Anglican inheritance of faith
and order and our firm desire to remain part of a Communion, where what
we hold in common is much greater than that which divides us in
proclaiming Good News to the world."
- (On faithfulness to Scripture)
"Whilst we acknowledge a legitimate
diversity of interpretation [of Scripture] that arises in the Church,
this diversity does not mean that some of us take the authority of
Scripture more lightly than others."
- (On the independence of
provinces) "[B]ishops must respect the autonomy
and territorial integrity of dioceses and provinces other than their
own …. As Primates, it is not for us to pass judgement on the
constitutional processes of another province."
- (Reaffirmation of previous
report on homosexuals) "We commend the
report of that Conference [Lambeth 1998] in its entirety to all members
of the Anglican Communion, valuing especially its emphasis on the need
'to listen to the experience of homosexual persons, and … to assure
them that they are loved by God ….'"
The Primates'
statement does acknowledge that the actions of the General Convention
and of the Canadian Diocese of Westminster cause problems for some, and
that the consecration of Bishop-Elect Gene Robinson of New Hampshire on
November 2, 2003, will "put in jeopardy" the future of the Communion.
Nonetheless, although the Primates express "regret" over the actions of
the American provinces, they neither censure the ECUSA nor, in fact,
even request that the consecration not take place. They ask all of the
provinces to be mindful of their interconnectedness and the effects
that each other's actions can and do have on the worldwide Church. They
make it clear that no province has the right "unilaterally" to impose
its "alternative teachings" on other provinces or to assert that they
represent the teachings of the Anglican Communion. However, contrary to
Bishop Duncan's claim, the Primates do not say that a province has no
"right to move forward unilaterally from the teachings of the Lambeth
Conference."
Bishop Duncan
also misstated what the Primates said about alternative Episcopal
oversight of dissenting minorities. The Primates' statement does call
on the American churches to "make adequate provision for episcopal
oversight of dissenting minorities within their own area of pastoral
care in consultation with the
Archbishop of Canterbury on behalf of the Primates" (emphasis
added). Bishop Duncan's assertion that oversight is to be "under the
direction of the Archbishop of Canterbury" is in error.
The Primates'
statement begins with a call for unity and ends with actions and
cautions to perpetuate that unity: a request to the Archbishop to
establish a commission to deal with all of the theological, canonic,
and legal issues that are "tearing at the fabric" of the Anglican
Communion and to report back within a year; and a plea for "our
provinces not to act precipitately" in reacting to the consecration of
Gene Robinson or any other perceived provocations. And, at the very
end, the Primates call for each other to "look after the flock of God
whose shepherd you are." (1Peter 5.1, 2a)
The Primates'
statement, therefore, is a call for continuing unity and to remembrance
of our mission.
A Statement by the
Primates of the
Anglican Communion, 10/16/2003
The Primates of
the Anglican Communion and the Moderators of the United Churches,
meeting together at Lambeth Palace on the 15th and 16th October, 2003,
wish to express our gratitude to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan
Williams, for calling us together in response to recent events in the
Diocese of New Westminster, Canada, and the Episcopal Church (USA), and
welcoming us into his home so that we might take counsel together, and
to seek to discern, in an atmosphere of common prayer and worship, the
will and guidance of the Holy Spirit for the common life of the
thirty-eight provinces which constitute our Communion.
At a
time of tension, we have struggled at great cost with the issues before
us, but have also been renewed and strengthened in our Communion with
one another through our worship and study of the Bible. This has led us
into a deeper commitment to work together, and we affirm our pride in
the Anglican inheritance of faith and order and our firm desire to
remain part of a Communion, where what we hold in common is much
greater than that which divides us in proclaiming Good News to the
world.
At this
time we feel the profound pain and uncertainty shared by others about
our Christian discipleship in the light of controversial decisions by
the Diocese of New Westminster to authorise a Public Rite of Blessing
for those in committed same sex relationships, and by the 74th General
Convention of the Episcopal Church (USA) to confirm the election of a
priest in a committed same sex relationship to the office and work of a
Bishop.
These
actions threaten the unity of our own Communion as well as our
relationships with other parts of Christ's Church, our mission and
witness, and our relations with other faiths, in a world already
confused in areas of sexuality, morality and theology, and polarised
Christian opinion.
As
Primates of our Communion seeking to exercise the "enhanced
responsibility" entrusted to us by successive Lambeth Conferences, we
re-affirm our common understanding of the centrality and authority of
Scripture in determining the basis of our faith. Whilst we acknowledge
a legitimate diversity of interpretation that arises in the Church,
this diversity does not mean that some of us take the authority of
Scripture more lightly than others. Nevertheless, each province needs
to be aware of the possible effects of its interpretation of Scripture
on the life of other provinces in the Communion. We commit ourselves
afresh to mutual respect whilst seeking from the Lord a correct
discernment of how God's Word speaks to us in our contemporary world.
We also
re-affirm the resolutions made by the bishops of the Anglican Communion
gathered at the Lambeth Conference in 1998 on issues of human sexuality
as having moral force and commanding the respect of the Communion as
its present position on these issues. We commend the report of that
Conference in its entirety to all members of the Anglican Communion,
valuing especially its emphasis on the need "to listen to the
experience of homosexual persons, and … to assure them that they are
loved by God and that all baptised, believing and faithful persons,
regardless of sexual orientation, are full members of the Body of
Christ"; and its acknowledgement of the need for ongoing study on
questions of human sexuality.
Therefore,
as a body we deeply regret the actions of the Diocese of New
Westminster and the Episcopal Church (USA) which appear to a number of
provinces to have short-circuited that process, and could be perceived
to alter unilaterally the teaching of the Anglican Communion on this
issue. They do not. Whilst we recognise the juridical autonomy of each
province in our Communion, the mutual interdependence of the provinces
means that none has authority unilaterally to substitute an alternative
teaching as if it were the teaching of the entire Anglican Communion.
To this
extent, therefore, we must make clear that recent actions in New
Westminster and in the Episcopal Church (USA) do not express the mind
of our Communion as a whole, and these decisions jeopardise our
sacramental fellowship with each other. We have a particular concern
for those who in all conscience feel bound to dissent from the teaching
and practice of their province in such matters. Whilst we reaffirm the
teaching of successive Lambeth Conferences that bishops must respect
the autonomy and territorial integrity of dioceses and provinces other
than their own, we call on the provinces concerned to make adequate
provision for episcopal oversight of dissenting minorities within their
own area of pastoral care in consultation with the Archbishop of
Canterbury on behalf of the Primates.
The Presiding
Bishop of the Episcopal Church (USA) has explained to us the
constitutional framework within which the election and confirmation of
a new bishop in the Episcopal Church (USA) takes place. As Primates, it
is not for us to pass judgement on the constitutional processes of
another province. We recognise the sensitive balance between provincial
autonomy and the expression of critical opinion by others on the
internal actions of a province. Nevertheless, many Primates have
pointed to the grave difficulties that this election has raised and
will continue to raise. In most of our provinces the election of Canon
Gene Robinson would not have been possible since his chosen lifestyle
would give rise to a canonical impediment to his consecration as a
bishop.
If his
consecration proceeds, we recognise that we have reached a crucial and
critical point in the life of the Anglican Communion and we have had to
conclude that the future of the Communion itself will be put in
jeopardy. In this case, the ministry of this one bishop will not be
recognised by most of the Anglican world, and many provinces are likely
to consider themselves to be out of Communion with the Episcopal Church
(USA). This will tear the fabric of our Communion at its deepest level,
and may lead to further division on this and further issues as
provinces have to decide in consequence whether they can remain in
communion with provinces that choose not to break communion with the
Episcopal Church (USA).
Similar
considerations apply to the situation pertaining in the Diocese of New
Westminster.
We have
noted that the Lambeth Conference 1998 requested the Archbishop of
Canterbury to establish a commission to consider his own role in
maintaining communion within and between provinces when grave
difficulties arise1. We ask him now to establish such a
commission, but that its remit be extended to include urgent and deep
theological and legal reflection on the way in which the dangers we
have identified at this meeting will have to be addressed. We request
that such a commission complete its work, at least in relation to the
issues raised at this meeting, within twelve months.
We urge
our provinces not to act precipitately on these wider questions, but
take time to share in this process of reflection and to consider their
own constitutional requirements as individual provinces face up to
potential realignments.
Questions
of the parity of our canon law, and the nature of the relationship
between the laws of our provinces with one another have also been
raised. We encourage the Network of Legal Advisers established by the
Anglican Consultative Council, meeting in Hong Kong in 2002, to bring
to completion the work which they have already begun on this question.
It is
clear that recent controversies have opened debates within the life of
our Communion which will not be resolved until there has been a lengthy
process of prayer, reflection and substantial work in and alongside the
Commission which we have recommended. We pray that God will equip our
Communion to be equal to the task and challenges which lie before it.
"Now
I appeal to the elders of your community, as a fellow elder and a
witness to Christ's sufferings, and as one who has shared in the glory
to be revealed: look after the flock of God whose shepherd you are." (1
Peter 5.1,2a)
__________
1 In view of the very grave difficulties encountered in the
internal affairs of some provinces of the Communion, [this conference]
invites the Archbishop of Canterbury to appoint a commission to make
recommendations to the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council,
as to the exceptional circumstances and conditions under which, and the
means by which, it would be appropriate for him to exercise an
extraordinary ministry of episcope (pastoral oversight), support and
reconciliation with regard to the internal affairs of a province other
than his own for the sake of maintaining communion with the said
province and between the said province and the rest of the Anglican
Communion. (IV.13.b)
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