wfn.org | Hispanic bishops express sense of being 'invisible'

["Lambeth98" <storm@indigo.ie>]

ACNS LC071 - 30 July 1998

Hispanic bishops express sense of being 'invisible'

By Nan Cobbey and Carol Barnwell
Lambeth Conference Communications

"We are always the invisible Anglicans," Bishop Leo Frade of
Honduras declared Thursday afternoon as Hispanic bishops from 20
dioceses gathered to have their photograph taken behind
Rutherford College, and to make a statement to the press. 

Bishop Frade said that the Hispanic bishops have met twice during
the Lambeth Conference. At both meetings, they shared a sense of
being left out. 

"It's a general attitude, a tone," said Bishop Frade, who
complained about insufficient translators and translations. 

Although he is pleased and "humbled" to be part of the team
planning the Bible study for the conference, Bishop Sergio
Carranza-Gomez of Mexico said, "We feel ignored." 

Between worlds

In his view, the agenda at the conference seems centered on
Africa or the Northern Hemisphere. "We don't feel part of the
Third World like Africa," said Bishop Carranza-Gomez. "We are
caught in the middle."

Bishop Carlos Lopez-Lozano of the Spanish Reformed Episcopal
Church said he was disappointed that so little Latin music was
performed. "It practically doesn't exist in the liturgies," he
said. "We feel a little discriminated against . . . that our
point of view as Latinos is not particularly understood. We
haven't as much influence in this conference as the North
Americans and British."

"We are like Cinderella-we're still in the kitchen," said Bishop
Julio Holguin-Khoury of the Dominican Republic with a grin. 

Bishop Holguin said he was pleased with the contacts he has made
with bishops from around the world, which he called "a blessing,"
but he, also, lamented the dearth of translators. "Most of life
here is spent in small groups" where translators are unavailable.
His Bible study included six bishops from Africa and one from
Canada in addition to himself and the accents were "very
difficult" to understand, he said.

Bishop Hector Tito Zavala of Chile in the Province of the
Southern Cone, attending his first Lambeth Conference, hoped
Latin American bishops would be more involved in both the issues
and the planning of the conference next time.

The bishops are hoping to initiate a call for a special
millennium project during the conference sessions next week.

For further information, contact:

   Lambeth Conference Communications
   Canterbury Business School
   University of Kent at Canterbury
   Telephone: 01227 827348/9
   Fax: 01227 828085
   Mobile: 0374 800212

   http://www.lambethconference.org