wfn.org | ACNS3485 Archbishop of Canterbury's letter to the Bishops of

["Anglican Communion News Service" <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org>]

ACNS 3485	|	LAMBETH PALACE	|	23 JUNE 2003	

Archbishop of Canterbury's letter
to the Bishops of the Church of England

[ACNS source: Lambeth Palace] I have today sent the following letter to the
diocesan and suffragan bishops.
Dear Brothers in Christ
None of us will need any persuading that the recent appointment of Canon
Jeffrey John as Bishop of Reading has proved a controversial and challenging
one. It has become a focus for a great deal of debate, in which differing
views of the appointment and its significance have been widely aired, inside
and outside the Church here, and indeed much further afield.
At this point in the debate - particularly since some of you have already
voiced serious concerns - it is important that I try to clarify basic issues,
in my capacity as Archbishop of Canterbury and Chairman of the House of
Bishops.
First, about the appointment process. As you know, the appointment of a
suffragan bishop is made by the Crown, on the advice of a diocesan as
forwarded by the Archbishop of the province. And that is what has happened on
this occasion. It is not for me to recount the diocesan process. But so far
as my own involvement is concerned, you should know it is an appointment I
have neither sought to promote nor to obstruct.
I was informed that Canon Jeffrey John was regarded as a highly gifted
candidate, was acceptable to the diocese, that he had given explicit
assurances on various matters, including his personal circumstances and his
willingness to work loyally within the framework of doctrine and discipline
as expressed in Issues in Human Sexuality. With these assurances, since
repeated very publicly, and in keeping with the principle that the integrity
of the process within the diocese should be respected, I raised no objection
to forwarding his name.
Despite what some have claimed, I do not believe this overall process weakens
the commitment of the House of Bishops to what we have declared as our common
mind. Nor do I believe that Canon John's appointment either subverts current
discipline or forecloses future discussion. It would certainly be deplorable
if it were assumed that the existing approach has been abandoned by stealth,
or that the forthcoming guide to the debate on sexuality that we have agreed
to publish, was slanted towards a change in that policy. So, let us be clear:
there can be no question of trying to pre-empt, undermine or short-circuit
the reflection of the Church as a whole.
It is also important here, to stress to the wider Anglican Communion that we
are not embarking on or colluding with any policy of unilateral local change,
which I have more than once deplored elsewhere.
Two final and important points. The concerns of many in the diocese of Oxford
are theologically serious, intelligible and by no means based on narrow party
allegiance or on prejudice. They must be addressed and considered fully.
Confidence in the ability of a new bishop to minister to those in his
pastoral care is a centrally important matter, and it is clear that serious
questions remain in the diocese. To consider these with prayerfulness and
maturity needs time and a measure of calm. It is not for anyone outside the
diocese to override or pre-empt what is obviously a painful and complex
process, and I can only ask your prayers for the diocese as it struggles with
this and tries to find a right discernment.
Finally, it would be a tragedy if these issues, in the Church of England and
in the Communion, occupied so much energy that we lost our focus on the
priorities of our mission, the priorities given us by Our Lord. What we say
about sexuality (and not just on the same-sex question) is a necessary part
of our faithfulness, but the concentration on this in recent weeks has had
the effect of generating real incomprehension in much of our society, in a
way that does nothing for our credibility. In the world where we are called
to offer the Good News of Jesus, we need to reflect on this dimension of the
situation - not to surrender to alien standards, but to keep our eyes on
those central revealed truths without which other matters of behaviour and
discipline will never make sense.
In a few weeks, I shall be making a pastoral visit to West Africa. Some of
our local issues are there too, of course, but so are most of the greatest
wounds of our age, afflicting millions - violent conflict, epidemic disease,
instability and poverty. Faithful Christian witness shines through all this,
and we are deeply thankful for it. It does us no harm to think about our own
priorities against such a background, and perhaps to learn in some matters to
give each other a little more time and space for thought as we try to find
how we can walk in step as the Body of Christ - not falling over ourselves
because of anxiety and suspicion.
+Rowan Cantuar
Lambeth Palace
23rd June 2003

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