wfn.org | [ENS] Update on the Primates' Meeting in London

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

10-15-2003

Update on the Primates' Meeting in London

By Matthew Davies (ACNS)

[Anglican Communion News Service] There was a 4pm (UK time) press briefing
today and Archbishop Robin Eames, Primate of All Ireland, delivered this
statement:

"I think we wanted to give you an update on how things are going. We are now
seven hours into the meeting. The meeting has combined worship, prayer,
bible study and discussion and, at the present time, the Primates are all
here, bar one who just has a problem unrelated to the subject or anything
like that.

"We are telling the story of how the Provinces of the Anglican Communion
have reacted to the developments that the Archbishop of Canterbury thought
necessary to bring to our attention. Those stories represent the cultural
differences right across our Communion, the reaction the Primates have had
in their own countries and nations, and also the opportunity to show that
there is an underlying anxiety right across the board to maintain the
Anglican Communion.

"I have to say that in all my experience of these meetings, I have never
attended or been involved with one where there is such openness, frankness
and honesty. And also, one where each and every Primate has been given the
opportunity to respond in his own way to the question that has brought us
together. I have also to say to you, that the anxiety to maintain the
Anglican Communion, contrary to many of the predictions which your
profession may well have shown to us earlier on, I have to say to you that
that was unfounded because there is a tremendous anxiety to maintain the
Anglican Communion and bases of collegiality, cooperation and the common
faith.

"Now, as I say, we are seven hours into the meeting. The programme is
permitting the telling of those stories, as we put it. And I cannot tell you
any more at this stage of the agenda, simply to say that we are still at
that point. How long it will take, I wish I could tell you, because seven
hours is quite a long time of intensity and I am sure you will understand,
having waited out here in the wind, that seven hours is seven hours! But I
would like to stress once more, that the Archbishop of Canterbury who is
chairing this meeting is very anxious indeed that every possible opportunity
is given to individual Primates to express the concerns that they have,
which are varied, which in some cases are totally coloured by the culture of
that country. But above all else, it is a very open and a very, very serious
meeting.

"Now, I want to get back to what is happening. I'll take three questions and
I'm not having any favourites!

Question: Will this eventually come to a vote? How will this be resolved?

Answer:     I can't honestly answer that, because at the moment,
it's a case of telling the reactions, telling the stories. But if I were to
hazard a guess, I would say it's moving towards a consensus situation. Now
what form that consensus will take obviously won't become obvious, if it is
to become obvious, until tomorrow. But certainly, at the moment, it's very,
very much an honest expression of concerns.

Question: Are you a betting man? Could you let us know what you think the
odds are of coming to a consensus that keeps the Church together?

Answer:     In Northern Ireland terms, I'm known quite simply as the
divine optimist! And I don't know whether that classifies me as a betting
man or not, but I would say I am optimistic that the Anglican Communion will
emerge from this stronger than it has ever been. What I would also like to
predict is that there will be much greater honesty than perhaps we have had
to now.

Question: Steven May with the Guardian: What is the next stage once you have
heard the stories and the reactions.

Answer:     Well I can answer that. The next stage is to reflect on
what we have heard from the various Provinces. The process has simply been
one after the other going through the 37 or so provinces. And obviously we
want now the chance to reflect on what we have heard from our colleagues. So
the next stage will be building on the current session that we are having.

Now can you be good enough to let me go back because, as I said it's a very,
very open session and I would like to thank you for your patience.