wfn.org | Archbishop Gomez letter to Archbishop of Canterbury

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

ACNS 3828     |     ACO     |	  18 MAY 2004

Exchange of letters between the Most Revd Drexel Gomez, Primate of the
West Indies and member of the Lambeth Commission on Communion and the
Most Revd Robin Eames, Primate of All Ireland and Chair of the Lambeth
Commission on Communion

7 May 2004

The Most Revd Dr Robin Eames

Dear Robin,

Thank you very much for your letter to the primates, providing some
update on the work of our Commission, and drawing our attention to some
important guidelines on the way in which the Communion may assist the
process established by the Primates at their meeting in London last
October.

Whilst your letter made some important and valuable points, to which I
hope we will all give attention, I felt that the call for restraint
appeared to be addressed only to those who take objection to recent
developments. Surely, in this grave situation, all sides need to give
space for the Commission's work.

There is no small feeling amongst conservative members of the Communion
that they are being asked to show restraint whilst the liberal agenda
moves ahead, with bishops in ECUSA taking action against conservative
parishes; the Church of Canada proceeding to debate the blessing of same
sex unions; dioceses in the Episcopal Church actually going forward with
the authorisation of such rites, and the appointment of known advocates
of same sex unions to senior office in the Church of England. This is
only likely to create a situation where the playing field is perceived
as skewed - conservative reaction is held back, whilst liberal
viewpoints are allowed to claim too much territory. It creates the
question in many minds, "Why should we wait, if others are not showing
the same restraint?" I should be grateful therefore if some way could be
found of addressing this question, and pointing out to our Communion
that in the period of preparation of the work of the Lambeth Commission,
restraint needs to be shown on all sides, and provocation to
"precipitate action" avoided.

I look forward to our next meeting and continue to pray that we may find
Christ's will for his church in our deliberations.

Sincerely in our Lord,

The Most Revd Drexel W Gomez
Archbishop of the West Indies

------------------------------------------------------------------------
--------

14 May 2004

Dear +Drexel,

Thank you very much for your reply to my letter to the Primates. Of
course, you are quite right: in asking for the Communion to hold back
from precipitate action, the Primates were asking for space for the
Commission's work by all sides to this debate. I take very seriously
indeed the points you make, and consideration will have to be given to
events across the Communion which seem to take further controversial
positions on the issue of ministry by and to homosexual persons. It
makes it more difficult for conservatives on this issue to hold back
from strong reaction if they are faced with what can be seen as
continuing provocation. I am sure that the Commission, as far as their
loyalties to their own provincial processes will allow, would join me in
asking all sides to refrain from action which prejudices the status quo
as it was in October 2003, and that means being prepared to hold back
from advancing controversial causes until, as a Communion, we have begun
to discern publicly the way in which to handle the issues which divide
us, in a way which strengthens and does not damage our discipleship and
witness.

I thought you might like to read what I said to my own General Synod in
Armagh this week regarding the work of the Lambeth Commission. I hope
you will feel reassured by these remarks to my own Church:

"Anglican Communion Problems:

We are passing through times of great challenge and heart-searching
within the world Church family of which the Church of Ireland is an
integral part. Recent events in parts of the Anglican Communion have
produced divisions between Provinces and within Provinces and dioceses.
The Consecration of an openly gay bishop in the diocese of New Hampshire
in the United States and the practice of blessing same sex relationships
in parts of Canada have provoked sharp exchanges in the Communion.

As you are aware the Archbishop of Canterbury has asked me to Chair the
Lambeth Commission set up to examine ways of helping our different
Provinces to address differences and divisions. I want to thank the
members of our Church who have sent me messages of prayerful support for
this difficult task. I am working with an extremely gifted international
team and we hope to produce a Report to the Anglican Communion in the
autumn. I believe our recommendations must help the world family not
just with the immediate problems but with any differences which may
arise in the years to come - so our task is formidable.

The Lambeth Commission is not mandated to express opinions on sexuality
- but while that issue has brought divisions to the surface our
diversity demands that ways are found of encouraging the highest
possible level of communion and understanding between the various parts
of the Anglican Communion. Differences are not new to Anglicanism. Not
so long ago we faced divisions on women in the Priesthood and episcopate
: we expressed different views on economic and cultural issues : we
differed on when and how violent opposition to oppression was justified.
The diversities in culture and outlook appear in many forms - yet the
Anglican Communion has survived those diversities.

While I must be careful at this stage as Chairman of the Lambeth
Commission in what I say about our work there are a few comments I would
share with the General Synod of my own Church this morning.

Fundamental to the current situation is what sort of Anglican Communion
do we want?

We are not bound to each other by rigid rules or regulations. We share
fundamentals of belief, doctrine and practice. We subscribe to 'bonds of
affection' with each other rather than seeing the Church of England or
Canterbury as some sort of central curia. We bear one another's burdens
and in the Church of Ireland reach out to our brothers and sisters of
the global south through our excellent missionary societies.

Second, we share together in the mission of the Church which is to
preach Christ crucified to the world. Sadly I feel the current
controversies have the potential to damage that mission by diverting us
from our main task. We may well ask - are these the sort of issues we
really want to divide us or to weaken our mission to suffering humanity?
Where should our priorities lie?

Third, we hold as a priority the centrality of Holy Scripture to our
witness, worship and life. The fact that pilgrims on the journey of the
Church can differ on the interpretation of that same Scripture has
produced much of our present crisis. So we need guidance on how we
interpret Scripture.

Finally, I want to make plain to this Synod and to the wider Anglican
Communion that without prejudice to the final report of the Commission
what the media likes to term the conservative view and the liberal view
are being listened to, noted and taken fully into account. It is wrong
for anyone to conclude that the Commission is listening only to one or
the other. It is wrong to think that the Commission is more sympathetic
to one view rather than to another. I have seen myself the pain of
Anglicans who feel alienated by the actions of others within their own
or other Provinces. I have seen the anxiety of those who feel alienated
in their Province but want to remain in the Anglican Communion. This was
presented to me in stark terms in the United States. No voice or cry is
going unheard. We are meeting with some but listening to the many. The
report next autumn will be as honest and as definitive a document as it
is possible to present. But if we wish to maintain the Anglican
Communion as a vibrant and faithful unity symbolic of the unity of
Christians in Christ decisions on how we relate to each other will have
to be made and we will need courage, vision and sensitivity.

Please continue to pray for the work of the Lambeth Commission."

I am grateful for your continued support on (and off) the Commission,
and I am sure that you join with me in praying that God may guide us
into the right way forward.

Yours very sincerely,

+Robin

The Most Revd Robin Eames
Primate of all Ireland and chairman of the Lambeth Commission on
Communion

These letters will be added to the Lambeth Commission website shortly:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/ecumenical/commissions/lambeth/index.cf
m

For the full address by Archbishop Eames, please click here:

http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/38/00/acns3825.cfm

___________________________________________________________________
ACNSlist, published by Anglican Communion News Service, London, is
distributed to more than 7,500 journalists and other readers around
the world.

For subscription INFORMATION please go to:
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/acnslist.html