wfn.org | [PCUSANEWS] Divided US Episcopals both accept parts of Anglican

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Note #8540 from PCUSA NEWS to PRESBYNEWS:

04471
October 19, 2004

Divided US Episcopals both accept parts of Anglican report

by Chris Herlinger
Ecumenical News International

NEW YORK B> Frank T. Griswold, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church
USA reacted cautiously to conclusions by an Anglican Communion commission
seeking to find a way of preventing a schism over the consecration of
homosexual clergy.

	But Griswold's reaction was also seen as re-affirming his
denomination's consecration of V. Gene Robinson as the church's only openly
gay bishop, which drew criticism from traditionalist members of the Anglican
Communion, opposing the consecration of homosexual clergy.

	The Windsor Report issued by the commission criticized the U.S.
church's consecration of Robinson in November 2003, saying it had caused
"deep offense to many Anglican Christians both in its own church and in other
parts of the communion." The report also criticized non-U.S. bishops, some
from Africa, who have provided oversight for dissident parishes opposed to
Robinson's consecration.

	The Anglican bishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, issued a
conciliatory statement about the report saying: "It provides the Anglican
Communion with space for reflection, dialogue and reconciliation. I call on
all parties involved to take that process seriously, so we can restore a
deeper unity to our communion."

	The Anglican Communion Network and American Anglican Council,
representing those opposing the consecration of gay clergy, said it supported
some of the commission's findings, like the imposition of a moratorium on the
consecration of practicing homosexuals and it said it understood the need for
church unity.

	"We cannot in good conscience, however, support such unity at the
expense of truth," said the network and council in a joint statement. "We
must not allow a desire to hold the church family together to allow us to
maintain the fatal disease that grips ECUSA [the Anglican church in the US]
and by association, the Anglican Communion."

	In his statement released from London, where he was attending a
meeting of senior Anglican bishops, Griswold said his initial reaction to the
commission's findings was that the commission sought a "containment of
differences in the service of reconciliation."

	But Griswold said, "(Unless) we go beyond containment and move to
some deeper place of acknowledging and making room for the differences that
will doubtless continue to be present in our Communion, we will do disservice
to our mission," Griswold said. "A life of communion is not for the benefit
of the church but for the sake of the world."

	While not mentioning Robinson by name, Griswold said he felt "obliged
to affirm the presence and positive contribution of gay and lesbian persons
to every aspect of the life of our church and in all orders of ministry." He
noted: "Other provinces [of the church] are also blessed by the lives and
ministry of homosexual persons. I regret that there are places within our
communion where it is unsafe for them to speak out of the truth of who they
are."

	But the traditionalist group said in its statement: "We are deeply
saddened that within minutes of the Windsor Report's release, the presiding
bishop has already rejected its core presupposition that is the church's 
traditional teaching on human sexuality."

	The Anglican Communion Network said: "The Episcopal Church is now
faced with serious and difficult choices. They can follow the lead of Bishop
Griswold which will ultimately lead to the demise of the Episcopal Church or
they can choose to embrace the core covenant recommended by the commission,
reject false doctrine and preserve faithful unity."

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