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> Anglican Primates Meeting Communique

Posted On : February 5, 2009 4:29 PM | Posted By : Webmaster
ACNS: http://www.aco.org/acns/news.cfm/2009/2/5/ACNS4574
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> Deeper Communion; Gracious Restraint

A Letter from Alexandria to the Churches of the Anglican Communion

1.  At the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury, as the Primates
and Moderators of the Churches of the Anglican Communion[1], we gathered
for prayer and consultation in the ancient city of Alexandria, with the
Most Revd Mouneer Anis, President Bishop of the Church of Jerusalem and
the Middle East, as our host.  We prayed, worshipped God, and studied
the Scriptures together, seeking to be faithful to the call of God in
Christ, and to discern the leading of the Holy Spirit.  There was a
common desire to speak honestly about our situation.

2.  Since we were meeting in Alexandria, we were conscious of the
historical, cultural, ecumenical and inter-faith contexts of our
meeting. This was reinforced during our visit to the Bibliotheca
Alexandrina.  We met with the State Governor of Alexandria, General Adel
Labib; we were received warmly by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III,
Patriarch of Alexandria, and Head of the Coptic Orthodox Church.  He
spoke to us powerfully of the vocation and calling of a bishop to
witness to the Gospel of Christ.  We were also conscious that we were
meeting in a country which is majority Muslim, but in which there is a
strong Christian heritage and presence.  We were able to celebrate the
heritage of faith received from SS Mark, Clement, Anthony, Athanasius,
and the desert fathers and mothers.  Meeting in Egypt, a country which
is the home of Al Azhar Al Sharif, one of the historic intellectual
centres of the Muslim world, we were also very conscious of the
importance of constructive engagement between Christians and Muslims in
many Provinces of the Anglican Communion. We draw attention to the
significant recent initiatives[2] undertaken by the Archbishop of
Canterbury and by the Diocese of Egypt with North Africa and the Horn of
Africa.

3.  In the course of our visit, we valued participating in the life of
the local diocese, the dedication of St Mark's Pro-Cathedral in
Alexandria, the Installation of the new dean, the Very Revd Samy Fawsy
Shehata, and the ongoing life of the Alexandria School of Theology.  We
commend the witness and work of the Diocese of Egypt.  At the Service of
Dedication on Sunday, 1st February, the Archbishop of Canterbury
preached and reminded us to see Christ in one another, recognising that
Christ alone is the foundation of our building and our work, the one who
prays in and through us.

4.  We were moved while we listened to some of our members speaking
first hand of the situation in Zimbabwe, of the oppressive partisanship
of the former Bishop of Harare, Nolbert Kunonga, and of the violence and
persecution exercised against the Anglicans of Zimbabwe.  We adopted a
statement on Zimbabwe which has been released separately.  We also heard
from the Primate of the Sudan about the violence experienced by the
people of Sudan and urgent needs of that nation.  We append a statement
on Sudan which we have adopted and to which we urgently draw attention.
The Primate of Jerusalem and the Middle East also drew our attention to
the ongoing crisis in Gaza.  We append a statement on this tragic
situation.

5.  As we met, we shared a common concern for the Anglican Communion and
a strong desire to see our Christian World Communion flourish and remain
united.  At the beginning of the meeting, the Archbishop of Canterbury
invited five of us to speak about how the current situation in the
Communion affected mission in our own contexts.  We were able to talk
honestly and openly about our experiences and perceptions.  We were
reminded powerfully of the sense of alienation and pain felt in many
parts of the Communion, as many are tested by difficult theological
tensions. Nevertheless, there was a discernable mood of graciousness
among us in our engagements: a mood which assisted and sustained our
conversation.

6.  Successive Lambeth Conferences have urged the primates to assume an
enhanced responsibility for the life of the Communion[3], but we are
aware that the role of the Primates' Meeting has occasioned some debate.
The role of primate arises from the position he or she holds as the
senior bishop in each Province.  As such we believe that when the
Archbishop of Canterbury calls us together "for leisurely thought,
prayer and deep consultation"[4], it is intended that we act as "the
channels through which the voice of the member churches [are] heard, and
real interchange of heart [can] take place[5]".

7.  We have the responsibility each to speak to the other primates on
behalf of the views and understandings held in our own Provinces.  We
are called to mutual accountability and to bear faithful witness to what
is held dear in the life of our Provinces and to the inheritance of
faith as our Church has received it. Together we share responsibility
with the other Instruments of Communion for discerning what is best for
the well-being of our Communion.   We are conscious that the attitudes
and deliberations of the primates have sometimes inadvertently given
rise to disappointment and even disillusion.  We acknowledge that we
still struggle to get the balance right in our deliberations and ask for
the prayers of our people in  seeking the assistance of the Holy Spirit
to support and direct us in discharging our responsibilities before God.

8.  One of the chief matters addressed was the continuing deep
differences and disrupted relationships in the Anglican Communion.  We
acknowledge the difficult nature of these tensions, which evoke deep
feelings and responses, but we were grateful that, by God's grace, we
were able to discuss and debate these issues in a spirit of open and
respectful dialogue.  There has been honest exchange and mutual
challenge at a new and deeper level.

9.  The Archbishop of Canterbury shared with us the Report of the
Windsor Continuation Group.  We wish to express our thanks to the
members of the group and those who supported its work for the careful
and patient analysis that they have offered to us.  The matters
discussed are not solely issues of church politics; we are considering
the spiritual health and well-being of our communion.  It is therefore a
conversation about our own lives and ministry. This issue touches us
all, because we are each burdened and diminished by each other's
failings and pain.

10.  Our honest engagement revealed the complexity of the situation.
Matters are not as clear-cut as some portray.  The soul of our Communion
has been stretched and threatened by the continuation of our damaged and
fractured relationships, even though we believe that God continues to
call us into a Communion founded not on our will, but on the action of
God in Christ Jesus.  We have experienced God drawing us more deeply
into that honest engagement and listening which both require and
engender trust, and which must continue and intensify if we are to move
forward under God.  We must find a deeper understanding of the basis of
the bonds, both divine and human, which sustain ecclesial fellowship.

11.  The Windsor Continuation Group Report asks whether the Anglican
Communion suffers from an "ecclesial deficit."[6] In other words, do we
have the necessary theological, structural and cultural foundations to
sustain the life of the Communion? We need "to move to communion with
autonomy and accountability"[7]; to develop the capacity to address
divisive issues in a timely and effective way, and to learn "the
responsibilities and obligations of interdependence"[8].  We affirm the
recommendation of the Windsor Continuation Group that work will need to
be done to develop the Instruments of Communion and the Anglican
Covenant.  With the Windsor Continuation Group, we encourage the
Archbishop of Canterbury, the Anglican Consultative Council and the
Anglican Communion Office to proceed with this work.  We affirm the
decision to establish the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission for Unity,
Faith and Order.  We recognise the need for the Primates' Meeting to be
engaged at every stage with all these developments.

12.  There are continuing deep differences especially over the issues of
the election of bishops in same-gender unions, Rites of Blessing for
same-sex unions, and on cross-border interventions.  The moratoria,
requested by the Windsor Report and reaffirmed by the majority of
bishops at the Lambeth Conference, were much discussed.  If a way
forward is to be found and mutual trust to be re-established, it is
imperative that further aggravation and acts which cause offence,
misunderstanding or hostility cease.  While we are aware of the depth of
conscientious conviction involved, the position of the Communion defined
by the Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10 in its entirety remains, and
gracious restraint on all three fronts is urgently needed to open the
way for transforming conversation.

13. This conversation will include continuing the Listening Process[9],
and the "Bible in the Church" Project.  It is urgent that we as
primates, with the rest of the Communion, directly study the scriptures
and explore the subject of human sexuality together in order to help us
find a common understanding.

14.  The Windsor Continuation Group Report examines in Section H the
question of parallel jurisdictions, particularly as raised by the Common
Cause Partnership, a coalition of seven different organisations[10]
which have significantly differing relationships with the Anglican
Communion.  The Report identifies some of the difficulties in
recognising the coalition among the Provinces of the Anglican Communion.
Significant concerns were raised in the conversation about the
possibility of parallel jurisdictions.  There is no consensus among us
about how this new entity should be regarded, but we are unanimous in
supporting the recommendation in paragraph 101 of the Windsor
Continuation Group Report[11]. Therefore, we request the Archbishop of
Canterbury to initiate a professionally mediated conversation which
engages all parties at the earliest opportunity.  We commit ourselves to
support these processes and to participate as appropriate.  We earnestly
desire reconciliation with these dear sisters and brothers for whom we
understand membership of the Anglican Communion is profoundly important.
We recognise that these processes cannot be rushed, but neither should
they be postponed.

15.  The Archbishop of Canterbury reported to us on the development of a
scheme for a Pastoral Council, consistent with the proposal of the
Windsor Continuation Group, and the Pastoral Visitors, whom he is
appointing as a starting point for this idea, in line with the opinions
expressed at the Lambeth Conference.  The intention is that the Pastoral
Visitors will be commissioned by him to conduct personal and face to
face conversations in order to assist in the clearest discernment of the
ways forward in any given situation of tension.  We affirm the
Archbishop of Canterbury in this initiative.

16.  We received a report on progress in the development of the
Covenant.  We believe the securing of the covenant to be a vital element
in strengthening the life of the Communion.  We welcome the Covenant
Design Group's intention to produce a covenant text which has a
relational basis and tone. It is about invitation and reconciliation in
order to lead to the deepening of our koinonia in Christ, and which
entails both freedom and robust accountability.  We look forward to the
development of a covenant text to be presented at ACC-14 which will
commend itself to our Provinces because it speaks of the mutuality that
should characterise the life of Christians and of Churches; of a
relationship which exercises the self-limitation and gracious restraint
born of true affection, and which should be marked by a spirit of
humility and integrity.

17.  We received a report on the ongoing work of the "Theological
Education in the Anglican Communion" Working Group of the Primates
(TEAC).  We acknowledge the critical importance of this work, and
commend to ACC-14 the establishment of TEAC2, focussing on supporting
theological educators.

18.  We received a presentation on global warming and climate change
followed by a discussion.  There is a significant and growing body of
statistics which demonstrates that this is a real problem, and one in
which humanity has a crucial responsibility.  The scriptures call
humanity to a careful stewardship of creation; we undertake to ensure
that issues of climate change and the responsible management of our
natural resources are items which are given urgent priority for
reflection, study and action in our own Provinces.

19.  We received a presentation and analysis of the current global
financial situation and explored Christian responses to it.  The
primates affirmed that the Church's concerns must be broader and deeper
than economics and politics.  This is a moment "to proclaim the big
vision [of love for my neighbour], living it out in practice, and
witnessing, where necessary, against injustices which desecrate that
vision."  This vision of universal neighbourliness "must not end at our
geographical borders.  The Church of Christ is universal and recognises
that love for my neighbour is not limited to the person next door.[12]"
In particular, we call on our Churches to do all that they can to ensure
commitments by governments to the Millennium Development Goals are not
abandoned in the face of the current crisis.

20.   We received an extensive briefing on the proposed establishment of
an Anglican Relief and Development Alliance.  We warmly commend the
potential of this initiative to strengthen the co-ordination and
effectiveness of this work throughout the world.  We further commend the
resolve to develop a comprehensive theological vision to undergird this
work.  We recognise the value and potential of a global network of local
agencies.

21.  The Archbishop of Canterbury began our time together reflecting on
the spiritual health of the Churches of Sardis, Philadelphia and
Laodicea (Revelation Chapter 3).  The tone and substance of our
conversations, though sometimes hard, have been honest, deep and
transforming.  Our engagement together in Christ during these days
convinces us that God is calling us and our Churches to deeper communion
and gracious restraint.

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

> --------

1. Four of our number were not present to be with us:  The Moderators of
the Churches of North India, South India and Pakistan, and the Presiding
Bishop of the Philippines were not able to be present at this meeting.

2. A meeting with Sheikh Mohamed Sayed Tantawi, Sheikh Al Azhar, on
January 31 2009, at which the Archbishop and the Sheikh reaffirmed the
agreement for dialogue between the Anglican Communion and Al Azhar that
was initially signed in January 2002.
The Archbishop's letter of 15 July 2008 entitled 'A Common Word for the
Common Good', sent in response to A Common Word (the letter sent by 138
Muslim scholars in October 2007). The Archbishop has also sponsored two
international gatherings, in June and October 2008, to help take forward
a constructive response to A Common Word. Bishop David Hamid (Suffragan
Bishop in Europe) has been appointed by the Archbishop to take forward
engagement on his behalf  with this and other Muslim-led initiatives
such as that being developed by the King of Saudi Arabia.
The 'Building Bridges' programme, in which, since the original meeting
in January 2002, a group of Christian and Muslim scholars have met
together on an annual basis to discuss significant theological issues of
interest to both faiths.
A meeting in Libya in late January 2009 in which the Archbishop met with
Dr Mohammad Sharif, the Secretary General of the World Islamic Call
Society (WICS), and they agreed, in principle, to establish a mechanism
for ongoing dialogue and collaboration. While in Libya, on 29 January at
the WICS University Campus in Tripoli, Libya the Archbishop gave a
lecture 'How does God reveal himself? A Christian perspective.'
(www.archbishopofcanterbury.org/2150) This was the third in a series of
lectures given by the Archbishop about Christianity in Muslim seats of
learning. Previous lectures were given at Al Azhar, and Islamabad,
Pakistan.
3. Lambeth 1998, Resolution III.6:  "encouragement be given to a
developing collegial role for the Primates' Meeting under the presidency
of the Archbishop of Canterbury, so that the Primates' Meeting is able
to exercise an enhanced responsibility in offering guidance on
doctrinal, moral and pastoral matters" See also Lambeth 1978,
Resolutions 11 and 12 and Lambeth 1988, Resolution 18.

4. cf The Address of Archbishop Donald Coggan to the Lambeth Conference,
1978

> 5. ibid

6. WCGR (Windsor Continuation Group Report), Section D(i)

> 7. WCGR, paragraphs 2, 54

8. Ref WCGR, paragraph 57, cf. The Lambeth Commentary by the Covenant
Design Group, Question 13, page 12.

9. The Listening Process itself has many levels - to enable a more
profound listening to God and to one another, as well as listening to
the experience of gay and lesbian persons, which is among the
commitments of Lambeth 1998 Resolution 1.10.  It will also require a
listening to those with different experiences of and positions in the
current tensions.

10 The American Anglican Council (1996), The Anglican Coalition in
Canada (2004), The Anglican Communion Network (2004), The Anglican
Mission in America (2000), The Convocation of Anglican in North America
(2005), Forward in Faith North America (1999), and the Reformed
Episcopal Church (1873).

11. WCG Report, paragraph 101:  The WCG therefore recommends that the
Archbishop of Canterbury, in consultation with the Primates, establish
at the earliest opportunity a professionally mediated conversation at
which all the significant parties could be gathered.  The aim would be
to find a provisional holding arrangement which will enable dialogue to
take place and which will be revisited on the conclusion of the Covenant
Process, or the achievement of long term reconciliation in the
Communion.  Such a conversation would have to proceed on the basis of a
number of principles:

There must be an ordered approach to the new proposal within, or part of
a natural development of, current rules.
It is not for individual groups to claim the terms on which they will
relate to the Communion.
The leadership of the Communion needs to stand together, and find an
approach to which they are all committed.
Any scheme developed would rely on an undertaking from the present
partners to ACNA that they would not seek to recruit and expand their
membership by means of proselytisation.  WCG believes that the advent of
schemes such as the Communion Partners Fellowship and the Episcopal
Visitors scheme instituted by the Presiding Bishop in the United States
should be sufficient to provide for the care of those alienated within
the Episcopal Church from recent developments.
12. The quotations are taken from the Archbishop of York's address.

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