ACNS Primates' Meeting - Briefing #1

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

Posted On : January 26, 2011 7:31 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
ACNS: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/1/26/ACNS4673
Related Categories: ACO - Primates Meeting

> Primates' Meeting - Briefing #1

> Days 1 and 2

The 18th Primates? Meeting of the Anglican
Communion opened in Dublin on Tuesday evening in
an atmosphere of prayer and purpose. After a
welcome and introduction, the Archbishop of
Canterbury Rowan Williams asked those present to
hold in their hearts and prayers those Primates
unable to attend. He also pointed out that at
least a third of the Primates in Dublin were at their first Primates? Mee 
ting.

> Before the Primates attended Night Prayers,
> Archbishop Rowan gave a short reflection on
> primatial leadership using the text of Mark 10:35-45.

At the start of Wednesday morning Eucharist,
Primates placed, at the foot of the altar,
symbols (including photos, food, pictures and
other objects) that represented the major
missional challenges of their Province. This was
so that these local issues are front of mind at
any act of worship throughout the week.

Following an official welcome from the Primate of
All Ireland Archbishop Alan Harper, he read a
letter of welcome from the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen
in which Mr. Cowen said that churches have ?an
important role to play in helping us to
understand our current society, and to appreciate
the significance of the spiritual and
philosophical dimension of the problems and opportunities we face.?

The Irish Prime Minister added that Christian
churches have an important mission in global
dialogue on an interfaith basis, ?The message of
tolerance and peace must be loudly proclaimed in
these troubled times,? he said.

The Primates spent the remainder of the day

sharing with one another, in small groups and at
plenary, first their thoughts on the big issues
facing the Communion, and then their responses to
what they had heard from one another.

Topics shared in plenary included those of

mission­how to best share the gospel with the
world; of diversity­how Communion members could
hold different positions but still work together;
of the implications and expectations brought
about by different models of primatial
leadership; and of the need for the Communion to
better address Provincial matters. These included
HIV infection; anti-conversion and blasphemy
laws; persecution of minorities and situations of
national division, as demonstrated in Korea.