Anglican Church To Make Decision On Homosexuality Issue

http://www.jonesbahamas.com/

9th February

By Stephen Gay

A decision on the direction the Anglican Communion will take over the ordination of an openly homosexual priest in the United States in 2003 is expected to be made soon, according to Anglican Archbishop Drexel Gomez.

Archbishop Gomez said at a press conference at his office in Nassau yesterday that he will travel to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania today for crucial meetings as the denomination continues to grapple with the homosexuality issue.

The archbishop told reporters he was "very optimistic" about the work that has to be done.

He said delegates will discuss six topics which are considered extremely important in determining the future of the Anglican Church.

They are: The response of the Episcopal Church in The United States to the Windsor Report; the ongoing relationship between the Episcopal Church and the worldwide Anglican Communion; an Anglican Covenant; The Lambeth Conference 2008; theological education on the Anglican Communion, and ecumenical relations.

In 2004, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, who heads the Communion, appointed the Lambeth Commission and mandated it to report to him by September 30, 2004 on the legal and theological implications flowing from the decisions of the Episcopal Church to appoint a priest in a committed same sex relationship as one of its bishops, and of the Diocese of New Westminster to authorise services for use in connection with same sex unions.

The Commission’s Chairman Rev. Dr Robin Eames, archbishop of Armagh, said in that report – called the Windsor Report – that the decision by the 74th General Convention of the Episcopal Church to give consent to the election of bishop Gene Robinson to the Diocese of New Hampshire, the authorising by a diocese of the Anglican Church of Canada of a public rite of blessing for same sex unions, and the involvement in other provinces by bishops without the consent or approval of the incumbent bishop to perform episcopal functions, have uncovered major divisions throughout the Anglican kCommunion.

Archbishop Eames noted at the time that there has been talk of crisis, schism and realignment, and that voices and declarations have portrayed a Communion in crisis.

It’s a point Archbishop Gomez has made repeatedly.

"The issue here is the future of Anglicanism in North America because whatever happens in the final analysis in the United States will have repercussions in Canada," Bishop Gomez said on Thursday.

"So we are talking about what Anglicanism is going to look like in North America and that has the seeds in it for a split because if we cannot continue together…we may have to walk apart. So our effort is to see what we can do if it is at all possible to keep the communion together."

Archbishop Gomez will deliver two reports to the 38 leaders of provinces of the Anglican Communion, which will be presided over by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

One of the reports will deal with the homosexual issue, discussed during a recent meeting in New Providence, and the other will relate to ecumenical relations.

"The importance of all of these issues cannot be overstated," Archbishop Gomez said.

"This meeting is one of the most important meetings that I would be attending during my ministry because to a very large extent the future of the Anglican Communion is dependent upon what we are able to accomplish."

The archbishop also addressed a request made by the leader of the Workers Party Rodney Moncur for the excommunication of certain Anglicans from the communion for alleged immoral conduct.

Among those Mr. Moncur suggested should be expelled from the Anglican faith are Prime Minister Perry Christie and Foreign Affairs Minister Fred Mitchell.

"The two persons involved would be the prime minister and the foreign minister. They were the two Anglicans cited. The actual request is not all that clear, but they are named in the body of the petition," Bishop Gomez said. "The other persons named are not Anglican.

"This is the first time, but it is not a typical Anglican request and in its present form it cannot be entertained."

The archbishop explained that when it comes to excommunication, Anglicans do not practice it in as strict a form as the Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox churches. He added that Anglicans would in extreme cases refuse Holy Communion to certain people.

"That only takes place where it can be proved that persons are in serious breach of church teaching or have behaved in immoral ways," Archbishop Gomez said.

The archbishop is expected return to The Bahamas on Ash Wednesday (February 21) at which time he is expected to give a report on his trip to Tanzania.