Saturday, June 19, 2010

Jefferts Schori: "We were not asked to withdraw"

Via TitusOneNine:


Source: American Anglican Council


June 18, 2010

By Robert Lundy

nullFollowing The Episcopal Church's Executive Council meeting held June 16-18, Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and House of Deputies President Bonnie Anderson gave a press conference. The following is a transcript of part of the press conference. In light of this recent article from the Church of England Newspaper, note the Presiding Bishop's remarks on whether or not The Episcopal Church was asked to withdraw from the Anglican Consultative Council.

Robert Lundy, American Anglican Council: Presiding Bishop, my question is in regards to the election of a new representative for The Episcopal Church to the Anglican Consultative Council. Was that new representative Bishop Ian Douglas and if so, will you and Bishop Ian Douglas be attending the next Standing Committee meeting of the ACC?

Presiding Bishop Jefferts Schori: We expect those elections to happen this afternoon and yes I expect the representatives of The Episcopal Church to be present at that meeting.

President Anderson: We're looking forward to the election. We have two candidates in both positions that are open. . .

David Virtue, Virtue Online: My question is for the Presiding Bishop. In light of events recently concerning the Archbishop's Pentecost letter and the TEC being asked to withdraw several ecumenical leaders from the ACC, will the Presiding Bishop and Executive Council consider cutting the 40% budget of the ACC? Has that been discussed?

Jefferts Schori: Your first observation is not accurate. Members of Ecumenical dialogues were removed by the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion. We were not asked to withdraw. We were not asked to withdraw from the Anglican Consultative Council. There has been no discussion here of reducing our offering to the Anglican Communion Office.

Mary Francis Schjonberg, Episcopal Life: At the beginning of this presentation this morning, what was your general sense that the way he (Kenneth Kearon) sees things may not be the way The Episcopal Church sees things. At the end of the session, do you think there was any greater understanding on his part or on the Council's part about the situation in the Communion?

Anderson: I'd like to say in response to that one of the comments that Secretary Kearon made in his opening remarks struck me particularly where he mentioned that some of the issues that they have identified in the Anglican Communion and one of them, a presenting issue, is diversity. In the first place, I don't think that The Episcopal Church sees diversity as an issue in the same way in which Secretary Kearon presented it of being seen from his viewpoint. I did not see any change in that by the time we had finished talking. I didn't see any concrete evidence that there was a particular newly developed line of understanding becoming perhaps both ways.

Jefferts Schori: I think we look forward to the possibility of...upon further reflection that all participants in the conversation this morning they have had their understanding increased.

END OF PRESS CONFERENCE

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