Questions and Answers on the Anglican Meeting in Africa

c. 2007 Religion News Service (UNDATED) Top bishops from the Anglican Communion concluded their meeting in Tanzania on Monday (Feb. 19) with a challenge to U.S. Episcopalians to stop blessing same-sex unions and prohibit openly gay bishops or face consequences. The bishops, or primates, of the 38 member churches in the Anglican Communion gave the […]

c. 2007 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Top bishops from the Anglican Communion concluded their meeting in Tanzania on Monday (Feb. 19) with a challenge to U.S. Episcopalians to stop blessing same-sex unions and prohibit openly gay bishops or face consequences.

The bishops, or primates, of the 38 member churches in the Anglican Communion gave the U.S. church a Sept. 30 deadline to answer the primates’ demands.


Following are questions and answers on what the future may hold for the Episcopal Church and its badly frayed relationships with other Anglican churches:

Q: What did the Anglican bishops demand of the U.S. church on blessing same-sex unions and gay bishops?

A: They demanded the U.S. bishops unequivocally agree not to authorize rites for blessing same-sex unions and confirm that they will not consent to any bishops living in a same-sex relationship.

Q: What happens if the U.S. church refuses to meet the requests from the Anglican primates?

A: The primates lack power to enforce their demands, but warned there could be “consequences for the full participation of the (Episcopal) Church in the life of the Communion” if their demands are not met.

Q: Who will make the decision in the U.S. church on how to respond?

A: The U.S. response could be made by Episcopal Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the House of Bishops and the church’s Executive Council.

Q: Does the U.S. church allow blessing ceremonies for gay or lesbian couples? Would that change after the primates’ demands?


A: The Episcopal Church has never authorized official rites or liturgies for gay or lesbian unions, but bishops in about 10 percent of the church’s dioceses allow them. It is unclear how, or if, that would change.

Q: Will New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson, the church’s first openly gay bishop, be allowed to retain his post?

A: Yes. The primates’ demands concern future bishops, not those already elected and consecrated.

Q: Some dioceses have filed suit in civil courts to retain church property occupied by dissident conservatives. What happens to those cases?

A: Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the de facto leader of the Communion, has called for a “cease-fire” on property litigation. The primates have backed up that call.

Q: The primates called for the creation of a “pastoral council” to deal with the U.S. church. Who will be on the council and what will they do?

A: The council will consist of five members. Williams will nominate a primate to be the chair. Two members will be nominated by the other primates and two by Jefferts Schori. The council will monitor how the Episcopal Church responds to the primates’ demands, and develop a system of “pastoral care” for U.S. conservatives who refuse Jefferts Schori’s leadership.


Q: What happens to dioceses that refuse to recognize Jefferts Schori as the presiding bishop?

A: Bishops who refuse her leadership will nominate a primatial vicar to act in her stead. Jefferts Schori and the pastoral council must approve of the vicar as well as delegate specific powers and duties.

Q: The primates also want to develop an “Anglican Covenant” for the Communion’s 38 member churches. What would that covenant do?

A: The covenant would stake out areas of common agreement among the member churches and help resolve theological disputes.

Q: Did Bishop Jefferts Schori agree to the demands from other Anglican bishops?

A: Jefferts Schori, who proposed the idea of a primatial vicar in November,apparently agreed. She told Episcopal New Service that “there’s an awareness that these issues are of concern in many provinces of the communion.” She also said that “the Episcopal Church’s charism (or unique gift from God) is to continue to encourage the discussion.”

Q: Some overseas Anglican bishops have offered to provide oversight to dissident conservative Episcopalians. Will they be allowed to continue?


A: They will be allowed to continue until the primatial vicar and pastoral council are in place.

Q: Anglican bishops also had similar concerns about pro-gay policies in the Anglican Church of Canada. What happened to them?

A: Not much. The primates voiced concern about “certain developments” in the U.S. and Canada regarding human sexuality, but did not single out the Canadian church for possible sanctions.

KRE/LF END RNS

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