Anglican ecumenical relationships are severely damaged following the New Hampshire consecration.

by Margaret Rodgers

America is the beacon of democracy in the world. Yet it is not always a blessing to other nations. For the US often seems to determine what is, in its judgment, the right way forward, and it then proceeds to move relentlessly in that direction, however much the rest of the world dissents or protests.
This is apparent in US foreign policy. It also seems to be an underlying, though perhaps unconscious, driving force in much of the decision-making of the liberal elements in the Episcopal Church of the USA.
In October, the Council of the Church in East Asia met in Seoul. Australian Anglican represent-atives report that many of their Asian colleagues, talking about the proposed consecration of Canon Gene Robinson as bishop in New Hampshire, said, ‘ECUSA acts just like President Bush’.
Gene Robinson is a divorced man with two daughters and has been living in a homosexual relationship with his partner for the past 13 years. To consecrate someone in that life situation is intolerable to the vast majority of Anglicans throughout the world, since they regard that lifestyle – that is, practising homosexuality – as contrary to the teaching of the Scripture (eg: 1 Cor 6).
Yet ECUSA went ahead on November 2, taking no notice of the protests and calls to desist from biblically minded Anglicans, both within their own Church and across the Anglican world.
The Primates of all but one Province met with the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace on October 15-16. The statement they issued said if the Robinson consecration went ahead it ‘would tear the fabric of the [Anglican] Communion at its deepest level’.
The statement was unanimous. Signatories included the Primate of Canada, Archbishop Michael Peers, who has taken no action against the Bishop and Synod of New Westminster in Canada where same-sex marriages are allowed.
Similarly, the Presiding Bishop of ECUSA, Frank Griswold, was a signatory. Bishop Griswold later went to New Hampshire and was the chief consecrating bishop at Gene Robinson’s consecration.
Many wonder why Bishop Griswold signed with the other Primates. He has said he did so to maintain the unity of the meeting. If as Presiding Bishop he is present at an ECUSA consecration service, he must be the consecrating bishop. So why did he place himself in the impossible position in which he now stands?
Responses are rippling through the Anglican world. Following the Primates’ decision, Archbishop Williams appointed a commission to report on future structures in the Communion in twelve months’ time.
Archbishop Williams has expressed ‘regret’ and pointed out that Bishop Robinson could not act as a bishop in the Church of England. Many Primates and their provinces and individual diocesan bishops have publicly stated that they are not in communion with Bishop Robinson nor the Diocese of New Hampshire. Some have also included the ECUSA bishops who took part in the consecration.

Anglican relationships with other world churches are severely damaged by Gene Robinson’s consecration.
It is known that Pope John Paul II sent a message of encouragement and support through the offices of Cardinal Ratzinger to the traditional ECUSA Anglicans who met in Plano, Texas prior to the consecration. This is an unheard-of move into Anglican affairs from the Papacy.
Also, when Archbishop Williams made an official visit to the Vatican, the Pope made clear to him his opposition to these Anglican events.
The Russian Orthodox Church has issued a statement indicating it has suspended contacts with the American Episcopal Church. “We will not be able to co-operate with these people either in the realm of theological dialogue or in the humanitarian, religious and public spheres. We cannot afford even to a certain degree [to] share their position, which is, in our opinion, profoundly anti-Christian and sacrilegious,” their statement says.
Bishop John Stewart from the Diocese of Bendigo is a member of the International Anglican and Oriental Orthodox Commission. Two weeks before he was due to fly to the UK for the Commission meeting he was informed it was cancelled. The Oriental Orthodox (Copts, Armenians etc.) said they will wait “for the Anglican Communion to have time to take proper account of, and reflect upon, the consecration which has taken place.”
It is fair to note, however, that Bishop Stewart reports that the Oriental Orthodox also take exception to Anglican attitudes on the ordination of women, the remarriage of divorced people, alternative episcopal oversight, the liberal interpretation of Scripture (they can’t understand why Bishop Spong hasn’t been excommunicated) and lay presi-dency in the Diocese of Sydney.
The ‘icon’ of Anglican bi-lateral dialogues is ARCIC, the Anglican Roman Catholic International Commission. It has two co-chairs and the Anglican is Bishop Frank Griswold.
Informed observers say that ARCIC’s future is rocky unless Bishop Griswold resigns. Simply stepping down from the chairmanship role will not be enough. Expect a resignation (Canterbury-driven?) before ARCIC meets early next year.
Clearly, apart from problems of relationship within the Anglican world, our ecumenical encounter and dialogue is suffering a severe setback because of this consecration in a small diocese in America.