The Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen has ‘cautiously welcomed’ a request from the Anglican Communion’s 35 most senior leaders for a temporary withdrawal of the Episcopal Church of the United States of America and the Anglican Church of Canada.
The Primates issued their final communique from their meeting in Northern Ireland, requesting that ECUSA and the Canadian Church ‘voluntarily withdraw’ their representatives from the Anglican Consultative Council (an official body of the Communion) until the Lambeth conference in 2008.
The move stems from ECUSA’s consecration of an openly homosexual bishop in 2003 and the blessing of same-sex unions by the Canadian Church. Following discussion of the Windsor Report, which investigated the issue, the Primates upheld the 1998 Lambeth Resolution on human sexuality.
"I am pleased to note that the Primates have taken disciplinary action against those who have transgressed the Scriptural teaching; and that they have affirmed the content of the Lambeth Resolution 1.10 on human sexuality,” Dr Jensen said in a statement.
The Archbishop called the decision ‘a victory’ for the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams.
“It buys time for a full resolution of this serious theological and pastoral problem in the life of churches and congregations of the Anglican Communion.”
Dr Jensen told BBC Radio 4 yesterday [March 24] that “the authority of the Bible is at stake.”
“There do come times when the authority of the Bible is at stake - and this is one of those times - where to stay together becomes a great difficulty,” he told the BBC.
“I hope we can stay together. I am hoping there will be reconciliation and a turning back again to what the Bible says.”
Dr Jensen said in the statement that he is also pleased the Primates have asked for ‘urgent action to ensure the continuing place in the life of the Communion and the pastoral care of those churches and church leaders in Canada and North America who have stood firm for the clear Scriptural teaching on matters of sexuality’.
Click here for a full copy of the final communique.
Photos courtesy Canon George Conger
