Canadian primate asks Archbishop of Canterbury to convene interventions meeting
Episcopal News Service. September 10, 2008 [091008-05]
Canadian Archbishop Fred Hiltz, primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, has asked Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to facilitate a meeting between him, Episcopal Church Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil Archbishop Mauricio de Andrade and Anglican Province of the Southern Cone Archbishop Gregory Venables to discuss cross-border interventions.
The Anglican Journal of Canada reported Hiltz's request on September 10.
Hiltz, Andrade and Jefferts Schori have repeatedly asked Venables to stop intervening in the internal affairs of their provinces. Venables has, on his own accord, been providing episcopal oversight to churches that are in serious theological dispute with their respective provinces over the issue of sexuality.
The Southern Cone has about 22,000 members and encompasses Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. Its provincial synod, meeting in Valpariso, Chile, November 5-7, 2007, agreed to welcome into the province "on an emergency and pastoral basis" Episcopal Church dioceses "taking appropriate action to separate from The Episcopal Church."
The former leadership of the Diocese of San Joaquin accepted that offer in December. Conventions in the dioceses of Fort Worth and Pittsburgh are scheduled to consider the offer in the next two months.
Venables had visited San Joaquin prior to the convention vote December 8. Fort Worth Bishop Jack Iker invited him to meet with diocesan convention delegates in May, although Jefferts Schori has told Venables that his visit "with the expressed purpose of describing removal to the Province of the Southern Cone is an unwarranted invasion of, and meddling in, the internal affairs of this Province."
He has also made unauthorized visits to Brazil, which the House of Bishops of that province called "an attack on the pillars of the Anglican tradition, which include respect to Provincial autonomy and collegiality among the Primates of the Communion," and contradictory to the Windsor Report.
Williams has said he will do his best to facilitate the request, the Anglican Journal reported.
Hiltz told the Journal that during the meeting he hoped the parties "could hear one another."
He said he would ask Venables to tell him "why it is you feel you need to continue to work to intervene in the life of the Anglican Church of Canada."
He said that he would try to explain that the Anglican Church of Canada has in place a shared episcopal ministry for those who disagree with more liberal actions of their dioceses regarding sexuality; and for those on the liberal side who feel marginalized by the lack of inclusiveness, a provision for pastoral generosity "whereby those who are civilly married can come and ask for prayers, join prayers of people in eucharist."
In a related matter, the Journal also reported that the Canadian House of Bishops will discuss next month how best to respond to renewed proposals from the Lambeth Conference for moratoria on the blessing of same-sex unions, the ordination of openly gay persons to the episcopate, and cross-border interventions.
Hiltz said in the Journal article that the Canadian bishops will have "a very focused conversation" around how they understand the call for moratoria. He said there are conflicting interpretations on what the moratoria mean, with some bishops thinking that it means not having any new blessings, and some interpreting it as retroactive, which would require a synod like New Westminster to rescind its 2002 motion that allowed same-sex blessings in the diocese.
Hiltz added that the Archbishop of Canterbury's recent letter to bishops about the moratoria was also "significant." Williams had acknowledged that, while the call for moratoria received support from "a strong majority" at the Lambeth Conference, he was nonetheless aware of the "conscientious difficulties this posed for some."
The complete Anglican Journal story is here.