Solange de Santis in Anglican Journal reports that Canada’s Anglican bishops, at their regular fall meeting, decided to leave in place a set of pastoral guidelines concerning church services for gay couples that stops short of blessings or marriage. They also expressed serious concern about Canadian participation in activities widening the schism in the Anglican Communion. Some notes from the article:
Discussions on communications and on sexuality proved to be the thorniest of the shortened business meeting (the bishops meet in spring and fall, usually for four days) and two sessions were closed to the public.
The longest (90 minutes) concerned several aspects of the controversies surrounding homosexuality. Archbishop Hiltz, chairing the meeting, said before it was closed that bishops would discuss their pastoral statement from last spring that included the instruction that clergy may celebrate a eucharist and intercessory prayers with a gay couple but not a wedding or nuptial blessing.
Bishop Spence said the reaction in Hamilton, Ont.-based diocese of Niagara was a “firestorm” after General Synod. “There is frustration that Niagara, which has held the line, is not allowed to go forward (with same-sex blessings),” he said. If the matter arises again at synod, “my expectation is that I will not be able NOT to give my assent,” he said. (Niagara’s 2004 synod voted in favor of blessings, but Bishop Spence withheld his consent in favour of church unity.)
After the session, several bishops said serious concerns were raised about the activities of retired bishop Don Harvey, of the diocese of eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. He has participated in irregular consecrations of bishops who intend to minister to conservatives in the U.S. and, in a recent letter posted on the Anglican Essentials Web site, he said, “If you have been following events in the Anglican world, you have likely sensed that the years of talking and waiting are nearly over. Change is in the wind. Many primates are now convinced there is no solution for orthodox Canadian Anglicans within the established structures.” He has also visited conservative parishes that have broken away from the Vancouver-based diocese of New Westminster, the only Canadian diocese so far to permit same-sex blessings. Diocesan bishop Michael Ingham has criticized Bishop Harvey for not following church rules and asking permission to minister in the diocese.
Bishop Ralph Spence of Niagara said after the closed session that, “I am very frustrated over Don Harvey. When you start to talk schism, this house needs to deal with it.”
Read it all here.
Chris Ambidge of Integrity Toronto comments:
There was also considerable discussion about the schismatic actions and statements from Bp Don Harvey and Essentials. (Bp Harvey is the retired bishop of Eastern NF and Labrador, and who has been in Pittsburgh supporting Bp Duncan, participating in irregular ordinations and the like)
Now we wait for the vote from Niagara in November and the results of the Essentials meeting the same month. The Niagara synod will have the blessing same-sex marriage issue again, and as you can see, they’re likely (he said, crossing his fingers) to again approve blessing of marriages, and this time +Ralph Niagara may agree. And notice +Ottawa’s comments on “not wanting to act alone, but I don’t think I’ll have to”.