UPDATE: Here is the statement in English from the Primate from his blog.
The Most Revd Francisco de Assis da Silva, Primate of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil, has issued a statement regarding last week’s meeting in London. English language quotations are via Google Translate and should be read as such.
The Archbishop waited until Monday to release his statement, not wanting to comment “in the heat of the debate.” He described how the issues of marriage equality dominated the time that the Primates spent together. In the most extreme instance, he said, the provinces associated with GAFCON wanted the Episcopal Church to repent of its stance on marriage, or be expelled from the Communion.
This position has generated a reaction that led the Primates over the center and the most progressive to seek alternatives that were causing a drastic break in the Communion, as the very secular media anticipated repeatedly before and during the meeting. The final resolution was what I call possible in terms of keeping the Primates at the table and with the desire to keep talking about the symbolic terrain of sexuality.
Este posicionamento gerou uma reação que levou os Primazes mais ao centro e os mais progressistas a buscarem alternativas que causassem uma drástica ruptura na Comunhão, conforme a própria mídia secular antecipava repetidamente antes e durante a reunião.
Archbishop Francisco demonstrated deep sympathy with the position of TEC, and the response of Presiding Bishop Michael Curry. He anticipates that his own province will, in due time, find itself in a similar position.
The impact of this decision certainly affects it causes pain not only in TEC, but in all the churches that have heeded the call of God to welcome all the people in their pastoral needs. As Bishop Michael Curry said, the TEC is serving a pastoral wish is not just a cultural issue but a concrete answer people who love God, serve Him and yearn to follow Jesus.
Our IEAB has done as well as other provinces of the Communion, has made its way to include the LBGT community, depending on decisions that take these two or three years, we will experience situations similar to that TEC lives today.
O impacto dessa decisão com certeza afeta é causa dor não somente na TEC, mas em todas as igrejas que tem atendido ao chamado de Deus em acolher todas as pessoas em suas necessidades pastorais. Conforme o Bispo Michael Curry destacou, a TEC está atendendo um desejo pastoral que não é apenas uma questão cultural, mas uma resposta concreta as pessoas que amam a Deus, servem a Ele e desejam ardentemente seguir a Jesus.Nossa IEAB tem feito, assim como outras províncias da Comunhão, tem feito o seu caminho de inclusão da comunidade LBGT e dependendo de decisões que se tome nestes dois ou três anos, poderemos viver situações semelhantes a que a TEC vive hoje.
The pastoral letter emphasized the persistent prayerfulness of the meeting, and its commitment to goals that strengthen rather than divide: for example, the renewed commitment to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. It ends with a plea
That orthodoxy (alleged by some) does not become a hindrance to the advancement of God’s Kingdom!
Que a ortodoxia (alegada por alguns) não se torne um empecilho para o avanço do Reino de Deus!
Read the original letter here; via Google Translate here.
Photo: Dom Francisco de Assis é o Primaz da IEAB, via http://sn.ieab.org.br/