Some commenters who are disappointed that the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops was not willing to accept the Primates’ proposal to appoint a Pastoral Council and Primatial Vicar to minister to its theological minority have suggested that such a plan should be imposed upon the Church.
It is unclear under whose authority this would be done. While the plan for the council and vicar was endorsed at the Primates Meeting, the imposition of such a plan on the Episcopal Church was not. The language of the communique suggests the Church may have its participation in the life of the Communion restricted in unspecified ways if it does not accept the Primates’ plan, but it does not suggest that what the communique refers to as “recommendations” will be imposed upon the Church if it declines to accept them.
The Primates, then, have not endorsed the actions that some commenters are urging in their name. They may do so at some future date, or they may not. There is no guarantee that the dozen Primates who are friendly to the Episcopal Church, and those who just would like this controversy to go away, would back such a measure.