The Primates of the Anglican Communion have thus far refrained from committing news at their meeting in Alexandria, Egypt, and that is all to the good. But there is still one day to go.
Calling on the Anglican Communion “not to abandon the people of Sudan in this time of danger and uncertainty,” Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul appealed to his fellow primates February 4 saying that the Church in Sudan needs “urgent support for the work of relief, rehabilitation and resettlement.”
The Primates reviewed the report of the Windsor Continuation Group (WCG), which Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has asked be kept private until the primates have concluded their meeting. In other news, the Rev. Dr. Ephraim Radner responds to Archbishop Aspinall’s report on the Covenant drafting process.
We request that the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Chair of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, in consultation with the Church of the Province of Central Africa, commission a Representative to go to Zimbabwe to exercise a ministry of presence and to show solidarity with the Zimbabwean people.
The primates got down to business on day 2, and there are several reports mostly drawing of the end of day news conference given by the primates’ media spokesperson, the Most Rev. Philip Aspinall, Archbishop of Australia.
At the conclusion of the first day of the Primates meetings in Alexandria, Archbishop Rowan Williams delivered the sermon at a service celebrating the dedication
The Living Church asserts in an article today that the power to recognize new provinces within the Anglican Communion rests with the Primates. This statement,
Anglican Communion News has the text of a statement released by the Anglican “Church of the Province of West Africa on the state of the Anglican Communion”. The statement reiterates the Province’s objections to the actions being taken by other Anglican Provinces in ordaining partnered gays and lesbians and in allowing the blessing of the unions. But the statement is notable for what it does not say.
Archbishop Fred Hiltz, Primate of the Anglican Church has made a statement about the departure of several parishes from Anglican Church of Canada –and made it available through a videocast on the web. In it, he states that the Canadian Church is still “vibrant and united in its witness to the Gospel message.”
Bishop Valentino L. Mokiwa of the Diocese of Dar es Salaam will be the next primate of the Anglican Church of Tanzania, according to Episcopal News Service. Mokiwa will succeed Archbishop Donald Leo Mtetemela, who has served as primate since 1998 and will retire on May 25.