According to the Church Times, the Primates’ first responses to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s invitation to meet next January “vary from the enthusiastic to the heavily caveated.” So far, no one has said “no.”
Despite the Archbishop’s unexpected decision to invite a representative of the Anglican Church in North America (ACNA), the Episcopal Church confirmed that the Rt Revd Michael Curry, who is due to succeed Dr Katharine Jefferts Schori as Presiding Bishop, would attend.
The Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, the Most Revd Archbishop Fred Hiltz, welcomed the meeting as “a good thing”. Speaking on Tuesday, he described the decision to invite ACNA — it is understood that the representative will be present for one day, before the formal meeting gets under way — as “an opportunity for some conversation, in the ultimate hope that we might be able to find a way forward towards reconciliation”.
US bishops also welcomed the Archbishop’s initiative, despite reservations. “I hope that all will be in attendance, and participate fully,” the Bishop of Vermont, the Rt Revd Thomas C. Ely, said. “It is not clear to me the reasoning behind inviting other guests who are not Primates of the Anglican Communion to this meeting, especially since this is the first meeting of the Primates in quite some time.
“Clearly the Archbishop, with his wider perspective on things, thinks this is a good idea, and so I trust his judgement.”
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Ok, so no one has said no.
But one wonders how many provinces have said yes?
The Church Times article says that the Archbishop of Papua New Guinea says he has “some reservations” about the meeting. It also quotes the “false teaching” statement from the Most Revd Eliud Wabukala, Kenyan Primate and GAFCON chairman.
Methinks there’s another shoe about to drop.
Hoping this is finally a meeting which moves beyond Indaba and actually does something.
Change what we must to rightly engage with the Church’s state of fracture and development in a postmodern America and Europe and premodern Africans.
Find a way for the greatest level of communion possible especially with those who we most disagree with.
Running away and refusing to engage with a fellow Anglican is USELESS and scandalous.
Unity is the Gospel mandate.
“Premodern Africans,” Christina? Do you really want to go there?
Christina,
Your note was great to see. Just a comment–don’t forget those on the other American continent…for this I’d include everybody south of the Rio Grande
I should add that her “invitation” wasn’t the only one in those days. Now I suppose I’ll hear about conservatives telling other cohorts to leave or they aren’t welcome/included…really? That’s just a “tit for tat” argument.
Why Mr Rowan, you’ve bested yourself in argument. Bravo!
Wasn’t it Bishop B. Harris who stated (yrs ago) to the conservative groups, “Go, for God’s sake, go.” Well, they did and found a means to continue (seek?) to be Anglicans. It wasn’t without trial and error. But they have found a way. Now, TEC has a similar choice—to Go, or Not to Go—and accept the risks attendant. After all, ACNA is an outgrowth of one of TEC’s outspoken spokespersons “invitations.”
If +Foley is supposed to there for only a day, that indicates that the meeting won’t be focused on reconciliation between TEC and the ACNA.
That’s actually a good thing. I don’t think reconciliation will be possible until the various property lawsuits between TEC and various ACNA-affiliated dioceses and parishes have been concluded. Pushing for reconciliation before people are ready can do more harm than good.