Gay bishop stirs Ugandan fury
2008-02-14 18:07
Kampala - Uganda's Anglican Church announced on Thursday that it would not attend an upcoming meeting of Anglican bishops to protest an invitation extended to a gay bishop from the United States.
The decision follows a split in the Anglican Communion after the US Episcopal branch appointed as bishop an openly gay man, Gene Robinson, in 2003 and began approving same-sex unions.
"The Bishops of the Church of Uganda have resolved that they will not be participating in the Lambeth Conference to be held in July 2008 in Canterbury, England," Uganda's Archbishop Luke Henry Orombi said.
"This decision has been made to protest the invitations extended by the Archbishop of Canterbury . . . whose stand and unrepentant actions created the current crisis of identity and authority in the Anglican Communion," he added.
The Lambeth Conference, held every 10 years, brings together bishops from all 38 provinces of the Anglican Communion to discuss and make resolutions that will govern the church.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams will preside over the meeting.
Orombi said that a meeting of "Biblically orthodox" Anglican bishops, clergy, and laity is being planned for June in Jerusalem.