Church slammed over gay bishop

2004-10-18 13:47

London - An Anglican church commission on Monday sharply criticised the US Episcopal Church for consecrating a gay bishop and called on the church to apologise and refrain from promoting any other clergy living in a same-sex union.

The report of the commission, headed by Irish primate Robin Eames, also proposed that the 38 national churches that constitute the Anglican Communion sign a covenant expressing their support for what it called current Anglican teachings.

Worldwide, Anglican conservatives are heavily in the majority.

A 1998 conference of all Anglican bishops declared gay practices "incompatible with Scripture" and opposed gay ordinations and same-sex blessings in a 526-70 vote with 45 abstentions.

Monday's report called on conservative bishops - including some from Africa - who have offered to forge relationships with disaffected Episcopal congregations to desist, to apologise and to affirm their desire to remain within the Anglican Communion.

It urged those archbishops and bishops who have intervened with Episcopal churches to seek an accommodation with the Episcopal bishop or bishops involved.

The Lambeth Commission is dealing with a deep split among and within Anglican national churches caused by the election of Gene Robinson last November and the decision of the western Canadian diocese of New Westminster to bless gay relationships.

A coalition of conservative US Episcopalians affirmed on Saturday that it had split from the national church and formed four new congregations, in part because of last year's consecration of the gay bishop.

They plan to align themselves with a foreign bishop and meet in private homes in the states of Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

In consecrating Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire, the report said, the Episcopal bishops "acted in the full knowledge that very many people in the Anglican Communion could neither recognise nor receive the ministry as a bishop in the church of God of a person in an openly acknowledged same-gender union."

The report invited the Episcopal Church "to express its regret that the proper constraints of the bonds of affection were breached" in Robinson's election.

Until there is an apology, the report says, those who took part in consecrating Robinson - which would include Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold - should consider whether to withdraw themselves from functions of the Anglican Communion.

Some conservative churches in Africa and elsewhere have refused to meet with Episcopal Church leaders, and the issue of homosexuality has threatened to undermine the long-term future of the 77-million strong worldwide Anglican Communion, which has its roots in the Church of England.

- AP