Global South Anglican

First, I wish to clarify that my response is not meant to be a personal attack on Canon Kenneth Kearon. My reference to the “heart of darkness” refers to a pervasive mentality in some parts in our Communion, which takes a view that the “post-liberal” outlook is superior, and should be enforced to the rest of the world.  The title “Heart of Darkness” comes from Joseph Conrad’s critique on a similar European “civilising project” in Congo a hundred years ago. As I suggested in my response, all (both East and West) are prone to such outlook. I do apologize to Canon Kearon for any misunderstanding I caused.

Anglican bishops from ten jurisdictions and organizations pledged to take the first steps toward a “new ecclesiastical structure” in North America. The meeting of the first ever Common Cause Council of Bishops was held in Pittsburgh September 25–28. The bishops present lead more than 600 Anglican congregations. They formally organized themselves as a college of bishops which will meet every six months. They also laid out a timeline for the path ahead, committed to working together at local and regional levels, agreed to deploy clergy interchangeably and announced their intention to, in consultation “with those Primates and Provinces of the Anglican Communion offering recognition under the timeline adopted,” call a “founding constitutional convention for an Anglican union,” at the earliest possible date agreeable to all of the partners.

...Dr Williams openly declared that September 30, which the Primates had set as a deadline for response, was no ultimatum but merely a convenient date following the House of Bishops meeting. It is clear that this is not a view shared by many of his fellow primates and does not reflect the language of the communiqué itself. This declaration however gives an open signal that Dr Williams himself is not prepared to lead the Communion in any proper sanction against The Episcopal Church. We can therefore expect further tragic fragmentation in the coming months.

“The US bishops have not said anything different from their earlier liberal stance, which supports same-sex unions.”

Fulcrum Response to the Statement from the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church, New Orleans, 25 September 2007

Fulcrum Comparative Study of Statements From Dar es Salaam and New Orleans

I am grateful for the tone of this meeting and for many aspects of the process and the contributions many bishops from very diferent perspectives made to it. I wish that such openness and frankness, and serious discussion, had characterized earlier meetings. (And here I refer to 15 years of such meetings!). But the final result, I must confess, is disappointing to me. I do not believe the answers requested by the Primates have been given. I do not believe we have moved very far – if at all – from where we were before this meeting in terms of the assurances sought. I certainly think that internally, the House of Bishops changed its dynamics in a number of ways that are welcome. But for all that, we still seem, as one bishop has said, “stuck.”

Ed: The rest in pdf format is worth reading from here. Bishop Stanton’s discussions on B033 resolution concurs with our editorial comment and observation on the on-going lack of clarity.

A Response to the Statement by the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion on behalf of the Joint Standing Committee of the Primates and the Anglican Consultative Council, 26 September 2007

Three orthodox Anglican groups, the American Anglican Council, the Anglican Communion Network, and Forward in Faith North America, have issued a joint statement on the recently-concluded meeting of the House of Bishops in New Orleans. 

The addition of “(1) The House acknowledges that non-celibate gay and lesbian persons are included among those to whom B033 pertains” may be read as a significant change or clarification to B033 but it is not. It is a worthless “sequitur” statement which don’t add anything…

In the interest of clarity, I would like to report to the clergy and people of the Diocese of South Carolina on the meeting of the House of Bishops in New Orleans. I am particularly concerned that you hear directly from me as the distortion in the media and on blogs is profound.