Thursday, June 14, 2007

Executive Council rebukes Presiding Bishop

As reported in this story by the AP:

The Episcopal Executive Council said that Anglican leaders, called primates, cannot make decisions for the American denomination, which is the Anglican body in the United States. "We question the authority of the primates to impose deadlines and demands upon any of the churches of the Anglican Communion," the council said in a statement, after a meeting in Parsippany, N.J.

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori had endorsed the unanimous communique from the Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam earlier this year, which stated that the Primates will establish a pastoral council, including a primatial vicar to care for those parishes and dioceses in conflict with the Episcopal Church. The statement from the Executive Council, following up on the recent House of Bishops meeting at Camp Allen, effectively ends all hope that the Episcopal Church will cooperate with the process of healing and reconciliation.

Schori has been vocal about the need for the reconciliation, for a "period of fasting" on same-sex blessings and ordinations, and for the willingness to cooperate with the Anglican Communion. The communique, which the Presiding Bishop supported, noted:

24. The response of The Episcopal Church to the requests made at Dromantine has not persuaded this meeting that we are yet in a position to recognise that The Episcopal Church has mended its broken relationships.

Despite what might be her best efforts, it appears the Episcopal Church is just not interested. Or perhaps better stated, is vigorously opposed to reconciliation with the Anglican Communion.

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