Canada: Anglican Head Supports Episcopalians, Denounces Sanctions

Archbishop Fred Hiltz of the Anglican Church of Canada has voiced his support of the Episcopal Church in their recent dispute with the Archbishop of Canterbury over the ordination of an openly gay bishop.

Anglican head the Rev. Rowan Williams recently took action against the Episcopal Church for their ordination of openly gay minister the Rev. Mary Glasspool by asking Episcopal representatives in the Communion's ecumenical and doctrinal councils to step down.

Williams cited that the Episcopal Church's actions were a formal breach of church moratoria outlined in the 2004 Windsor report, which prevents the ordination of gay bishops, the blessing of same-sex unions, and the intervention of bishops across borders.

In an address to the Canadian church's General Synod, Hiltz repeated recent objections made by Episcopal head the Rev. Katharine Jefferts Schori, who accused Williams of using a double standard in enforcing the church's moratoria.

Hiltz referred to the actions of Archbishop Gregory Venables of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone of America, who has created official relationships with Anglican splinter groups in the United States and Canada who are opposed to the liberal actions of the national churches regarding homosexuality. Venables was not mentioned in Williams' letter.

Other provinces in Nigeria, Kenya and Uganda are also reportedly involved in cross border interventions.

Hiltz said that he maintains and has publicly declared his "belief that those interventions have created more havoc in the Church, resulting in schism, than any honest and transparent theological dialogue on issues of sexuality through due synodical process in dioceses and in the General Synod."

Hiltz also questioned Williams' focus on those provinces who have breached moratoria "formally" through their Synod or House of Bishops, saying that it leaves him "wondering about places where the moratoria on the blessing of same sex unions is in fact ignored."

"The blessings happen but not 'formally,'" he said.

The archbishop further expressed his concern over provisions in the proposed Anglican Covenant that speak of "relational consequences for a church should it make decisions deemed incompatible with the covenant."

Hiltz said that such measures reflect "principles of exclusion with which many in the communion are very uneasy."

"How can we hope to restore communion in our relationships if any one of us cannot or will not be heard?" he asked.

On Monday, the Rev. Canon Kenneth Kearon, secretary general of the Anglican Communion, wrote to Epsicopalians serving on the church's ecumenical dialogues informing them of their dismissal.

Kearon also wrote to Venables asking him for "clarification as to the current state of his interventions into other provinces." No mention was made of the African provinces engaged in similar activity.

Furthermore, Kearon wrote to Hiltz asking whether the Canadian church's General Synod or House of Bishops has "formally adopted policies that breach the second moratorium in the Windsor Report, authorizing public rites of same-sex blessing."

Hiltz has maintained that while some diocese have made provisions for blessing same-sex unions, the church on a national level is committed to its 2008 moratoria on the issue.

The archbishop also noted that within the Canadian church, there is "less passion for resolving [issues about same-sex marriages] through resolution and heated debate, and much deeper commitment to respectful dialogue and continuing discernment together."

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