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» Blessing…
"A Canadian Anglican bishop signaled on Monday he would defy the wishes of the global Anglican church and start drafting a ceremony for blessing homosexual marriages. Bishop Barry Clarke said he would be following through with the wishes of the diocese of Montreal, which he heads, and set up a commission to come up with liturgy for such blessings… The Montreal synod, the diocese's decision-making body, passed a resolution a year ago asking him to grant permission to clergy to bless same-sex marriages and to authorize an appropriate liturgy." [Reuters] |
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» "Sidestepped."
"Canada's Anglican bishops sidestepped a request from the worldwide Anglican Communion to stop blessing gay marriages for now, despite warnings that failure to do so would imperil Anglican unity. The bishops issued a statement on Friday saying "a large majority" of them could affirm 'a continued commitment to the greatest extent possible' to a moratorium on the blessing of same-sex unions until the Canadian church's general synod in 2010. But the statement did not commit the entire Anglican Church of Canada to agreeing to the request made in August by the once-a-decade Lambeth Conference of global Anglican leaders." [Reuters] |
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Robinson said he led a confidential retreat a few years ago for gay Roman Catholic priests. Robinson wouldn't disclose details of this mens' weekend, but did reveal that he urged them to fight for women's rights within the priesthood: "I believe that if you work for the ordination of women in your church, you will go a long way toward opening the door for the acceptance of gay priests." |
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Indian Bishop Vinay Samuel explains This meeting is an exercise to explain the declaration we made after [this summer's] conference in Jerusalem. We need to explain to those who disagree with us on the issue of taking the authority of the Bible as we do." |
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Cotter says he received approval from the local church council, but the Archbishop of Wales, Barry Morgan, caught wind of the event and put his foot down. Morgan and his underlings informed their congregants that they did not approve of the event and made clear they won't tolerate such gay shenanigans: The service which took place at St Hywyn's Aberdaron on July 12 should not have taken place and the Archbishop is dealing with the matter. Well, it's certainly nice to know the Church allows people of the same sex to be friends… |
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The Anglican church remains split on how - and why - homos should be brought into the Biblical fold, largely due to the ascension of gay American Bishop Gene Robinson in 2004. And the debate, said Tutu at a conference in England, has been distracting the communion from more pressing matters, like poverty: We seem to be engaging in this kind of, almost, past-time [while] there's poverty, hunger, disease, corruption. Ha! We love you, Tutu, but you know the right-wing set won't sign on to such a plan. Although, yes, they'd be wise to focus their energies elsewhere. |
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Robinson, of course, is the American Episcopal preacher man whose ascension to Bishop nearly split the Anglican Communion. Well, John had a similar experience five years ago, when his appointment as Bishop of Reading was canceled over concerns about his gay ways. It seems the Church of England has come around, however, because leaders are mulling making John the nation's first openly gay diocesan bishop. And, naturally, there's plenty of debate on both sides of the ideological divide: Liberals welcomed the news, but conservatives gave warning that it would aggravate the tensions over sexuality that are threatening to rend the Anglican Communion in two and revive the rancour that followed the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson. Rowan Williams, the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, has remained mum on the issue. He did, however, play an instrumental role in the abortion of John's 2003 appointment. |
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Warns That Gays Endanger All Of Africa
Just last month the politico applauded his country men for coming out against the queers. Now he's at it again, this time extending a warm hand to the Anglican Church, which recently bolstered its homophobic beliefs. Said Museveni while attending the consecration of the Rev. Canon Patrick Gidudu, "I salute the Archbishop and bishops of Africa for resisting disorientation and a decadent culture, which he said was being passed by Western nations.” The President went on to warn of the destructive gay ways: "It is a danger not only to the believers, but to the whole of Africa. It is bad if our children become complacent and think that people who are not in order are alright." |
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» Baby Steps.
The international Anglican communion wrapped up its policy-centric Lambeth Conference this weekend and only came a wee bit closer to resolving their gay inclusion drama by erecting a moratorium on ordaining openly gay bishops. They did not reach any conclusions, however, on how - or if - to integrate queer congregants into the broader movement. [Globe & Mail] |
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While some Western representatives support gay inclusion, others aren't feeling so welcoming. This, of course, puts spiritual leader Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in an awkward position. Thus, hoping to keep the international communion from crumbling, Williams yesterday came out against homo sex: The Archbishop of Canterbury has continued his quest for Anglican unity with a strong statement against living in sin and gay sex. Williams also dismissed rumors of an Anglican schism, saying, "If it is the end of the Anglican Communion I do not think anyone has told most of the people here.” |
» (Bad) Words…
"We reject homosexual practice as contrary to biblical teaching and can accept no place for it within ECS. We strongly oppose developments within the Anglican Church in USA and Canada in consecrating a practicing homosexual as bishop and in approving a rite for the blessing of same-sex relationships." - Episcopal Church of Sudan Archbishop Dr. Daniel Deng Bul at the Anglican Communion's Lambeth Conference in England. [VirtueOnline] |
» Threats.
Kenyan Anglican Bishop Thomas Kogo has threatened to quit the international communion unless the conservative sect take a harder stance against the homo-loving left-wingers. Said Kogo, "God recognises marriage between man and woman, and there is no way we will accept homosexuality and gay marriages. The Bible is very clear on the matter." [The Standard] |
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Nor, we think, does it have to do with the gays. It's about playing power games, pure and simple. |
» Fighting Back.
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury and spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, does not approve of anti-gay leaders' plan to shift the church's power to Africa. Said Williams: "A Primates Council which consists of only a self-selected group…will not pass the test of legitimacy for all in the Communion. Any claim to be free to operate across provincial boundaries is fraught with difficulties, both theological and practical." [NY Blade] |
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Anglican conservatives, frustrated by the continuing stalemate over homosexuality in the Anglican Communion, declared Sunday that they would defy historic lines of authority and create a new power bloc within the communion led by a council predominantly of African archbishops. Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola, known for his virulent homophobia, called the decision a "new beginning." We call it bullshit - how are you going to use liberation struggles as the "inspiration" for such a hateful shift? It's just gross. |