Let the Spin Begin!
The news from ACC-13 in Nottingham is that a very close vote on a resolution from representatives from the Global South has effectively "censured" or "expelled" or "(place favorite adjective here)" both ECUSA and the Canadian Church. Here is Kendall Harmon's post with comments: http://titusonenine.classicalanglican.net/index.php?p=7387#comments
What this really means is not yet clear, but the spin machines will be working on this one overtime.
What I suspect it means is more than Frank Griswold is comfortable with. Now each of the four "Instruments of Unity" are on record in this matter, which does not conform with the drift of ECUSA. The Statement of Lambeth '98 on sexuality is now recognized as the official teaching of the Communion, overwhelmingly by Lambeth and the Primates, reluctantly but firmly by Rowan Williams, and narrowly by the ACC. (On top of it, it appears that all Primates have been made ex officio members of subsequent ACC meetings, which will have the effect of pulling the ACC further rightward.)
Frank increasingly will be in the position of saying something akin to "well, we lost every electoral vote, but Pennsylvania was close."
On the other hand, the Network folks must realize that this probably doesn't mean as much as they would like it to mean. The ACC is not the posse on white horses who are going to make the bad guys get out of Dodge. There is a considerable minority voice in the Communion which will try to ameliorate any harsher measures.
The decisive moments are still a year off: GC '06 and the likely maelstrom of response by the Primates afterwards. Windsor, Newry, and now to a lesser degree Nottingham have all given us plenty of rope.
And I, for one, cannot imagine a good outcome for any members of ECUSA (barring a complete recantation, which won't happen.) The elation from some of the "reasserters" on Kendall's blog seems misplaced to me.
I am begining to think that in the end we will have two (or more) "Anglicanisms" in America, both of which will be small and declining.
What this really means is not yet clear, but the spin machines will be working on this one overtime.
What I suspect it means is more than Frank Griswold is comfortable with. Now each of the four "Instruments of Unity" are on record in this matter, which does not conform with the drift of ECUSA. The Statement of Lambeth '98 on sexuality is now recognized as the official teaching of the Communion, overwhelmingly by Lambeth and the Primates, reluctantly but firmly by Rowan Williams, and narrowly by the ACC. (On top of it, it appears that all Primates have been made ex officio members of subsequent ACC meetings, which will have the effect of pulling the ACC further rightward.)
Frank increasingly will be in the position of saying something akin to "well, we lost every electoral vote, but Pennsylvania was close."
On the other hand, the Network folks must realize that this probably doesn't mean as much as they would like it to mean. The ACC is not the posse on white horses who are going to make the bad guys get out of Dodge. There is a considerable minority voice in the Communion which will try to ameliorate any harsher measures.
The decisive moments are still a year off: GC '06 and the likely maelstrom of response by the Primates afterwards. Windsor, Newry, and now to a lesser degree Nottingham have all given us plenty of rope.
And I, for one, cannot imagine a good outcome for any members of ECUSA (barring a complete recantation, which won't happen.) The elation from some of the "reasserters" on Kendall's blog seems misplaced to me.
I am begining to think that in the end we will have two (or more) "Anglicanisms" in America, both of which will be small and declining.
posted by peregrinator at 2:38 PM
1 Comments:
My name is Kendall (first name) Harmon (last name).
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