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Nine bishops “express sorrow” at synod’s actions
STAFF
ANGLICAN JOURNAL
St. Catharines, Ont., June 3, 2004 - Nine bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada issued a statement tonight saying that bishops, lay and clergy gathered at General Synod here committed an error when they approved a statement that “affirms the integrity and sanctity of committed, adult same-sex relationships.”
“In recent days the General Synod has made a number of contradictory decisions which may be causing confusion in the church,” the bishops said in a statement read by Bishop Donald Harvey of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador. “On the one hand, the synod has deferred a decision concerning the blessing of same-sex unions for three years in order to explore whether such ceremonies would be a matter of doctrine. This consideration will need to be engaged by all 34 synods of the Anglican Church of Canada. On the other hand the Synod appears to have pre-empted this work by summarily expressing the opinion that it affirms the ‘sanctity’ of committed adult same-sex relationships.”
The statement, which Bishop Harvey read as he was flanked by eight other bishops on a stage on the synod floor, took many delegates by surprise coming as it did after the night prayers just as they were ready to leave the plenary hall.
Primate-elect Andrew Hutchison said he was “obviously very disappointed to hear that kind of statement because it speaks of division.”
“That’s very sad,” he told Anglican Journal in an interview. Asked what effect the statement would have, Archbishop Hutchison said, “I think the effect will be to reinforce division within the church. I’m just terribly sorry we couldn’t settle the issue here.”
He said that he had heard “far too late to do anything” about the action of the nine bishops.
The other bishops who signed the statement were Andrew Atagotaaluk (Arctic), Benjamin Arreak (suffragan of the Arctic), William Anderson (Caledonia), Anthony Burton and Charles Arthurson (Saskatchewan), Terrence Buckle (Yukon), Ronald Ferris (Algoma) and Larry Robertson (suffragan of the Arctic).
The nine bishops said that synod’s actions – including affirming the “sanctity” of same-sex relationships – ignore “the work of the Lambeth Commission for Anglican provinces not to take any action on these matters before the release of their report.”
They added that the clause ignored the voices of Inuit and indigenous churches who had spoken against the statement.
“We urge Anglicans across Canada distressed by this expression of opinion not to despair and urge them to take their full part in the diocesan and provincial synods which will contribute to a decision of whether this is a doctrinal matter, “ the bishops’ statement said.
