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Canterbury Eucharist by Griswold criticised by Anglican Mainstream
Anglican Mainstream leaders have criticised the presidency of the American church leader, Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, at a Eucharist in Canterbury Cathedral earlier this month and the publicity given to it by the Anglican Communion News Service.
In a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Dean of Canterbury Cathedral Anglican Mainstream argues that the act of allowing the Presiding Bishop to preside at the Eucharist was 'provocative' in the light of the controversy surrounding Bishop Griswold's role in the consecration of the practising homosexual bishop, Gene Robinson, last November.
"A celebration of the Holy Communion should be an expression of the unity we are privileged to enjoy around the Lord's Table. It should not be used as a propaganda tool in church politics.
"To invite Presiding Bishop Griswold to act as eucharistic president on this occasion and further publicise it with a photograph on the Anglican Communion website seems, sadly, to have done exactly that. The immediate publicity given to this event in the Anglican Communion News Service is one more example of the manipulation of the Communion by the Anglican Communion office.
"It gives further substance to the claim made by Archbishop Akinola of Nigeria (in indicating that he would not be attending the meetings of the Joint Standing Committee last week), that the Anglican Communion Office continues to act as if what ECUSA did on November 2nd 2003 does not really matter," they said.
The Anglican Mainstream letter indicates that the current crisis is so grave that it is no longer possible for any pretence that it was 'business as usual'. They said that the incident raised a number of issues, including the question of who authorised Presiding Bishop Griswold's ministry in this country. Overseas clergy normally need permission from the Archbishops of Canterbury and York. "It is difficult for us to believe that in such a sensitive situation they would have done this. If they have not given approval the question must be asked by what authority Presiding Bishop Griswold acted."
They also asked whether this was the beginning of a softening up process by which all those who took part in the consecration of Gene Robinson would be able to minister in the Church of England.
The letter was signed by the executive committee of Anglican Mainstream. They were Dr Phillip Giddings, member of the Archbishops' Council; the Rt Rev Wallace Benn, Bishop of Lewes; the Rev Nicholas Wynne-Jones Secretary of Church of England Evangelical Council; the Rev David Banting, Chairman of Reform; the Rev George Curry, Chairman of Church Society; the Rev John Coles, Chairman of New Wine; Prebendary Richard Bewes, Rector of All Soul's Langham Place and Dr Chris Sugden, Director of the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies.
To read the full letter go to www.anglican-mainstream.net/news115.asp
For further comment contact Dr Philip Giddings on 0118 378 8207 or 0118 954 3892 or Canon Dr Chris Sugden on 0780-829-7043
