During this Lenten Season and in preparation to celebrate the
resurrection on Easter, we reflected seriously regarding the future of
our relationship as bishops and ministers of God. We are united by the
common purpose of providing guidance for our people in the midst of
difficult times in which we live: and incomprehension,
disintegration in the family structure and the lack of interest in
seeking God's Kingdom; all of which challenges the systems that shape
our destinies as societies.

The reflection has led us to understand that the central emphasis of
Lent and of our lives during this season is forgiveness and
reconciliation. These two primary values and teachings, which were given
to us by Christ, along with his Message, are still relevant and basic
for the understanding of the love of God and his justice.

As living testimonies of Christ we should be role s of His actions
and message; we wish to give testimony of his love and of his message of
reconciliation as we accept as our principal goal the restoring of the
good relationship that has been the characteristic with which we began
together the project of the Anglican Church in the Central American
Region and for which we are and will continue to be united for the
development of the mission that God had given to us to serve his people.
Moreover we will try to be a channel for reconciliation and forgiveness.
We thank our Primate his Grace Martin J. Barahona, for the leadership he
has provided during this process.

We have encouraged one another to be one in Christ so that the actions
that we take and the decisions that we make on a personal level or in
the representation of our churches will not affect the life or
development of the mission in the Province, or at the Diocesan level
and/or at the personal level. We have established guidelines that will
permit us to make decisions in the framework for the consensus of the group.

We take this opportunity to reaffirm the declaration given by us to the
Primate and presented to the Primates and other Provinces of the
Anglican Communion in relation with the election and consecration of the
Rev. Canon V. Gene Robinson as Bishop Coadjutor of the Diocese of New
Hampshire. In that document we resume and make known our feelings and
thoughts on the decision of The Episcopal Church in the United States of
America. At this time, this is the stand we take on this matter.

We will also state that in the midst of the ill-feelings and division
that we are experiencing in our Anglican Communion, we reaffirm the Love
of God toward all humanity and that this love represents the symbol of
unity for all human beings that are called to be in union with God and
for whom Jesus gave his life. This is the love that moves us and helps
us to understand that sin is what separates us from God and does not
allow us to have a full relationship with him or with others. This is
our task: to fight against sin and proclaim life.

We are committed to give the House of Bishops in IARCA the place that it
deserves in the pastoral mission of our church. We have established at
least two times in the year to meet as a collegial body, one time during
Lent and another during Pentecost, so that we can give some continuity
to our lives as bishops and our mission in the Anglican Church of
Central America. We will also begin a process of continuing education
for ourselves and to keep updated on the most important issues that
affect and/or challenge the mission of the Church, directly or indirectly.

We encourage all people and the Clergy to pray fervently without
ceasing, and to journey with us in the search for new experiences in the
mission of Christ, the mission that he has given to each of us through
his passion, but also through his resurrection.

It's our hope, that by getting to know God better and getting to know
each other better, as we begin and maintain a joint process of continued
education, of interrelation, of common prayer and of seeking a closer
relationship with each other; these efforts will help to restore the
unity which has been part of the foundation that gave birth to the
conformation of the Anglican Church of the Central American Region.

Given on the sixteenth day of the month of March in the year of Our Lord
two thousand four.

The Rt Revd Martin J. Barahona Episcopal Church of El Salvador, Primate
of IARCA

The Rt Revd Julio E. Murray Episcopal Church of Panama

The Rt Revd Sturdie W. Downs Episcopal Church of Nicaragua

The Rt Revd Armando R. Guerra Episcopal Church of Guatemala

The Rt Revd Hector F. Monterroso Episcopal Church of Costa Rica

END