Archbishop Robin Eames, who led the 17-person Commission gave the performance of a lifetime, his last, in front of media hungry for what they thought would see - Griswold roasted over an open fire. They were disappointed.

"We offered no easy judgment, there is no easy solution, it is an honest and frank confession of some 78 million believers scattered across the globe in 44 churches that make up the Anglican Communion," opined the Irish Archbishop, even though Griswold lied to the Primates barely a year ago, signing a statement that he would not do what he eventually did - consecrate a man to the episcopacy who was and is living in homosexual sin with another man after divorcing his wife.

This is not a time for recrimination, it is a time for "healing and restoration" the report argued. But if no sin has been committed and no repentance invited then what exactly is one being healed and restored from and too? The language of double speak was writ large. "Provinces have the right to organize their own internal affairs, but they are not free to depart unilaterally from the Communion," said Eames.

Things must be seen in their context, he said, trumpeting that the future lies together stressing that the communion should continue while arguing that each province must interpret truth in the light of their own culture, the tension of the diverse center - the triumph of moral relativity over Scripture. Another Ode to Frank's pluriformity.

"There must be legitimate diversity of life. There is not an appropriate course of discipline and punishment by those who have offended the common life of the communion. There is no mechanism for discipline by any central authority," he said.

So we must pursue the endless process of "listening" and waiting, and listening some more, till we all come of one mind...with Frank Griswold.

Sentences that touched on the New Hampshire election, or ordaining homosexuals to the ministry or same sex blessings, "breached the bonds of communion" as though this were simply a matter of bad taste or one had been served a less than perfect cup of tea at Fortnum and Masons. "Unacceptable to the Anglican Communion," sniffed Eames, but there was no call for repentance.

The real sin is "homophobia" cried Eames at one point, almost exploding out of his seat, raising his voice and finger at unnamed persons, while not daring to touch homosexual behavior that has killed unnumbered Anglican and Episcopal priests and laity through sodomite activity. Let the dead bury the dead no doubt. How many gay clergy and bishops do you have in the Church of Ireland Archbishop? If homosexuality is such a problem give us the Irish solution.

But the report did not stop there. There will be consequences, said Eames, but for whom?
For Griswold? Perhaps, but also for bishops and primates who intervene in the affairs of other provinces; they too equally imperil the life of the communion, he said. Take that Akinola, Venables, Orombi et al and any other archbishop who comes to rescue orthodox ECUSA and Canadian clergy under siege by any number of ECUSA's revisionist bishops. They must humbly admit that they too are wrong and ask the communion's forgiveness.

The report did ask Griswold and all those who took part in Robinson's consecration to withdraw themselves from "representative functions in the Anglican Communion." This is a bit like two drunks agreeing to swear off booze while one hands the other a half empty bottle of Scotch. Self policing only works in fascist states and among the Mafia. Genteel Episcopalianism invites sin with a condom and another bottle of Scotch. A moratorium on the future consecration of sodomite bishops was "invited" not demanded. God forbid.

Gays and lesbians smelled victory in the report declaring in a one page statement: "InclusiveChurch welcomes the spirit of diversity and reconciliation in Windsor Report." They positively gloated saying, "we are pleased that the Commission has not recommended the suspension or expulsion of The ECUSA, or called for Robinson to resign. We note that the report does not ask for repentance from the Episcopal Church and we welcome the desire for reconciliation while buttressing the line those bishops should not offer ministry outside their own diocese. They regretted the use of the word "illness" to describe the situation, and called for more listening and discernment. Of course. They finished their spiel blasting Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola who said that two people cannot walk together unless they are in agreement. A threesome perhaps?

Griswold himself sniffed victory and drove his pluriform SUV right through the report declaring, "We interpret and live the gospel in multiple contexts...the fundamental reality of the Episcopal Church is the diverse center." And the clincher line was this: "I am obliged to affirm the presence and positive contribution of gay and lesbian persons to every aspect of the life of our church and in all orders of ministry." There you have it. Nothing changes. Nothing. I don't give a damn what the Africans think, CAPA, the Primates, the orthodox in America or anywhere else. We will not be moved. We will not change our thinking. FUGETABOUTIT.

One must ask at this point, why doesn't Rome or the Orthodox churches argue the same line, what is so special about ECUSA that it operates in this particular context.

Of course Griswold did express regret at the "painful actions of our church have been in many provinces" but the subtext is, when you finally grow up about sex you will come to understand worldly wise Episcopalians who have become much more advanced in their thinking about sexuality, and if you wait around long enough you will realize that sodomy is "hard wired" and God will wink and nod. This presumes of course that there will still be an Episcopal Church 10 years from now.

The Anglican Communion Network and American Anglican Council weighed in at a later press conference applauding a Core Covenant that all could agree on as well as the moratorium but slammed any notion that unity could be sacrificed at the expense of truth.
"We must not allow a desire to hold the church family together to allow us to maintain the fatal disease that grips ECUSA and by association, the Anglican Communion." FATAL DISEASE! The media did not pick up on it.

"We are deeply saddened that within minutes of the Windsor Report’s release, the Presiding Bishop had already rejected its core presupposition that is the church’s traditional teaching on human sexuality. We call upon Bishop Griswold to express godly sorrow, immediately implement a moratorium on ordinations and consecrations of practicing homosexuals as well as the blessing of same sex unions, and we call on all bishops who have supported the consecration to withdraw from the councils of the church, as the report suggests." Of course it won't happen. The Episcopal Church is now faced with serious and difficult choices. They can follow the lead of Bishop Griswold which will ultimately lead to the demise of the Episcopal Church or they can choose to embrace the core covenant recommended by the commission, reject false doctrine and preserve faithful unity.

These orthodox Americans also rejected the Windsor Report's false parallel between permanent and willful changes to Christian doctrine and temporary pastoral measures provided in emergency situations. "We reject this concept and once again call for permanent structural relief," said Bob Duncan Network leader and Bishop of Pittsburgh. "We are grateful to those Primates who have provided temporary pastoral accommodation, at great cost, for faithful Anglicans in America who have been persecuted for upholding the apostolic faith."

Forward in Faith leaders weighed in arguing that there was no determination of what constitutes the minimum requirement for membership in the Anglican Communion; that there was no definition of what would constitute an adequate apology from those who caused; and from those who have responded to the "impaired" communion, and there was nothing offered for a world-wide solution to address the schismatic state of the Anglican Communion. Indeed.

Over lunch with Archbishop Drexel Gomez of the West Indies he said that the story was by no means told. Next February the Primates meet in Ireland and he expects Griswold will attend. It will be a no holds barred time, he assured me.

Griswold's own House of Bishops will meet in January and Bishop Robert Duncan made it clear that Griswold would be challenged as to what he will do with the report, but he would not be asked to resign. "The ECUSA HOB has been invited to step up to the plate or invited to get out," The Network goes on with its missionary work he told a press conference. "The HOB must accept the moratorium. If not, at some point someone has to close the door, even if Griswold says there is no change in course." He said that calling on ECUSA to express regret with no direct discipline was unacceptable."

The Rev. Martyn Minns an Englishman by birth now rector of Truro Episcopal Church in Virginia, said the Report was like being given the second yellow card, (an English football term.) "How many more does Griswold get before he is out of the game", he asked?

The Archbishop of Canterbury, in a prepared statement, offered little hope or consolation to the communion's orthodox believers and those being persecuted by revisionist ECUSA bishops. He talked about "healing and restoration, not punishment" but at a time when ECUSA's revisionist bishops are doling out so much punishment of their own, one wonders if he really has gotten the message at all.

If the 350 African bishops meeting in Lagos at the end of the month don't step up to the plate, and the Primates next February don't put the finishing touches on what they determine, then it is truly all over, not just for the Episcopal Church, but also for the Anglican Communion itself.

Never have the words of the Book of the Revelation, spoken by St. John rung more true: "I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead." (Rev.3:1)

And to the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, "These things says the Amen, the Faithful and True Witness...I know your works that you are neither cold nor hot...so then because you are lukewarm...I will vomit you out of my mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16)

This indeed will be the sad epitaph of the Anglican Communion.

END