BRAZIL: Bishops rip interference in their province over Diocese of Recife
To the The Most Revd Rowan Williams
Palace of LAMBETH
London, UK
November 30, 2005
Greetings on behalf of Christ.
As Chamber of the Bishops of the Episcopal Church Anglicana of Brazil - IEAB, we want to express our solidarity to our Archbishop how much to all the events that have caused as much damage to our Anglicana Communion.
The case of Robinson Cavalcanti passed for a long process of judgment for the Superior Court of Justice of our Province; This Court considered innumerable acts of disregard to the colleagues bishops and other sectors of the IEAB, also to our Archbishop, beyond if involving irregularally in the jurisdiction of other Provinces (clandestine Confirmations).
We have evidences of some cases involving situations that violate its votes of ordinance.
Also referring denunciations to its moral behavior, what intentionally we leave to enroll to the process, aiming at to protect its person and the proper IEAB.A Chamber of the Bishops,em diverse meetings, in spirit of conjunct and discernment, unanimemente accepted and homologated the decision of the Court, who acted our Cânones and General Constituição in accordance with. It is the first time in the history of the IEAB that this happens. We lament the results very, and we reaffirm that the cloth of deep of the process never was of ideological or theological character, but you discipline, therefore that in our Province we have, thanks to God, clergymen and laypeople of all the ideological and theological trends.
The possibility of defense of Robinson Cavalcanti. was never cut. How much to the 32 clergymen who alegadamente had been condemned without previous judgment, we alert for the fact of that our Cânones Provincial foresees the abandonment of the communion of the Church. It had some attempts of dialogue and call, all had received for writing manifestation from the Ecclesiastical Authority requesting that they disclosed how much conformity the doctrine, cult and disciplines of the IEAB, cf. ordinance promise, duly signed. Finally manisfestação. was granted to a legal stated period for its. We receive a collective reply from that they were solidary with the attitude of Robinson Cavalcanti.
Of part of the Archbishop of the Anglicana Province of the South Cone, Gregory Venables, we are knowing of its mediation in the not conforming Province of Brazil receiving Robinson Cavalcanti and the 32 clergymen, of unilateral form. This opposes the principle catholic of the territoriality of the Provinces. It is an attempt to structuralize the Anglicana Communion in ideological and not territorial bases. E violates the Anglicano principle, worked for Hooker, of the sovereignty of each Church (Province) Anglicana.
From the Society of the Mission for South America - GB, we receive correspondence official where the entity if locates in way to intervene with the life of our Province, wanting to impose us it re-acceptance of Robinson Cavalcanti to the Province. This is not the paper of an agency missionary, and very remembers certain facts of the History of the Humanity when of the interference of Européias powers in the decisions of the former-colonies.
P.p. was become fullfilled in October 3º South you the South Encounter, in Egypt. One is about an event suggested for the Conference Anglicana de Missão of 1986, in Brisbane. Approved for the instances biggest of the Anglicana Communion, it comes if carrying through since the beginning of the decade of 90, also with resources of the Consulting board Anglicano - ACC. In August p.p. Archbishop Peter Akinola sent correspondence the IEAB in excluding from participation in the event. The Archbishop of Cantuária appeared there, as invited official, and certainly that there he found Robinson Cavalcanti and Miguel Uchoa on behalf of the IEAB. E we think here to find the biggest reason for terms been excluded, even so members of the South, and participants of the organization of the I Meeting in Limuru, Kenia.,; and of II the Meeting in kuala Lumpu, Malaysia.
We cannot understand why our Archbishop of Cantuária nothing, public, commented in relation our arbitrary exclusion, having still with its presence and he says legitimated to all those declarations that they intend re-to invent the Anglicana Communion, making with that if he becomes a federacy of churches through the signature of a confessional declaration. We express our deep moan for the descaracterização of our Ethos.
We have searched contact with Its Favour, waiting of its part a judgment the respect of this everything, since that in we feel them slandered and disrespected as Anglicana Province of Brazil (1965). But we observe the absence of a firm attitude how much to the integrity of our Communion, as well as of our provincial autonomy. It has, for the the opposite, partial procedures, as the act of receiving in special hearing of the bishop put down, not having we, until today, the marking of a date for a personal hearing with three representatives of this House of Bishops, requested has thirty days almost.
For the the opposite, we receive the information from that this situation alleged for Robinson Cavalcanti and groups that apoiam.está being sent equivocadamente to the Panel of Reference, and we if offers the sending of a mediator, what we consider total maken a mistake.
Front to this, our Chamber of the Bishops manifest to all the instances of the Anglicana Communion our unanimous solidarity to our Archbishop, Dom Orlando Saints of Oliveira. Already the 26 Latin American bishops gifts to the Congress of Theology of Panama were solidarizaram with us, with full approval of the assembly of 150 deriving people of America Afrolatíndia, clergymen and laypeople of almost thirty anglicanas dioceses, cf. widely distributed Declaration to the anglicano world, in the first fortnight of October p.p., with the reactivation of SILENCES it (American Latin Anglicano Advice).
This Province respects the Quadrilateral of Lambeth, and looks for to continue integrant part of the Anglicana Communion through bows of affection that if they express for comungar together, and together to remain despite the differences. E the biggest signal and instrument of our communion is Its Favour, the Archbishop of Cantuária.
Our attitude if places under the judgment of God, and desires to all its imparcialidade and coherence with the Anglicanos principles, of which comungamos has as many centuries.
Brasilia, 14 of November of 2005