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WHY IS THE WEST BEST, WELBY?
ANGLICAN FUTURES
June 16, 2023
Executive Summary:
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has taken it upon himself to chastise publicly the Most Reverend Dr Stephen Kaziimbe, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Uganda for welcoming his country's Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023.
In that statement he called on Archbishop Kaziimbe and the Church of Uganda, "...to reconsider their support for this legislation and reject the criminalisation of LGBTQ people," and an unequivocal statement from both Gafcon and the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) making it, "...explicitly and publicly clear that the criminalisation of LGBTQ people is something that no Anglican province can support."
This blog raises six overlapping areas of concern that separately, and together, bring into question the wisdom of the Archbishop of Canterbury's intervention.
1) Justin Welby misrepresents the 'common mind' of the Anglican Communion
• Begins with an unspecific claim
• Misquotes and misapplies Lambeth I.10
• Ignores 'Addendum A' the most authoritative statement from the Gathering of Primates in 2016
• Misapplies the Communique from the Primates Meeting in 2016
2) Justin Welby misrepresents the Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023
• Ignores the effect of the Colonial Penal Code (1950)
• Falsely suggests the Act criminalises 'LGBTQ People'
• Confuses sexual attraction with sexual activity
• Ignores the need for legislation to deal with the rape of children, grooming and other abusive activity
• Underestimates the importance of 'message legislation'
3) Justin Welby acts inconsistently
• Selectively reads Lambeth I.10 and its Appendix
• Condemns African Provinces for implicit breach of Lambeth I.10
• Remains silent when Western Provinces bless same-sex relationships
4) Justin Welby fails to engage with the Scriptures
• Specifically ignores Romans 13, 1 Peter 2
5) Justin Welby has foregone any moral authority
• Welcomed the Prayers of Love and Faith
• Accepted that "People will die"
• Ignored the warning given by Archbishop Samy Shehata
6) Justin Welby has made a political rather than pastoral statement
• Dismisses the views of the majority of the Anglican Communion
• Threatens Church of Uganda
• Expects Gafcon/GSFA in effect to discipline the Church of Uganda - something he himself is unwilling to do.
The Archbishop of Uganda and Gafcon have responded, questioning both the understanding and legitimacy of the Archbishop of Canterbury's intervention.
Read on for all the detail:
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has taken it upon himself to chastise publicly the Most Reverend Dr Stephen Kaziimbe, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Uganda for welcoming his country's Anti-Homosexuality Act 2023.
The Act was signed into law last month by the Ugandan President after more than fifteen years of debate on the issue.
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