Archbishop Yong, who will retire in February 2006 when he reaches his 65th birthday, requests the whole Province to remember Bishop John Chew, his family and his Diocese, in prayers.

The Extra-Ordinary meeting of the Synod is provided for by the Constitution of the Province for the specific purpose of choosing the new Archbishop.

Among them are the members of the All Saints congregation in Irondequoit.

All Saints was kicked out of the diocese because it refused to make its annual payment to the Diocese after the national Episcopal Church supported the ordaining of an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire in 2003

The Primates charge the Church of England with "giving the appearance of evil" by not seeking an exemption from the Civil Partnerships Bill. They continue: "We are troubled by your reluctance to use your moral authority to challenge the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada. . . We do not see why you cannot warn these Churches now, based on the Windsor report, and your own convictions about unity, that they will not be invited to Lambeth 2008 unless they truly repent."

"This strikes me as language from people who profoundly do not understand gay and lesbian people ... who know next to nothing about being gay or lesbian," Robinson, whose ordination as bishop in 2003 plunged the Anglican Church into crisis.

The document reinforces existing Roman Catholic policy that many in the Church believe has not been properly enforced, but Robinson told Reuters during a visit to Stockholm it would only force people to lie about their sexual orientation.