Church of England votes in favour of new framework but conservatives condemn text of covenant as 'fatally flawed'
The turmoil in the Anglican church deepened yesterday , Nov 24, states a report in The Guardian, as conservative leaders said they could no longer sign a framework designed to restore unity, even as the Church of England rallied around the archbishop of Canterbury to back the plan.
Members of the General Synod agreed to support the Anglican covenant after listening to a morning of emotional debate. But while the Church of England took one step closer to signing the covenant, other churches are retreating from it. In a statement, senior Anglican conservatives from countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria, said they now would not support the covenant, which they believe has been watered down and become too soft on more liberal attitudes.
They said they welcomed "well-intentioned" efforts to heal the "brokenness" through the introduction of the covenant, which needs the endorsement of all 38 provinces to work. But they said the text was "fatally flawed" and endorsing it was no longer appropriate, leaving the fractures in the Anglican church still exposed. They also reiterated plans to boycott a future meeting of primates.
It is possible that yesterday's heartfelt plea from the archbishop, for warring factions to put aside their differences, affected the outcome at the synod. Of around 400 people who took part in the vote, only 57 were against the motion referring the covenant to the dioceses for consultation.
Critics say the covenant will create a two-tier communion that will punish liberal churches in the US and Canada, while supporters say it is the only way to keep disparate Anglican provinces together.
The turmoil in the Anglican church deepened yesterday , Nov 24, states a report in The Guardian, as conservative leaders said they could no longer sign a framework designed to restore unity, even as the Church of England rallied around the archbishop of Canterbury to back the plan.
Members of the General Synod agreed to support the Anglican covenant after listening to a morning of emotional debate. But while the Church of England took one step closer to signing the covenant, other churches are retreating from it. In a statement, senior Anglican conservatives from countries including Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Nigeria, said they now would not support the covenant, which they believe has been watered down and become too soft on more liberal attitudes.
They said they welcomed "well-intentioned" efforts to heal the "brokenness" through the introduction of the covenant, which needs the endorsement of all 38 provinces to work. But they said the text was "fatally flawed" and endorsing it was no longer appropriate, leaving the fractures in the Anglican church still exposed. They also reiterated plans to boycott a future meeting of primates.
It is possible that yesterday's heartfelt plea from the archbishop, for warring factions to put aside their differences, affected the outcome at the synod. Of around 400 people who took part in the vote, only 57 were against the motion referring the covenant to the dioceses for consultation.
Critics say the covenant will create a two-tier communion that will punish liberal churches in the US and Canada, while supporters say it is the only way to keep disparate Anglican provinces together.
This morning's debate also revealed divergent opinions among the Church of England bishops, with several voicing their concerns about the covenant's language and content.
The bishop of Blackburn said he would prefer the covenant to be "tighter in certain respects". He admitted, though that while it was not "perfect" it was preferable to regrouping the communion into a "loose federation".
One of the most rousing speeches came from Mark Russell, who sits on the archbishops' council. He told the synod: "The Archbishop of Canterbury has the most impossible job in the history of the world. It is a lonely task. I have never heard Rowan Williams ask for our support in the way he has. If we say no, we're not backing our archbishop when he asked for our help."
Williams, who is pinning his hopes on the covenant as a way of sustaining dialogue and relationships between Anglican churches, looked visibly relieved at the result.
The covenant now goes out for consultation and comes back to the synod in 2012 for final approval.
Guardian report
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