Updated Friday morning
Anglican Mainstream and titusonenine have both published the full text of this week’s Church of England Newspaper letter from Lord Carey, from which I quoted only an excerpt earlier.
To read it in full go here, or alternatively here.
The text of (then) Archbishop Carey’s letter in February 2000 concerning the AMiA bishops, to which reference is made in the CEN letter can be found on ACNS by going here. It really deserves reading in full.
The Church of England Newspaper front page article by George Conger can be read by going to his blog: Fallout after Lambeth Invitations Continues.
There are interesting comments on the Fulcrum forum about both the authorship and the formal status of the CAPA ‘Road to Lambeth’ report referenced by various African primates recently: go here and scroll down.
Bishop Pierre Whalon also has some comments on his blog arising from his attendance at the recent Church of England bishops’ meeting:
…Among the many topics at this year’s meeting was the letter sent to most of the world’s Anglican bishops (well over 800, including eleven women) inviting us to the 2008 Lambeth Conference. While the proceedings of the meeting are confidential, I think I can make a few comments that are pertinent.
First, much has been made of the timing of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s letter. Clearly he would rather had sent them out after meeting with the American bishops in September, but the need to organize is becoming prominent. The last Lambeth Conference in 1998 has been described as a “organizational nightmare,” and this one seeks to be better, much better. Thus the invitations have been sent earlier than expected.
Second, the letter states that the Archbishop is still taking counsel for one or two cases. This means that no bishops of the Communion has been “uninvited,” yet. I am firmly convinced that Bishop Gene Robinson will be asked to participate. The question is, under what status? That remains to be negotiated. The Windsor Report had mandated that Rowan Williiams not invite him at all. Clearly the Archbishop wants to find a way forward despite that.
Third, the case of the bishop for the Convocation of Nigerian Churches in America, Martyn Minns, was not discussed at all. I did not know that he had not been invited until I was able to get some internet connectivity. This means that he is considered to be in the same category as the bishops of the Anglican Mission in America—validly consecrated but not a bishop of the Anglican Communion…
Pat Ashworth in the Church Times has Ugandan bishops shun Lambeth.
Another report from Uganda is in New Vision Orombi skips talks over gays.
Posted by Simon Sarmiento on Thursday, 31 May 2007 at 10:14pm BST | TrackBackOne of the problems here, perhaps, is that Rowan Williams makes decisions that become public, but gives no reasoning with them. This leads people to speculate and make assumptions about the decisions so far. Situations are seen to be changable. So we end up looking for clues - most of the blogs and opinions are pretty worthless but obviously one from Bishop Pierre Whalon attending is worth reading.
From it is a confirmation really of what seems to be the prevailing view, against that of Reform and friends and their thoughts - that CANA and previous maniestations of boundary crossing are not considered at all for attendance (though Carey is trying to muddy the waters) whereas Bishop Robinson could indeed be invited on a different basis.
At the same time noises from Nigeria and Uganda aren't quite as clear about their intentions when push comes to shove. Weighing it all up, it does seem that the CAPA ones are going to have to make the decision about going or not, and will be down to the huffing and puffing they do from 1 October after the not quite a deadline. I suppose my guess is they'll go to Lambeth and do a lot of foot stamping even if TEC goes with Robinson otherwise invited. This, though, is speculation, which is fed by lack of explanation, and pretty worthless. After August 2008 - then what? It is up to the sectarians to do the leaving, and if they don't, well it kind of stumbles on.
Posted by: Pluralist on Friday, 1 June 2007 at 2:41am BSTPluralist - more likely is that the ABC makes ANOTHER u-turn to make sure Uganda and Nigeria and their many supporters in the CofE and TEC are at Lambeth 2008.
Remember what he did to J John - when push came to shove, he is not willing to see the AC split to please a tiny minority which does accept the teaching of the AC but demands to stay in it
Posted by: NP on Friday, 1 June 2007 at 4:14pm BSTBut is he willing to see the CofE split instead? I don't think so....the Communion is finished. Its just a matter of when it splits, not if....
Posted by: Merseymike on Friday, 1 June 2007 at 5:12pm BSTBut that supposes NP that the Global South will walk, and they have already softened the CAPA approach of Road to Lambeth, and it does not look like they want to play chicken. But it is speculation. I can wait.
Posted by: Pluralist on Friday, 1 June 2007 at 7:27pm BSTHaving read Archbishop Carey's original letter, and his brief current letter, I am somewhat confused. His first argument was that the original AMiA bishops violated both the canons of the Provinces within which they were consecrated, and the canons of the Province (the Episcopal Church) within whose environs they intended to function. He was also concerned about establishing a new entity, despite the protestations from the Primates involved that this was to be "a temporary measure," to await reconciliation with the Episcopal Church. And yet in the new letter he focuses on the change brought about by the consecration of Bishop Robinson.
In his first letter he affirmed the limitations of the Primates' Meeting in speaking to (but not for) the Communion. He notes that Lambeth 1998-1.10 was a statement "that most bishops could agree on," which is far short of "the mind of the Communion." He notes that Lambeth was never understood to have the authority to express "the mind of the Communion." And yet in the new letter he focuses on the change brought about by the consecration of Bishop Robinson.
Many things have changed in the Communion since his 2000 letter. AMiA has become a permanent entity, with no interest in reconciliation with TEC. It has been joined by new entities (CANA and Ugandan discussions of a new diocese in the United States) of the same bent. The Primates' Meeting has asserted for itself and for a narrow interpretation of the first half of one Lambeth resolution a level of conciliar authority that neither has previously held. A narrow issue "of doctrine but not of core doctrine," to quote the Canadian bishops, has been used to grasp at authority while interfering with what possibilities existed for cooperation in the ministries of the Communion. And yet in the new letter he focuses on the change brought about by the consecration of Bishop Robinson.
I would be interested to see Archbishop Carey respond at length, not to Lambeth alone, but also to his first letter in 2000. Many things have changed in the Communion since 2000, and it seems unhelpful to focus only on one.
Posted by: Marshall Scott on Friday, 1 June 2007 at 7:28pm BSTMarshall Scott - I would be interested to see which North American groups and individuals has "assisted" Archbishop Carey since his retirement.
Posted by: Lapinbizarre on Saturday, 2 June 2007 at 1:53pm BSTChristopher Seitz
Philip Turner
Ephraim Radner
They have a point:
1. The Primates still have warrant to make their appointments to the Pastoral Council. Why have they not done so?
2. The Archbishop of Canterbury still has the authority to make his appointment to the Pastoral
Council. Why has he not done so?
3. The Presiding Bishop of TEC still has authority to make her appointment to the Pastoral Council. Why has she not done so?
4. The Windsor Bishops still have warrant to make their nominations for Primatial Vicar. Why have they not done so?
http://anglicancommunioninstitute.com/content/view/87/1/
Starts: http://anglicancommunioninstitute.com/content/view/88/1/