Anglican Synod Set for February

[HagiaSophia]

From: The Christian Post

The first General Synod of the Church of England in 2005 is going to be held on Feb. 14-17. The agenda for the Synod was released last week. It focuses on the debates on women bishops, homosexuality in the Anglican Communion, clergy terms of service, the environment and higher education.

AdvertisementSessions regarding the high-profile issue of women bishops and the Anglican Communion have been highlighted as key topics for discussion. Concerning women bishops consecration in the Church of England, the synod will focus on the report entitled, Women Bishops in the Church of England?. The report was published in November 2004 by the working party chaired by the Bishop of Rochester, the Rt Rev Michael Nazir Ali.

Based on the report, Bishop Nazir Ali is going to chair the debate on the theological issues concerning women bishops while the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, on behalf of the House of Bishops, will identify a number of options the Church of England could take.

Currently in the church, the conservatives have suggested that they may leave the church if it allows the agenda of women bishops to proceed. Therefore, an option that creates a separate province and a new package of financial compensation for those leaving will be considered. The Archbishop of Canterbury is expected to introduce a motion which both welcomes the report and sets out a timetable for change.

After the motion is suggested, the Synod will debate the issue again in July to determine whether it wants to embark upon a lengthy process or removing all the legal barriers to women bishops.

Another major issue is regarding homosexuality within the Anglican Communion. In the light of the current rift between conservatives and liberals over homosexuality in the communion, the General Synod will look into the Windsor Report from the Lambeth Commission published on 18th October 2004.

In 2003, the US Episcopal Church ordained the first actively gay bishop in the Anglican Communion. Also, the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada performed blessings for same-sex couples. These sparked concern over the ordination to the episcopate of a person being in a sexual relationship with a partner of the same sex, and the blessing of committed relationships of same sex couples.

Conservatives argue that homosexuality is in contrary to the teaching of the Bible and the churches that allow homosexuality will be considered “walk-out” from the communion. Therefore they urge the church to decide whether it accepts the principle of “autonomy-in-communion” or it believes that this principle limits its own freedom to make major and fundamental changes.

However, a motion from the House of Bishops is expected to ask the Synod to back the Windsor Report calling for a moratorium on homosexual consecrations and the blessing of same-sex relationships in the Anglican Communion. They welcome the Archbishop of Canterbury’s efforts to resolve the crisis and they acknowledge the importance and possibility of reconciliation with the “context of repentance and forgiveness…”

 

[puzzleannie]

HagiaSophia:

the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Revd Rowan Williams, on behalf of the House of Bishops, will identify a number of options the Church of England could take.
…"

a little like putting Luther in charge at the Council of Trent

 

[HagiaSophia]

puzzleannie:

a little like putting Luther in charge at the Council of Trent

 

[chrisb]

In nomine Jesu I offer you all peace,

I am currently in RCIA at a fairly “liberal” Catholic Parish and I can tell you what is happening “right now” in the Anglican Communion is going to be happening in the U.S. Catholic Churches soon. I have see open support of homosexuality by members of the Parish and even debated on in the first few weeks of RCIA. I almost walked out on the whole process at the time but decided to stick it out for my uncles sake who is a very active member of the Parish and also my sponsor. Once I’m baptized and confirmed I may attempt to reform views but it may push me to join another Parish that is more conservative but the issue is there nontheless and we can “hide” in conservative parishes but that is not going to address the issue of liberal social “norms” leaking into our Church structure. It’s happening and it is only a matter of time before a rift materializes between conservative and liberal Catholic members.
Peace.

 

[Franze]

chrisb:

In nomine Jesu I offer you all peace,

I am currently in RCIA at a fairly “liberal” Catholic Parish and I can tell you what is happening “right now” in the Anglican Communion is going to be happening in the U.S. Catholic Churches soon. I have see open support of homosexuality by members of the Parish and even debated on in the first few weeks of RCIA. I almost walked out on the whole process at the time but decided to stick it out for my uncles sake who is a very active member of the Parish and also my sponsor. Once I’m baptized and confirmed I may attempt to reform views but it may push me to join another Parish that is more conservative but the issue is there nontheless and we can “hide” in conservative parishes but that is not going to address the issue of liberal social “norms” leaking into our Church structure. It’s happening and it is only a matter of time before a rift materializes between conservative and liberal Catholic members.
Peace.

In spain we don ´t have these parishes, for this reason, I think, there aren´t less % people to mass,

 

[cestusdei]

Chris,
Those parishes are not thriving. It is possible that we may have a schism. However, Rome will never approve of homosexuality or womens ordination. We have the promise that the gates of hell will not prevail. Be of good cheer.

 

[buzzcut]

There is a difference between the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

The big decisions in Anglicanism were made in the 16th century. At that time church decisions were made by the English King or Queen in conjunction with Parliament.

Nowadays the Anglican Church isn’t just in England. But even in England the monarch and parliament no longer want to get involved in church decisions. At the same time, the Archbishop of Canterbury has not been given the powers that the monarch and parliament once wielded. Hence the power vacuum. No one in the Anglican Church has the authority of the Pope and the Magisterium.

 

[SouthCoast]

Big theological questions like this are why, IMO, the Pope is a necessary and amazing thing to have in the Church. We can bicker all we want, and at some point it will end up before the Holy Father, and a single, unquestionable decision will be made. Don’t like it? Too bad. The Holy Spirit speaks through him. Sometimes we don’t like what our superiors tell us.

The idea of women Bishops is pretty scary, as, IMO, it undermines basic teachings of Christ. However, ordination of homosexuals and “ok’ing” the homosexual lifestyle in church makes me want to vomit. Don’t get me wrong, I have Christian love for homosexuals. My best friend in the world that I’ve known since age 11 is a homosexual, but I don’t approve of it. It doesn’t mean I shun him, and I don’t think we should shun anyone from coming into our churches. Christ welcomes all. We are all sinners. However, basically saying it is “OK” by Church standards is scandalous and revolting. If the Anglican Communion says as such, then any hope of them coming back into Communion with the Church is lost for the forseeable future.

-Michael

 

[buzzcut]

If the Anglican Communion says as such

This is the difficulty. There is no mechanism by which the Anglican Communion as a whole can make any statement about anything. Some bishops in some countries believe one thing and then act accordingly; other bishops believe the exact opposite. Because of the structure of teh Anglican Communion, there is no one anywhere who is in any position to impose unity.

 

[Maccabees]

chrisb:

In nomine Jesu I offer you all peace,

I am currently in RCIA at a fairly “liberal” Catholic Parish and I can tell you what is happening “right now” in the Anglican Communion is going to be happening in the U.S. Catholic Churches soon. I have see open support of homosexuality by members of the Parish and even debated on in the first few weeks of RCIA. I almost walked out on the whole process at the time but decided to stick it out for my uncles sake who is a very active member of the Parish and also my sponsor. Once I’m baptized and confirmed I may attempt to reform views but it may push me to join another Parish that is more conservative but the issue is there nontheless and we can “hide” in conservative parishes but that is not going to address the issue of liberal social “norms” leaking into our Church structure. It’s happening and it is only a matter of time before a rift materializes between conservative and liberal Catholic members.
Peace.

You must live in a Blue state.
Anyway when the children of the sixties die out I suspect more conservative members will replace it and it will return to the fold.
IF not they might join a few other churches and become a schismatic liberal group we have a group like that in the US they are called the Old Catholics maybe the will join them in the hippie protest. Here is a suggestion run from this church and join a more conserative one as soon as you get confirmed. Usually the more suburban and small town the better a lot of the more liberal parishes are blue state and urban. Of course I am generalizing and there are exceptions.

 

[Maccabees]

buzzcut:

There is a difference between the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church.

The big decisions in Anglicanism were made in the 16th century. At that time church decisions were made by the English King or Queen in conjunction with Parliament.

Nowadays the Anglican Church isn’t just in England. But even in England the monarch and parliament no longer want to get involved in church decisions. At the same time, the Archbishop of Canterbury has not been given the powers that the monarch and parliament once wielded. Hence the power vacuum. No one in the Anglican Church has the authority of the Pope and the Magisterium.

Can’t imagine pastors asking the Queen of England to give them the right to have gay marriages in the Anglican church. I don’t think God designed his church to be ruled this way. If people can’t see this church is an invention of a man (King Henry 8) they are blind. Having a state run church simply doesn’t work.