“Sorrow” for the “strident” tones used in the debate being conducted in the Anglican Communion on gay priests and homosexual unions has been expressed by the members of the Commission set up by the archbishop of Canterbury, following the controversy that erupted after the ordination of a self-declared gay bishop in the USA. The Commission, which met from 9 to 13 February, has the task of evaluating on a case by case basis how to maintain “the highest degree of communion possible” in the light of the developments that have taken place in the US Episcopal Church and in the diocese of New Westminster in Canada, which has given its assent to the blessing of gay unions. “The Commission says the final communiqué is saddened that the tensions that have exploded within the Communion, exacerbated by the use of a strident language, have continued to increase in recent months”. Although the protests “represent the opinion of wide sections of the Communion, the members of the Commission are united in their commitment to preserving the unity of the Anglican Communion”.
