Risks of divisions” “

A step forward towards the ordination of women bishops, the acceptance of the Windsor Report, prepared by the Church last October to tackle the problem of gay priests, and the liberalization of the legislation on the work of the clergy: these are the most important results of the General Synod of the Anglican Church held in London from 14 to 17 February. The Anglican Communion, composed of seventy million members worldwide, is still at risk of divisions on the question of homosexual clergy. The deepest split is between Evangelicals and American Episcopalians, who decided, 18 months ago, to proceed with the ordination of the homosexual bishop Gene Robinson. WINDSOR REPORT. The Windsor Report, published last October after a year’s work, will be discussed next week during a meeting in Northern Ireland between the archbishops of the Anglican Communion. The report seeks a way out of the divisions on the question of homosexuality in the Church and has already been rejected by the American and Canadian diocese of New Westminster. The report recommended the introduction of new procedures to try to address the divisions within the Church, including a pact that permits decisions to be reached in a collective way. It also recommended that the archbishop of Canterbury and a special committed should arbitrate in controversies on questions of homosexuality. Primate Rowan Williams gave the report a lukewarm welcome. “There is no other option other than that of supporting this report and a large part of what it recommends”, he said. Deep divisions remain within the Church, as clearly appeared in the debate: according to Tom Wright, bishop of Birmingham, one of the members of the Windsor Commission, the report “represents the international Anglican consensus, rooted in the Scriptures, and committed to tradition, while at the same time it tries to come to terms with new developments, thought out with all the reason and wisdom of which we are capable”. Of a quite different view is Philip Giddings, lay member of the Synod, one of the leaders of the revolt against the nomination of the homosexual Jeffrey John as an Anglican bishop by the Anglican Primate: “If we don’t heal the divisions, the split will spread through the parishes and dioceses of the whole Church”. “The report – declared David McClean, one of the legal experts of the Church – relies too much on law as the solution to our problems. Any province of the Anglican Communion could place a veto on anything this Synod wishes to do”. ENVIRONMENT AND WOMEN BISHOPS. “A positive evaluation” of the work of the Synod was expressed by a spokesman of the Anglican Church, who noted that the last day, the session on Friday, was also dedicated to questions of the environment. “We spoke of God and the responsibility of God for the environment and how our decisions can have a crucial impact on it”, he explained. The debate on the Windsor Report was, he said, “serious and moderate”, and its result was “supportive” for the Primate. Also “the discussion on women bishops was significant, because we are now in the initial phase of a long process. It is significant that space has been found for this debate on the order of the day of the Synod in July. A great deal of time is really needed for the Church of England to change its own legislation”. The risks of division nonetheless remain: “there are those for whom this is a decisive and crucial question. It is possible to think that with suitable guarantees they would be willing to remain within the Church of England. The question is how to accommodate those who wish to accept women bishops. There are only a small number of Anglicans who want to leave the church, but we need to do everything possible to prevent that happening. For us it’s the most important question. The majority of the Communion, including those who have reservations, will remain united. I don’t think it’s possible to speak of a church split in half”.