Friday, November 21, 2008

What’s going on in Sydney?

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/2008/11/21/whats-going-on-in-sydney/#more-5671

[Anglican Mainstream] 21 Nov 2008--Sydney Diocesan Synod passed a resolution in October that recognized that it is both legal and desirable for those in deacon’s orders to celebrate the Lord’s Supper. This has raised again the issue of lay people presiding at the Lord’s supper, which has long been a strongly held view in the Diocese of Sydney.

This appears to be causing some problems now.

The first is that in Anglican church order, deacons are allowed to celebrate one sacrament (baptism) but not the other, presiding at Holy Communion. The Sydney resolution appears to provide for people other than ordained presbyters to preside at Communion without the prior agreement of other Anglican Churches. This causes particular problems for those of the Anglo-Catholic tradition, for whom the way the church is ordered through bishops, priests and deacons expresses the order of the gospel. They cannot recognize a celebration of the Holy Communion as a faithful celebration unless it is taken by an ordained presbyter.

Same offence?

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