Schism over gay ordination, same-sex unions a real threat, says Anglican head

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=23838

[Catholic Rigester] 19 Apr 2007-- The archbishop of Canterbury will meet with the American Episcopalian House of Bishops in September in an effort to prevent a schism between Anglicans in the rich, first world and the Anglican majority in the global south.

In February, 38 Anglican primates meeting in Tanzania gave the American branch of Anglicanism, the Episcopal Church of the United States, until Sept. 30 to agree not to ordain as bishops openly gay men and to cease authorizing blessings for same-sex unions.

The American bishops are scheduled to meet in September, prior to the deadline, and spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, England, will meet with the U.S. bishops some time during those meetings.

Archbishop Williams told reporters at an April 16 press conference in Toronto that schism in the world’s third largest church of 77 million Christians is a very real possibility, but that he didn’t have the power to impose a solution.