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Wednesday, October 24, 2007

Questions from the USA which the Archbishop of Canterbury still needs to answer

http://www.anglican-mainstream.net/index.php/2007/10/24/questions-from-the-usa-which-the-archbishop-of-canterbury-still-needs-to-answer/

[Anglican Mainstream] 24 Oct 2007--Another batch of fudge from Canterbury October 23, by Todd Wetzel

Although some have tried to hail his statements as a great thing, a recent letter from Archbishop Rowan Williams to Bishop John Howe of Central Florida strikes me as further muddy-ing the waters regarding the future of orthodox Anglicans in the global Communion.

Abp. Williams has stated to Bp. Howe that: “…any Diocese compliant with Windsor remains clearly in communion with Canterbury and the mainstream of the Communion, whatever may be the longer-term result for others in The Episcopal Church. The organ of union with the wider Church is the Bishop and the Diocese rather than the Provincial structure as such. Those who are rushing into separatist solutions are, I think, weakening that basic conviction of Catholic theology and in a sense treating the provincial structure of The Episcopal Church as if it were the most important thing - which is why I continue to hope and pray for the strengthening of the bonds of mutual support among those Episcopal Church Bishops who want to be clearly loyal to Windsor.” He later said that the orthodox “need to regard the Bishop and the Diocese as the primary locus of ecclesial identity rather than the abstract reality of the ‘national church’.”

So, now we are to understand that each individual American Diocese is considered to have separate membership in the Anglican Communion? If this is the case, why is there an 815 and a TCGC with a General Convention? Why is there a Provincial Primate, i.e., TCGC’s Presiding Bishop, and why does she wield such power? Why are there national Constitution and Cannons to which 815 demand each parish pay fealty? Why does TCGC purport to set theology and policy for the entire American Church? Why is there a national Chancellor who is directing litigation in several individual Dioceses which is being funded by the national Church? And why are all pledges and donations to individual parishes in part being transmitted to TCGC by way of so-called “fair-share” giving?

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