Archbishop Peter Jensen Refutes Charges that GAFCON is Schismatic

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=8460

[VirtueOnline] 21 Jun 2008--Dr. Peter Jensen one of the leaders of the GAFCON leadership team refuted charges by the British press that leaders to this gathering of Global Anglican leaders was planning 'schism'.

In remarks at a press conference the Australian Archbishop said that what the Americans did in 2003 and what the Canadians did was to rip the communion.

"If we're talking about schism and the breakup of the communion - that's where it starts and that is where the responsibility is. What GAFCON is doing is saying that given that new state of affairs, how now can we live together and how can we sustain the highest level of communion and work well together. My way of putting it is to say that the British Empire has now ceased to be and the British commonwealth of nations has come into existence or the nuclear family has turned into an extended family. This is the new reality. I don't hear GAFCON saying or GAFCON being a further cause for schism."

The London TELEGRAPH newspaper blasted headlines around the world saying that a rival communion was in the works led by pan-Anglican African leaders who went bent on destroying the Anglican Communion as it now exists. But Jensen threw cold water on the idea of an immediate break with Canterbury arguing that it is North American liberals who broke with the Anglican Communion by consecrating an avowed homosexual living in sexual sin with his male partner in 2003 that has caused the present rift. We are simply acknowledging that fact, he said.