From The National Post-The Archbishop of Canterbury has warned that the Anglican church is tottering on the brink of disintegration amid disputes between liberals and traditionalists.
In his most stark comments yet about divisions over issues such as homosexuality, the Most Rev Justin Welby said the Church was coming perilously close to plunging into a “ravine of intolerance”.
He even drew parallels between the crisis afflicting the 77-million-strong worldwide network of Anglican churches and the atmosphere during the Civil War. And he likened the collective behaviour of the Church to a “drunk man” staggering ever closer to the edge of a cliff.
Yet he added that many of the issues over which different factions in the Church were fighting were “incomprehensible” to people outside it.
He spoke out during a sermon in Monterrey, Mexico, which he was visiting as part of a plan to travel to every province of the Anglican Communion at the start of his ministry.
The Archbishop, who took office in February, inherited a Church deeply divided at home and abroad.
At home, he has been attempting to resolve the seemingly intractable disagreements within the Church of England over women bishops. But the worldwide Anglican Church has also been split between liberal provinces, particularly in North America, and more conservative regions for several years after the US Church consecrated its first openly homosexual bishop.
More here-
http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/08/21/anglican-church-a-drunk-man-staggering-ever-closer-to-the-edge-of-a-cliff-archbishop-says/
1 comment:
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said the same thing in Guatemala (without the drunk man)two weeks ago. He said we will destroy the church without holding our ¨differences in tension and covering them in prayer.¨
Absolutely the starting point of sane and full-interaction at The Anglican Communion in my opinion.
He used a fine example of Anglican priests in Africa being bitter and completely frustrated after being violentely attacked in the Churches year after year reaching out to their enemies by ¨buying their bread¨ to promote interaction (he softened the part of Anglican retaliation such as Yelwa). He said this did some good in helping a tense and violent situtation (he didn't mention the country but it sounded like Nigeria to me) return to sort of normal co-existance.
If there is to be reconciliation (at the Anglican Communion which is a group on indenpendent Churchs in Communion with one another and not a ¨A Church but A Communion), I believe that we must buy one anothers bread too. Or, at least TAKE BREAD and WINE with one another and not SNUB one another during Holy Eucharist. That would be a for starters...basic manners observed at the Communion rail (read Primates Meeting and Lambeth Conference) ought be normal and emotionally and spirituallly behavior for everyone...afterall, this whole ¨we are holier than you¨ business is the gravest sin on them all...PRIDE KILLS (people and Communions). I'm starting to think that OUR New Archbishop of Canterbury ought only communicate with lay people and pass directly over the Bishops for a easier reconciliation of people to people, Anglican to Anglicans and the Anglican Communion.
LeonardoRicardo/Guatemala
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