THE Scottish Episcopal Church has rejected an agreement backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury that could have seen sanctions imposed on them if they diverged from the Anglican Communion’s rulings on issues such as the ordination of gay bishops and same-sex unions.
The church’s General Synod, currently meeting in Edinburgh, overwhelmingly rejected the covenant, stating that it threatened its independence and went against the spirit of the communion.
It had been asked to sign up to the Anglican Covenant, an agreement intended to bring unity to the worldwide communion by introducing a measure of discipline and accountability into relationships between its 38 independent churches.
It would set up a Standing Committee of the Communion, which would consider whether controversial issues were compatible with Anglican teaching. Those signed up to it would be expected to abide by the Standing Committee’s decisions or face disciplinary sanctions.
The concept grew out of fears that disagreements over the gay issue between different provinces of the worldwide Anglican Communion would lead to irreconcilable divisions within it. The issues centred on the appointment of bhttp://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/scottish-episcopal-church-says-no-to-gay-marriage-agreement-1-2346663ishops in non-celibate gay relationships, and the blessing of same-sex unions, in Anglican churches in the US and Canada. Members of the Scottish Episcopal Church’s Synod yesterday criticised the covenant as unnecessary and unwanted.
More here-
http://www.scotsman.com/news/scottish-news/top-stories/scottish-episcopal-church-says-no-to-gay-marriage-agreement-1-2346663
Also here-
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2012/6/8/ACNS5117
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