An Ontario parish of the Anglican Church in North America has lost its appeal of a lower court ruling that awarded its parish property to the Anglican Church of Canada’s Diocese of Huron.
Last week the Court of Appeal of Ontario upheld a 15 August 2011 ruling of the Superior Court that held the property and assets of St Aidan’s Church in Windsor, Ontario did not belong to the parish, but were held in trust by a congregation on behalf of the diocese and the Anglican Church of Canada.
In the trial court decision, Judge David Little held the terms “parish” and “congregation” referred to a “distinct separate unit, rather than a compilation of its congregants at any one time", and that the separate entity in this case was the "St Aidan's Parish of the Diocese of Huron". The appeals court ruled the parish property and investments were the property of the diocese, and awarded partial costs to the diocese in the amount of C$100,000.
On 28 September 2008, the parishioners of St Aidan's voted unanimously to realign with the Anglican Network in Canada, quitting the Anglican Church of Canada. The vote was prompted by the General Synod passed a resolution stating same-sex unions were not in conflict with the church’s core doctrine and the Huron Diocesan synod requested its bishop permit clergy to bless gay civil marriages.
- See more at:
http://anglicanink.com/article/legal-loss-ontario-acna-parish#sthash.3p39nXX5.dpuf
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