Anglican Church will emerge stronger, says divine optimist
The Archbishop of Armagh and primate of the Church of Ireland said yesterday he was optimistic the Anglican Communion would emerge unscathed from the crisis summit debating the acceptance of homosexuality in the church.
The meeting was called after Canon Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, was elected as Bishop of New Hampshire in the US.
And In the UK, a row broke out over the nomination of Canon Jeffrey John, an openly gay man, as Bishop of Reading.
Around 30 conservative archbishops, mainly from Africa and America, are expected to demand the expulsion of the United States Episcopalian Church from the Anglican Communion; the church which approved Canon Robinson’s appointment.
But the Most Rev Robin Eames coming out of the meeting chaired by the Archbishop of Canterbury said: “What I would also like to predict is that there will be much greater honesty than perhaps we have had until now.”
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, met 37 archbishops and bishops representing the world’s 70-million Anglicans at his residence at Lambeth Palace in London at the start of the two-day gathering.
Archbishop Eames said “consensus” was not a forlorn hope: “In Northern Ireland terms I am known quite simply as the divine optimist, I do not know whether that classifies me as a betting man but I would say I am optimistic that the Anglican Communion will emerge from this stronger than it has ever been.”
He added there was conspicuous “anxiety” to maintain the Anglican Communion. “I have to say that in all my experience of these meetings I have never attended or been involved in one where there is such openness, frankness and honesty.
“Each and every primate has been given the opportunity to respond in his own way to the question that has brought us together.”
The US Episcopal Church has 2.3 million members and financial assets estimated at more than £1.2 billion in annual donations.
