Vengeance in the air as churches face expulsion
Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent
Wednesday June 22, 2005
The Guardian
American and Canadian bishops yesterday failed in their attempt to convince fellow Anglicans that their liberal stance on homosexuality was prompted by God and their religious faith.
In an atmosphere of vengefulness and resignation, delegations from the US Episcopal Church and the Canadian Anglican Church were paraded like naughty school pupils before the Anglican consultative council meeting at Nottingham University.
They were required to explain why they had ordained an openly gay bishop in New Hampshire and authorised same-sex blessings in Vancouver, and to try to persuade representatives from other parts of the world - and their own congregations - why they should not be thrown out of the church. They have already been suspended from future participation in joint meetings unless they repent.
In an atmosphere sometimes almost resembling a revivalist meeting, the North Americans insisted that their actions were in keeping with the spirit of Christ and even with Biblical injunctions.
"It is very easy to talk about homosexuality as an issue and forget that we are talking about people. We must have the capacity to live with difference," declared the Most Rev Frank Griswold, presiding bishop of the US church, who has been demonised by conservatives for consecrating Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.
The Americans approached the 77 million-strong Anglican Church's main consultative forum with ostentatious humility and deference, aware that many delegations from the developing world, particularly Africa, have already made up their minds they should be ejected from the fellowship.
Delegates from Uganda, meeting near Kampala a fortnight ago, were advised by American conservative Episcopalians how to respond and they had their condemnations ready almost before the end of the 90 minute session.
They listened with little evident sympathy to appeals to the Bible, to charity and to openness from the Americans. In the front row sat Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who on Monday described the state of the church as catastrophic.
Silence greeted the Rev Susan Russell, who admitted that her church in Pasadena, California, has been blessing same sex couples for 14 years.
She said. "The arc of the gospel is bound towards inclusiveness ... it is not possible to be healed of something that is not an illness."
There is thought likely to be a motion calling for the two churches to be permanently expelled from the communion.
Peter Akinola, the Archbishop of Nigeria, said: "It is getting worse. They are just trying to justify their defiance."