News for Week Ending 11/8/2010
New international group opposes Anglican Covenant
Just after two British groups ran an advertisement opposing the Anglican Covenant—see Pittsburgh Update story here—a new international group has established a Web site offering anti-Covenant arguments. The new group is the No Anglican Covenant Coalition, and it includes members from England, Scotland, Canada, the U.S., and New Zealand. Its Web site is here. Episcopal News Service reported the story November 3, 2010.After the Modern Church/Inclusive church advertisement ran, the Rt. Rev. Gregory Cameron, now Bishop of St. Asaph in Wales, but formerly the secretary to the Anglican Communion Covenant Design Group, wrote a letter to Church Times accusing the sponsoring groups of scaremongering and xenophobia. Cameron and the moderator of the No Anglican Covenant Coalition, the Rev. Dr. Lesley Fellows sparred on the subject of the Covenant on the BBC November 7, 2010. (The segment can be heard here, about 24 minutes into the program. The program is available only for seven days on the Web.)
CoE bishops resign to go to Rome
The Guardian reported November 8, 2010, that Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams has accepted the resignation of several bishops who plan to become Roman Catholics in response to the failure of the Church of England (CoE) to make concessions to opponents of women bishops. Two of the bishops are active “flying bishops,” holding positions created when the CoE began ordaining women. Flying bishops provide pastoral care to those who oppose women’s ordination. Lambeth issued a brief press release here. Additional details can be found in the Guardian story.Canadian church returned to ACoC
According to press release from the Anglican Diocese of Niagara, the property and assets of St. Peter’s Church in Hamilton, Ontario, are being returned to the Anglican Church of Canada diocese. The property has been under the control of members of the Anglican Network in Canada. According to the November 1, 2010, statement, an “amicable agreement” has been reached to return the parish property to the Anglican diocese of Niagara after weeks of negotiation.Zavala elected Southern Cone primate
Episcopal News Service (ENS) reported November 5, 2010, that the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone has elected Bishop Hector “Tito” Zavala of the Diocese of Chile to replace Presiding Bishop Gregory Venables as the church’s primate. The election came at the triennial synod held November 4. Zavala received some of his theological training at Trinity School for Ministry. He was in the news most recently for having been removed from the Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) News reports have not suggested that any representatives from North America participated in the Southern Cone synod.ENS also noted that the synod rejected changes that would have allowed women to become priests. The measure was approved by bishops and laypeople, but not by clergy.
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