News for Week Ending 3/14/2011

Archbishop of Canterbury writes to primates; pushes Covenant

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams wrote a Lenten letter to Anglican primates March 11, 2011. Much of the letter is irrelevant to the usual concerns of Pittsburgh Update readers, but the archbishop did note that the primates, at their last meeting, declared that they did not represent any kind of Anglican supreme court. He did say, however, that “those present [at the Primates’ Meeting] were still committed to the Covenant process and had no desire to interrupt the significant discussions of this that are currently going on (as many of you will know, several Provinces have already adopted the Covenant and others are very close to finalising their decision).”

Fort Worth Episcopalians to visit Southern Cone churches

In the ongoing property litigation over property in Fort Worth, the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth is planning to visit churches from which Episcopalians were displaced in 2008 to assess their condition. This is explained in a letter from diocesan leaders here. The request to the court to get access to the property can be read here. The response from the Southern Cone diocese seeks to reassure parishioners and vilify the Episcopalians. Judgment has been entered in favor of the Episcopalians, but it is not yet final. The most recent Pittsburgh Update story on the Fort Worth litigation can be found here.

Newport Beach church goes back to California Supreme Court

Once again, what is now St. James Anglican Church in Newport Beach, California, has gone back to the Supreme Court regarding its property dispute with the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. According to the Orange County Register, the court “is now being asked whether the 2009 ruling [in favor of the diocese] was meant to be the last word, or whether it was sending the case back for trial in a local court.” (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The court must issue an opinion in 90 days.