News for Week Ending 8/22/2011

Liturgical Consultation meets, sees same-sex ceremony

The International Anglican Liturgical Consultation met in England August 1–6, 2011. The group has no formal authority, but all Communion churches are invited to send representatives. Eleven of the 56 participants were from the United States. The primary topic of the meeting was marriage, about which various publications will be forthcoming.

The Episcopal Church’s Standing Commission on Liturgy and Music had requested a special session on same-sex blessings. The delegation provided theological and liturgical material to the group and illustrated some of the liturgical material with a mock ceremony.

George Conger, writing for The Church of England Newspaper, reported August 17, 2011, that the presentation was not well received.

Episcopal News Service published the communiqué released at the end of the meeting.

Ontario court rules for diocese

Justice T.D. Little of the Ontario Superior Court ruled August 15, 2011, that the property of St. Adrian’s Church in Windsor must remain with the Anglican Diocese of Huron. The congregation had previously voted to leave the Anglican Church of Canada for the the conservative Anglican Network in Canada. (See Pittsburgh Update story here.) The story was reported by The Windsor Star. Bishop Robert F. Bennett, in a letter posted on the diocesan Web site, remarked that, “I want to make it clear that no one is being asked to leave the building, except the clergy whose ministry was abandoned with the Anglican Church of Canada.” (A press release can be found on the same page.)

The Diocese of New Westminster also has a story about the decision on its Web site that includes a link to the court opinion.

Briefs posted in Virginia property case

The Episcopal Diocese of Virginia has posted on its Web site post-trial briefs from both sides related to the ongoing property litigation. As explained in an earlier Pittsburgh Update story, a ruling in the retrial is expected sometime after October 2011.