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Wednesday 10 February 2010

ACNA debate

So, the much-trailed debate on what sort of relationship the CofE can have with ACNA, triggered by Lorna Ashworth's private member's motion, took place thus afternoon.

Many wiser words are recorded elsewhere - but I was left reflecting on what was going on here. That is to say, who can we be friends with. And especially, whether you can be friends with two friends, who are not any longer friends with each other.

I was also trying to work out was what was being asked for here - potentially being in communion with two different churches within the same Anglican province, was a new precident or not - that may have had more significance on the result of the debate.

I found the answer - yes we already do have places where there are more than one group of Anglicans on the same patch. Europe for one - where the CofE diocese of Gibraltar in Europe overlaps with a the European wing of - oh yes - The Episcopal Church, TEC.

Thanks to Ruth Gledhill for the interview/pic

Alastair GS101

3 comments:

FrSimmons said...

So, if it's OK to have "Multiple groups of friends who don't agree,' (to use the rather bad analogy here), then the following would be OK?

A sizable group in the Church of England including a couple of whole dioceses decides to secede over women's ordination. They change the locks on the church, don't allow members who don't agree with them to worship with them, and claim that the property is now under their sole control. The members of the church petition the civil authority to intervene, but the authority will not act because the schismatics have tied up the issue in court. The schisimatics petition the Anglican Church in Nigeria for recognition as a separate church.

You would be fine with the Nigerians entering into such an arrangement? You have to remember that the stated goal of ACNA is not coexistence with TEC, but replacement of TEC.

Alastair Cutting said...

Twittered comment by MoAmy:

@GenSyn both of those analogies show misunderstanding of the situation, methinks.

fasb rating system said...

The members of the church petition the civil authority to intervene, but the authority will not act because the schismatics have tied up the issue in court.