Canadian Leaders “Unlikely” to Take Backward Step in Blessing Gay Unions
Contrary to its U.S. counterpart, the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) may choose to “walk apart” from the larger Anglican Communion by rejecting the international request to stop blessing homosexual unions in the church.
Contrary to its U.S. counterpart, the Anglican Church of Canada (ACC) may choose to “walk apart” from the larger Anglican Communion by rejecting the international request to stop blessing homosexual unions in the church.
At a service held at the St. James’ Cathedral in Toronto, Canada on March 16, the ACC head Archbishop Andrew Hutchison implied that the church will continue “to bless same-sex unions if it seems fit to do so,” according to the Anglican Network in Canada.
Speaking to a 400-plus crowd at the cathedral, Hutchison said a recent international Anglican meeting in Northern Ireland effectively revealed that the 77-million-member Anglican Communion is broken in fellowship. According to Hutchison, the refusal of 14 international church heads to share a common Eucharist with the ACC during the Ireland meeting was a symbol of the brokenness within the church.
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Hutchison reaffirmed his statement during an interview with Reuters by saying: "If that doesn't signify their breaking from communion, I don't know what does.”
During the Northern Ireland meeting last month, the worldwide Anglican leaders asked the ACC and the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) to withdraw from a key decision-making body and to place a moratorium on blessing same-sex unions and ordaining gay bishops.
Last week, ECUSA leaders heeded to the advice – though in a slippery manner.
The ECUSA House of Bishops said it will place a moratorium on ordaining gay bishops, but adding that the weight of such decisions must be carried by all members of the church, it also placed a moratorium on the ordination of heterosexual individuals as well. The Bishops’ decision essentially halted all ordinations of bishops, leaving certain dioceses with aged bishops in sticky situations.
The House of Bishops also recommended the church members halt same-sex union blessings, but left the statement open to interpretation since some clergy members could consider same-sex union blessings a means for pastoral care.
However, overall, the ECUSA seemed intent to remain in fellowship with the global church body.
Archbishop Hutchison, however, did not seem so positive in his outlook for a unified global communion.
"There could be some real schism," Hutchison said, explaining that the conservative and liberal leaders in the international communion seem unwilling to compromise.
"It's very, very difficult to imagine the North American churches taking a backward step," said Hutchison, who personally supports blessing same-sex couples.
As for the conservatives, Hutchison said he doesn’t expect them to loosen their grip.
"If there were no change in their position and if there were no change in the North American position, then clearly that does spell schism,” he added.
However, he said unity may still be possible.
Canadian church leaders will meet in April and again in May to examine the global leaders’ request to withdraw from the fellowship.
"I don't think it's a foregone conclusion that the (Canadian) church will withhold its members from that meeting," he said.
As for now, Hutchison said the diocese of New Westminster, British Columbia, is maintaining its policy of blessing homosexual unions that was adopted in 2002. He added that the ACC bishops’ meeting in coming months can only recommend – not enforce – a moratorium on the gay union blessings; only the general synod, the highest decision making body, can impose such a regulation.
The AAC represents only 680,000 members of the 77-million member communion. The ECUSA only claims 2.3 million members. The largest opponent of same-sex union blessings is the Anglican church of Nigeria, which has some 17 million members.
