Southern Cone Primate Annexes Brazilian Diocese
09/30/2005

The Primate of the Southern Cone, Presiding Bishop Gregory Venables, has annexed the bulk of the Brazilian Diocese of Recife, giving sanctuary to its bishop and 90 percent of its clergy, congregations and property in their fight with the Primate of Brazil, Archbishop Orlando de Oliveira.

In a letter dated Sept. 24, Archbishop Venables stated the licensure would last “until such time as the Panel of Reference, the Archbishop of Canterbury, or the Anglican Communion has, in some way, adequately addressed” the schism in Recife.

The Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil [IEAB] deposed Bishop Robinson Cavalanti and 40 Recife clergy for contumacy this summer. Appeals have been forwarded to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference and are awaiting arbitration.

On Sept. 27, the Rev. Canon Bill Atwood, an emissary of Archbishop Venables, told a meeting convened at the Cathedral Church of the Good Samaritan in Recife the decision to extend oversight to the diocese was spurred by pastoral considerations and was backed by primates of the Global South.

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