Anglican Consultative Head Apologizes for Ostracizing Episcopal Church
Tuesday, Mar. 7, 2006 Posted: 4:36:00PM EST

The head of the Anglican body that told the U.S. Episcopal Church to temporarily rescind its membership from key international Anglican gatherings apologized Monday and said the global communion “needs the Episcopal Church.”

"The Anglican Communion needs the Episcopal Church," said John Paterson, bishop of Auckland and chair of the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC). "I would be so bold as to say that the reverse is also true. The Episcopal Church needs the Anglican Communion. The ACC needs the Episcopal Church.

"Speaking at the ECUSA Executive Council meeting in Philadelphia on Mar. 6, Paterson also apologized for the ACC’s decision to limit the participation of the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada during the last ACC meeting in Nottingham, England in June 2005.

"I apologize and at the same time I commend your representatives for the manner in which they managed to somehow stay with the body that was treating them so badly," Paterson said.

His comments come at a time of heightened tension for the global Anglican Communion which has faced a serious threat of schism since the ECUSA ordained an openly homosexual bishop in 2003. They also come less than a month after the diocese of California nominated two openly gay candidates for bishop, rejecting an international plea to place a moratorium on ordaining any more homosexuals.

Despite such actions, Paterson ended his speech on a positive note, saying he hopes the Communion can be declared as a “living Communion.” The rest