Bishops develop proposal responding to 'Appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury'
Thursday, November 30, 2006

[Episcopal News Service/Anglican Communion News Servic] A group of bishops, including Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, has developed a proposal responding to "An Appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury" addressing what other petitioning bishops and dioceses have termed "alternative primatial oversight" or "alternative primatial relationship." Full texts of the group's response and accompanying statement follow here.

A Response to "An Appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury"

Some bishops and dioceses of the Episcopal Church have requested that the Archbishop of Canterbury provide what they have variously called "alternative primatial oversight" or an "alternative primatial relationship." In consultation with the Presiding Bishop, the Archbishop of Canterbury proposed that a number of bishops from the Episcopal Church meet to explore a way forward. A first meeting took place in September, and a second meeting in November developed the following proposal that seeks to address the concerns of those parishes and dioceses which for serious theological reasons feel a need for space, and to encourage them to remain within the Episcopal Church and the Anglican Communion.

1. Taking seriously the concerns of the petitioning bishops and dioceses, the Presiding Bishop, in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury, will appoint a Primatial Vicar in episcopal orders to serve as the Presiding Bishop’s designated pastor in such dioceses. The Primatial Vicar could preside at consecrations of bishops in these dioceses. The Primatial Vicar could also serve the dioceses involved on any other appropriate matters either at the initiative of the Presiding Bishop or at the request of the petitioning dioceses. the rest


The Living Church: Bishops Propose Primatial Vicar for Petitioning Dioceses
11/30/2006

A group of bishops, including Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, has developed a proposal responding to requests articulated in "An Appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury" regarding an alternate primatial relationship for petitioning dioceses. The proposal has been submitted to the Archbishop of Canterbury and to the bishops of the petitioning dioceses. the rest