Canadian bishops side-step gay debate

Tuesday, 5th May 2009
By George Conger

The global economic meltdown and the Anglican Communion’s divisions over homosexuality took centre-stage last week at the Canadian House of Bishops’ meeting in Niagara Falls.

However, in their April 23 “letter to the church” the bishops declined to address head-on the splits within the Canadian Church over gay marriage, saying only that they had “reviewed motions by General Synod 2007 concerning same-sex blessings.”

Divisions over doctrine and discipline centring round sexual ethics have so far led to the creation of 28 parishes served by three former Anglican Church of Canada bishops and 73 priests and deacons under the umbrella of the Anglican Network in Canada (ANiC) --- the Canadian wing of the third province movement in North America. In 2007 General Synod declined to authorize rites for same-sex blessings, but asked for further study as to “whether the blessing of same-sex unions is a faithful, Spirit-led development of Christian doctrine.” the rest