Posted on 06/11/2005 8:10:56 AM PDT by sionnsar
THE outgoing Anglican Primate of Australia Peter Carnley has been appointed to head a new British-based panel of ecclesiastical troubleshooters which he hopes will put itself out of business.
The Panel of Reference, which will meet for the first time in England next month, will address modern dilemmas facing the church such as internal divisions over the blessing of same sex unions and the ordination of homosexuals and female bishops.
Dr Carnley, who retired from his role as Archbishop of Perth on May 26, took up his new job yesterday after the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, approached him to chair the 13-member international panel including clergy, lay people and lawyers.
"In order to keep channels of communication open and to assess whether arrangements made to care for dissident parishes or dioceses are adequate this Panel of Reference has been set up," Dr Carnley said. "It is not so much to provide a way forward into the future as to solve current difficulties.
Dr Carnley said he was honoured to take on the position and he did not believe the panel faced an ever-increasing workload.
"These difficulties are all fairly new and modern and they're not all that widespread," he said. "I would hope that this panel will put itself out of business."
The Anglican Church of Australia will elect a new Primate on July 9, and Dr Carnley's replacement as Archbishop of Perth – Roger Herft – will officially take up the role tomorrow.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
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