Posted on 05/21/2005 4:22:22 PM PDT by sionnsar
The message from Canterbury: “Be grateful if you have managed to ally yourself with a faithful Anglican province such as Uganda or Nigeria. Because if you are still waiting for the much-longed-for Panel of Reference demanded by the Primates, then All Hope is Lost.” My assessment: this is gonna take a lot longer to clean up than the Exxon Valdez oil spill. For those who were looking to the Archbishop of Canterbury for some leadership and help from persecution (e.g. the Diocese of Recife in Brazil, the ‘Connecticut Six’), it’s time to hunker down and pull the Kevlar down over your nose. The cavalry is not only not coming, they are busy supplying arms to the enemy.
Here are a few excerpts from a story posted by the Living Church (deep irony) quoting the Chair of the Panel of Reference, Peter F. Carnley (a revisionist), with commentary. (You may read the full article here: The Living Church Foundation: Archbishop Carnley: Panel will aid Mediation Process — 5/17/2005).
With its composition still in the planning stage, the Panel of Reference envisioned by the primates will help people deal “eye-to-eye” rather than through the media, according to its chairman, the Most Rev. Peter F. Carnley. “That’s been one of the problems of our Communion over the last decade or so,” Archbishop Carnley said. “We’ve been communicating to each other by talking about one another through the media rather than speaking with one another. I see mediation in those terms: encouraging conversation.”
How many “eye-to-eye” conversations have the rectors and former rectors of the three parishes of the California Deanery of the Diocese of Luweero had with their former prelate J. Jon Bruno? How many “eye-to-eye” meetings of the L.A. Diocesan Reconciliation Commission? How many “eye-to-eye” appointments have the rectors of those six Connecticut parishes had with Mr. Smith? Was Lambeth 1.10 written and voted on via the Internet? This is a strawman, clear and simple.
The Panel of Reference will be an independent body, Archbishop Carnley said. It will offer pastoral advice and mediation. It is not an adversarial processes leading to a judgment. It will work with some of the differences experienced by parishes, dioceses, and provinces. Services will be offered to a national church at the request of its Primate. Participation will be voluntary.
What in the name of heaven does this mean, “…work with some of the differences experienced by parishes, dioceses, and provinces”? Work with them how, exactly? And if this Panel of Reference (hereafter, ‘Panel’) is supposed to be, as the Primates have required, for the relief of parishes at odds with their bishops, how for the love of mike are they supposed to gain access to it if their national church Primate is of the same ilk?? And if participation is voluntary, what, supposing a parish is actually granted some relief, is to hold the Primate and the local Bishop to the Panel’s findings and charges?
In cases when an alternative bishop has been requested, Archbishop Carnley prefers to think of it as “alternative episcopal ministry” rather than “alternative episcopal oversight.” The diocesan bishop still has jurisdiction, but another bishop will provide ministry to the parish, diocese, or province in question.
There is a not-so-subtle difference between “…ministry” and “…oversight”. Carnley at least has the grace to make the distinction. In contradiction to the mandate of the primates, anyone who has significant theological problems with their bishop still has the same problem. The only relief here is that they don’t have to have the evil bishop come to do confirmations—unless he wants to. So it really is no relief at all. “Alternative episcopal ministry” is a sop to the undecided. Your bishop can still close your doors, fire your rector, sell your property.
The Archbishop of Canterbury will refer requests to the panel. It has not been decided whether to request services through their bishop or directly to Canterbury, Archbishop Carnley stated.
”Mr. Fox?” said Ms. Hen, “May I please go out and speak to Mr. Farmer? I don’t like the way your teeth glint in the dim light of the henhouse.” “Bu-u-urp!” said Mr. Fox, and coughed up a feather.
Archbishop Williams will send letters of invitation soon to a short list of candidates for the other panel members. It is intended to have membership representing the geography of the entire Anglican Communion. Consideration will be given to gender and the different orders of ministry. Lay members are likely to be canon lawyers. Theological experts may be consulted, according to Archbishop Carnley, who explained that the Anglican Communion Office will probably provide a secretary and legal advisor.
”Theological experts may be consulted.” Or they may not, because we really don’t care much about theology–only geography. One from Brazil, one from South Africa, one from Australia, one from the US, one from Canada…. Besides, we can’t find a theological basis for our revision of scripture, so it must mean that it is a Movement of the Holy Spirit.
The first meeting of the Panel of Reference may be held in July, although Archbishop Carnley said most work will be done electronically to save costs. Work will probably be divided among subgroups, instead of the entire panel dealing with every case. The entire panel will probably only meet together once a year or so.
…which should be more than sufficient, since we really aren’t going to do anything anyway…
I leave you with the comments of our Rector, from a posting yesterday on titusonenine (read it here):
I am not surprised but still shocked at this statement. The arrogance of the revisionists, including the ABC, has no bounds. The ABC is showing his true colors. He has clearly given up any pretence of supporting the unity of the Communion. This is a clear highjacking of the intent of the Primates at Newry. As far as I am concerned the Panel of Reference is DOA! This will go absolutely no where, and the Global South Primates will understand exactly what is happening. The collapse of the Anglican Communion as we know it has just come a great deal closer. Comment by Bill Thompson+ — 5/17/2005 @ 5:17 pm
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Rector Thompson got it precisely wrong, then.
http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=2641
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