Canterbury Rejects Invitation to Joint US, Canada Church Meeting
In a move that reflects the tumultuous divisions within the worldwide Anglican Communion, the Archbishop of Canterbury rejected an invitation to attend a joint American-Canadian Anglican leaders’ meeting slated for April, on Monday, March 7, 2005.
Rowan Williams, the spiritual head of the 77-million-member communion, rejected the North American churches’ invitation for him to join them in a meeting next month, where the two churches will solemnly consider the recent request for them to “voluntarily withdraw” their membership from an international Anglican committee.
Canterbury’s move prompted several critical comments from the Canadian primate, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, who linked the rejection to the current turmoil over homosexuality.
"It does send a very, very negative symbol to the Canadian church, no question," Archbishop Hutchison said to the Anglican Journal. “The message it sends to us is that at the moment he does not want to be associated with the Canadians."
Williams meanwhile said his reason for declining the April 25 to May 1 meeting of North American bishops was largely due to past engagements he had scheduled for those days.
However, Hutchinson was quick to criticize the explanation, saying, “Our invitation went out to him over a year ago and I'm sure that this (other) meeting is not something that he (had) committed (to) before our invitation."
Archbishop Hutchison said he was troubled by Archbishop Williams' decision, mainly because the move contradicted Williams’ personal take on homosexuality; in statements made throughout the last year, Williams implied he personally supported a more liberal stance on homosexuality.
"I'm very upset because it goes against what I believe is his own personal position (on homosexuality) and he has expressed it pretty publicly and in other circumstances," said Hutchison.
The joint meeting between the North American church bodies has been in the planning stages for more than a year. Some 40 bishops from each country is expected to attend the weeklong event.
