Support for Anglican body 'encouraging'

Archbishop Robin Eames, who is chairman of the Lambeth Commission set up to look at how difference, including issues of sexuality, is addressed within the worldwide Anglican communion, said yesterday that it would be wrong to minimise the task the commission faced, or how dangerous the issue was.

The commission, which is to report back in the autumn, was set up last October following a meeting of worldwide Anglican primates at Lambeth after Canon Gene Robinson, a gay man, was chosen to become Bishop of New Hampshire in the US.

Also involved was a decision by the Canadian New Westminster Diocese to introduce a rite for blessing same-sex unions last summer.

The commission had received an enormous number of submissions from around the world, Archbishop Eames said. He was very encouraged by the statement issued following a recent meeting of African primates which, while critical of the US and Canadian bishops, was supportive of the work of the commission.

The question was to establish what sort of communion was wanted. Currently that communion was based on "bonds of affection", not rules and regulations.

It was no secret that the commission had looked at the federation model of loose relations between provinces, he said.

The communion had been down this road before, where the women clergy issue was concerned, he pointed out, and when it was also predicted it would be the end of the Anglican communion.

Referring to forthcoming annual gatherings of the Anglican churches in Canada and the US, he speculated on the possible implications of decisions that might be arrived at.

The commission was "taking a radical look at how we relate to each other as provinces, some of which would surprise Anglicans", he said.

One of the major events at yesterday's opening day of the General Synod was the presentation of the New Book of Common Prayer, which has been in preparation since 1997.