Almost 500 Years in the Balance

February 23, 2005

Anglican Primates -- regional bishops -- representing the whole world have been meeting in Ireland this week to determine where to go from here, in view of stark possibly irreconcilable disagreements in doctrine and practice between the US/Canada hierarchy, and most of the rest of the Anglican world.

For two or three centuries, Anglican missionaries trudged, canoed, bandaged, translated, and preached from pole to pole. Converts were welcomed and educated. Some years later, turns out, these many scattered congregations still believe what they were taught. Quelle surprise.

Impressive photo of churchmen gathered for Evensong.  The one-of-a-kind and (to us) entirely endearing, sympathetic, brilliant Welsh Celt, Archbishop of Canterbury Robin Williams, is front and center.  We suspect he'd rather be at his lecture notes. Not a pretty job, salvaging floating toothpicks from the shipwrecked heritage of Lancelot Andrewes,  Richard Hooker, and George Herbert, fishing up here and there a deliquescent leaf from the fine old Book of Common Prayer.

Via titusonenine.

[early-morning] Update: Photo at link has been removed.  Too bad, it was impressive and moving, to see the Anglican world bravely gathered in the crisis. The picture generated a good deal of eagerly speculative discussion about the diplomacy and semiotics of where the bishops were standing in relation to each other, especially the American Frank Griswold seemingly behind and beyond the group. Even a former intelligence agent, recalling his Soviet-era skills and the Kremlin era of overnight airbrushing, weighed in. That discussion has been deleted, as well as a discussion of the discussion on another website. Blogger Dilys only, too naive to have cached the flyaway material, escaped alone to tell thee

It pays to read quickly in some circles. See for contrast and comparison certain more explicitly political command-and-control controversies in living memory of some of us.

[linguistic] Update: A coincidental day to be introduced to the coinage of the word oblivionize [v.tr.].
                             We (try not to) oblivionize.
                    You (may or may not) oblivionize.
They, well this time they sure did, oblivionize...

[final foreseeable] Update:
The Primates adjourned early, issuing a request that until 2008 US and Canadian representatives absent themselves from meetings of the main AC Council, and prepare a theological explanation / rationale for their recent positions, in order to "consider their place within the Anglican Communion." Headlines accumulate, including wire-report summary in our own home town, and this comment quoted by the BBC:

The ACC is a liaison body, with members drawn from each province or member church. To step down would mean a church was no longer a full member of the Anglican family.

One observer said: The primates have handed the North Americans a pearl-handled revolver.

Via Christopher Johnson.