This is a transcript of Archbishop Andrew Hutchison’s webcast – March 10, 2005
Once again welcome to Conversations with the Primate.
It was in 1978 that Archbishop Donald Coggin for the first time called together the Primates of the Anglican Communion, to use his words, “for leisurely sharing and deep consultation.” Since then the primates have met from time to time irregularly but normally about every year for that purpose and they have together come to be known as one of the instruments of unity in the Anglican Communion, that is one of the ways in which we live out the paradox of our provincial autonomy and our interdependence within the Communion.
Our most recent meeting was held at Dromantine, a beautiful retreat centre in Northern Ireland in the diocese of Armagh and close by the town of Newry. Our host was the Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of all Ireland, Robin Eames. These were very important days and I begin by saying to all of you, very many thanks for the prayers and the notes and the comments on the Windsor Report that you have supplied so that I could take those with me to Dromantine to share with the other primates.
There were a number of important items on our agenda; among them, theological education throughout the communion, receiving reports from the various task groups that are working on particular aspects of that. We also had a report on the Tsunami disaster from the primate from that region and we heard a full report from South Africa and the Primate of South Africa on the world AIDS pandemic.
But certainly central to our discussions was the Windsor Report prepared by the Eames Commission as a way forward for the Communion in the face of present difficulties over recent decisions in North America. It was to say the least a very difficult conversation. Fundamentally at issue is our understanding of scripture. There are those on the one hand who would say that scripture deserves interpretation. Archbishop Rowan Williams, while Archbishop of Wales advocated, for example that the bible does not specifically exclude the blessing of same sex unions. Other people of a more conservative hue would take a more literal approach to scripture saying that the plain word of God on the written page is to be taken as is, for all time, and in all situations.
Our meetings began with two mornings of bible study and meditation led by the Archbishop of Canterbury on the subject of the temptations of Christ. His point being that it is very important for us first to listen to God before we listen to one another. Then in plenary session, Archbishop Eames, who had chaired the commission presented the Windsor Report to us. And following that the Primus of Scotland, Bruce Cameron presented to us responses that had been received from around the Communion to the report. A writing team was appointed under the chairmanship Archbishop Carnley of Australia to begin to put together what we might be able to agree with by consensus toward the end of our meeting
We then went into small groups, in fact our bible study groups, to discuss what we had just heard in the way of responses and to deal with a few questions as to our own responses at that meeting to their various sections of the Windsor Report. For those of you familiar with the report we generally agreed that sections A & B describe the Anglican Communion as we would like it to be, recognising that it falls well short of that at the moment.
As we discussed our responses to the report it became clear that there were very few options that seemed obvious. Archbishop Williams stated those by saying one option before us was to put the whole issue on hold until after the next General Convention of the American Church. A second option was to embrace very closely the Windsor Report and a third option was to walk separately from that meeting and consider what other options may be open to us in the future.
Fortunately, after a long night of consideration and prayer, Archbishop Eames came up with a close analysis of the situation asking the question, - What does North America really need to be able to go home with? And what does the global south – and please understand he used that term as one of convenience to describe a group that is much wider than that – what does that group need to be able to go home with? He believed that North America needed a vehicle to go home and say that our constitutional processes were affirmed. In other words nothing that we had done was illegal or improper, we had followed due process. Second, those processes would be honoured and respected as we moved forward from this point. On the other side of the question he said the conservative block needs to be able to go home first of all to say that their voice was heard and taken very seriously and second that some action was taken as a result of that. That analysis was very helpful in moving us forward to a communiqué around which we were able to establish a general consensus.
A very great deal is being asked of the Archbishop of Canterbury. First of all he is being asked to put together a group that would oversee provisions being made in North America for so called minority groups that is groups that dissent from decisions of the General Synod or of diocesan synods. Canada’s well positioned on this one in that our House of Bishops has already agreed to a protocol for Shared Episcopal Ministry. And we are in conversation with a number of so-called dissident parishes as to the possible application of that.
The second thing asked the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Anglican Consultative Council is that a mechanism now be put in place that would assure that the full weight of Resolution 110 from the Lambeth Conference is observed and that actions along those lines be monitored.
What is asked of Canada and of the United States is that until the next meeting of the Lambeth Conference we withdraw our members from the Anglican Consultative Council. There is in fact only one meeting of that council between now and the next Lambeth Conference. The council however is important, especially from a Canadian point of view in that it is the only international body within the Anglican Communion that is comprised of laity, clergy and bishops and therefore carries somewhat more authority than either the Lambeth Conference or the meeting of the primates. I have explained to the primates that I am not mandated to accede to that request or not. What I can do is bring it back to my church and that means the Council of General Synod to see whether they will accept that request or not. The intent of the request is to provide some space, some time in which all of us can do further reflection on this subject.
Now because the June meeting will involve the Windsor Report and the actions taken in Canada and the United States, it is important that we be there and the communiqué invites us to be present for a presentation in which we can speak to the situation in Canada and hope for a better way forward.
In the final analysis the outcome of our meetings in Dromantine were more positive than one might have hoped for. There is in fact a consensus to the communiqué throughout the Communion. There are important things being asked of all the primates. There is an enormous responsibility being given to the Archbishop of Canterbury and there are important things being asked of us in North America. As you have prayed for us in preparation for this meeting I invite your prayers for the Council of General Synod as we move forward and deal with the communiqué.
Thank you for being with us. I look forward to hearing from you and to our next Conversation with the Primate.
God bless you.