Cubans want to return to ECUSA: proposal driven by finances.Havana The search for a clergy pension fund has led the Cuban Episcopal church Episcopal Church, Anglican church of the United States. Its separate existence as an American ecclesiastical body with its own episcopate began in 1789. Doctrine and Organization to swallow some pride and seek a return to the fold within the Episcopal Church of the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. , but only as a temporary measure. Although a Cuban diocesan synod In the Anglican Communion, the model of government is the 'Bishop in Synod', meaning that a diocese is governed by a bishop acting with the advice and consent of representatives of the clergy and laity of the diocese. in February voted unanimously to seek re-admission to the Episcopal Church of the United States (ECUSA ECUSA Episcopal Church in the United States of America ) as a constituent diocese, the decision was hotly debated. The decision was fraught with ambiguity among delegates, who insisted that the expulsion of their church from ECUSA in 1967 was immoral in the first place. The Cuban church was part of ECUSA until 1967, when the house of bishops voted it out because of the hostile political climate between Cuba and the United States. The recent diocesan motion had its origins at a meeting last October at Camp Washington, Conn., to discuss the formation of an Episcopal Province of the Caribbean. The countries represented at the meeting were Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic Dominican Republic (dəmĭn`ĭkən), republic (2005 est. pop. 8,950,000), 18,700 sq mi (48,442 sq km), West Indies, on the eastern two thirds of the island of Hispaniola. The capital and largest city is Santo Domingo. and Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (pwār`tō rē`kō), island (2005 est. pop. 3,917,000), 3,508 sq mi (9,086 sq km), West Indies, c.1,000 mi (1,610 km) SE of Miami, Fla. . The motion to rejoin ECUSA was introduced at the Havana synod by Cuban bishop Jorge Perera Hurtado. In his opening address, Bishop Perera said the Camp Washington discussion "was based on the unjust decision of the house of bishops of the U.S. church to expel us from its membership." He added that the proposal for readmission readmission Managed care The admission of a Pt to a health care facility for a condition–eg, stroke, MI, GI bleeding, hip fracture, cancer surgery, shortly after discharge. See nth admission. Cf Admission, Discharge. could be considered at the General Convention of ECUSA in 2003. The Episcopal church in Puerto Rico also wants re-admission to ECUSA. Since 1967, the Cuban church has been "extra-provincial," mostly running its own affairs but with special oversight from the Metropolitan Council of Cuba, which is chaired by the Canadian primate, Archbishop Michael Peers The Most Reverend Michael Geoffrey Peers (born 1934) was Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada from 1986 till 2004. Born in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1934, Archbishop Peers completed an undergraduate degree in languages at the University of British Columbia in 1956 . It has also been without a pension fund for its clergy. The council also includes Archbishop Drexel Wellington Gomez, primate of the Province of the West Indies West Indies, archipelago, between North and South America, curving c.2,500 mi (4,020 km) from Florida to the coast of Venezuela and separating the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean. , and one bishop, Julio Cesar Julio Cesar could refer to those people:
(Both Archbishop Peers and Bishop Holguin attended all of the three-day synod. Archbishop Gomez flew in for the special meeting of the Metropolitan council and for the closing eucharist.) Bishop Perera said that Puerto Rico and Cuba have struck a deal to support one another in their petitions for re-admittance to ECUSA. He said the Puerto Rican church has agreed to decline readmission to ECUSA even if it is accepted, unless the Cuban church is also welcome. This, he said, is "an expression of brotherhood and solidarity." Bishop Perera urged the Cuban synod to return the favour and not accept admittance Admittance The ratio of the current to the voltage in an alternating-current circuit. In terms of complex current I and voltage V, the admittance of a circuit is given by Eq. (1), and is related to the impedance of the circuit Z by Eq. (2). to ECUSA if Puerto Rico were refused. During the debate, Rev. Oden Marichal Rodriguez, vicar-general of the diocese, and a member of the Cuban parliament, said that the idea of returning to ECUSA is transitional, "while we work establishing the Province of the Caribbean." The hoped-for province has been under discussion for about 20 years, and Cuban clergy want a retirement fund in place now. "Neither the government (of Cuba) nor the (Communist) party will try to intervene (in the process of rejoining ECUSA," Mr. Marichal said. One concern if Cuba returned to ECUSA, he added, would involve the position ECUSA would then take on the U.S. blockade of Cuba, first imposed in 1963. Cuban clergy presently have no retirement fund and are hoping for access to the cash-rich ECUSA pension fund, which has $6 billion U.S. in assets. According to an ECUSA spokesperson, the fund has additional reserves "over and above what is needed to cover the benefits committed," following investment returns, which at one time in the year 2000 were 49.6 per cent. Special on Cuba In February, the primate, Archbishop Michael Peers, went to Havana for the 93rd synod of the Episcopal church of Cuba. He attended in his capacity as president of the church's metropolitan council, a body that overseen the Cuban church since 1967. Anglican Journal staff writer Jane Davidson accompanied him. Her articles appear this month and next. |
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