Senior bishops warn off those 'dividing' church.In an unusual open message about the same-sex blessing issue in New Westminster New Westminster, city (1991 pop. 43,585), SW British Columbia, Canada, on the Fraser River, part of metropolitan Vancouver. Founded in 1859 as Queensborough, it was the capital of British Columbia until Victoria was made capital after the union of British Columbia , the 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 , and the four metropolitans, or senior bishops, of the Anglican Church of Canada, criticized Bishop Terrence Buckle of the Yukon and "those ... who wish to divide our church." However, the letter was termed "terribly one-sided" by Bishop Donald Harvey of Eastern Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador, province, Canada Newfoundland and Labrador (ny  `fənlənd, ny , who responded, also in an open letter, that he intended to continue to support Bishop Buckle in his actions in New Westminster. It is uncommon for diocesan bishops to publicly rebuke their superiors. Released in early October, the metropolitans' "message to Canadian Anglicans" noted that "intervention of leaders from other parts of the Anglican Communion ... and the intervention of one Canadian bishop in the life of another diocese, contrary to the order of the church, have not contributed to our common faithfulness." The message was signed by archbishops Peers, David Crawley, Andrew Hutchison, John Clarke and Terence Finlay. Bishop Buckle's involvement with disaffected parishes in New Westminster "is contrary to the canons of the church" and those who encourage him "have in fact counseled him to disobey dis·o·bey v. dis·o·beyed, dis·o·bey·ing, dis·o·beys v.intr. To refuse or fail to follow an order or rule. v.tr. To refuse or fail to obey (an order or rule). the oaths of his episcopal ordination and to disregard the order of the church." The letter also asked Anglicans to pray "rather than (seek) leverage for your point of view." However, Bishop Harvey's message asked why church leaders "castigate cas·ti·gate tr.v. cas·ti·gat·ed, cas·ti·gat·ing, cas·ti·gates 1. To inflict severe punishment on. See Synonyms at punish. 2. To criticize severely. " Bishop Buckle while issuing "no reprimand REPRIMAND, punishment. The censure which in some cases a public office pronounces against an offender. 2. This species of punishment is used by legislative bodies to punish their members or others who have been guilty of some impropriety of conduct towards them. to Bishop Michael Ingham for his actions which brought this whole matter to a head." Bishop Harvey, who participated in the September "commissioning" of Bishop Buckle as bishop to the disaffected New Westminster parishes, said Bishop Ingham ignored "the collegiality col·le·gi·al·i·ty n. 1. Shared power and authority vested among colleagues. 2. Roman Catholic Church The doctrine that bishops collectively share collegiate power. of the house of bishops and the traditional teaching of the Anglican Communion." At their regular fall meeting in October, 2002, Canadian bishops agreed to not to move on the samesex blessing issue until General Synod 2004, however, Bishop Ingham abstained from the vote and a blessing took place in New Westminster several months later. Bishop Harvey said he is "not sure that there is a way out of this tragic mess," but if there is, "it can only start when leadership makes some attempt to treat both sides in a fair and sensitive manner." |
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