Africa's
Anglican bishops have attacked their U.S. counterparts for
failing to condemn homosexuality after they elected a
liberal woman leader who has expressed some support
for gay rights. In an open letter after a meeting in
Kampala, they also told conservative Episcopalians
that they still support them in their opposition to the
pro-gay stance of the U.S. church, which includes the
first gay bishop in the Anglican Communion.
Nigerian
archbishop Peter Akinola, head of the Council of Anglican
Provinces of Africa, said in the letter that Anglican
primates from the developing world would meet in
September to give a more detailed statement on the
U.S. church. Akinola, one of the church's most
outspoken voices against gay rights, said that the
African bishops have carefully followed what has been
said at a U.S. Anglican convention this week in Ohio.
"We have
observed the commitment shown by your church to the full
participation of people in same-gender sexual relationships
in civic life, church life, and leadership," he
said on behalf of African bishops in a statement dated
Thursday. "Our churches cannot reconcile this with
the teaching on marriage set out in the Holy Scripture and
repeatedly affirmed throughout the Anglican
Communion."
The Anglican
Communion, a loose union of national churches representing
77 million congregants around the world, was plunged into
crisis after the Episcopal Church ordained an openly
gay bishop in 2003 and Canadian Anglicans started
blessing same-sex marriages. African bishops, who
believe homosexuality is morally wrong, say the U.S. church
is flouting centuries-old Anglican teaching and must
repent for its actions, raising fears of a schism
within the communion.
In a compromise
aimed at appeasing conservatives and averting a
full-blown split, U.S. bishops this week agreed in a
nonbinding resolution to try to avoid consecrating
openly gay bishops but stopped short of condemning
homosexuality. But Akinola's letter made it clear the
Africans thought this did not go far enough. "When we
meet with other primates from the Global South in
September, we shall present our concerted pastoral and
structural response," he added, referring to the
developing world group of mostly conservative Anglican
churches. (Reuters)
