The spiritual
leader of the world's Anglicans said Monday in
Toronto that he has agreed to an urgent request for a
meeting with U.S. church leaders as the Anglican
fellowship nears a split over the Bible and sexuality.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, visiting
Canada for a spiritual retreat with the country's Anglican
bishops, said he would meet with U.S. Episcopal
leaders in the fall.
''My aim is to
try and keep people around the table for as long as
possible on this, to understand one another,'' Williams said
at a news conference at the Anglican Church of Canada
headquarters.
Last month, U.S.
Episcopal bishops affirmed their support for gays and
rejected a compromise plan that would have required the
Americans to give up some authority to theological
conservatives outside the U.S. church. The Episcopal
bishops then implored Williams to meet with them to hear
their views.
The Episcopal
Church is the U.S. wing of the 77 million-member Anglican
Communion. But it is at odds theologically with the vast
majority of Anglican churches, which take a more
conservative view on sexuality and other issues. The
conflict erupted in 2003 when the Episcopalians
consecrated their first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson
of New Hampshire.
Williams has no
direct authority to force a reconciliation and has been
struggling to negotiate a truce. ''Yes, these are difficult
days,'' Williams said. ''I think the [church] in
recent years has had to face the fact that the
division on certain subjects, especially sexuality, has
been getting much more deep and bitter and threatens to
divide us.''
The latest plan
emerged from a February meeting of Anglican leaders,
called primates, in Tanzania, and it included an ultimatum
for the U.S. church. Episcopalians were given until
September 30 to unequivocally pledge not to consecrate
another partnered gay bishop or authorize official
prayers for same-sex couples. Otherwise, the church could
have a much reduced role in the communion.
As part of the
Anglicans' demands, Episcopalians were told to accept a
''primatial vicar'' and special committee that would oversee
U.S. dioceses that reject Episcopal Presiding Bishop
Katharine Jefferts Schori, who supports gay
relationships.
The Episcopal
House of Bishops is scheduled to meet in September in New
Orleans.
''If there is to
be any change on the church's attitude on gay and
lesbian behavior then I would hope it would be a change of
attitude on the part of the church as a whole,''
Williams said. ''We have to determine what is for the
health of the body of Christ regionally and locally.''
Just before
Williams traveled to Toronto, the head of the Anglican
Church of Canada, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison,
criticized how Williams had handled the global rift.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph of
London published April 10, Hutchison called Williams
''indecisive'' and said he had failed to properly lead the
church.
At Monday's news
conference Hutchison called Williams ''a man of deep
spirituality.''
The Canadian
church will hold its national meeting in Winnipeg in June.
Attendees will consider whether to allow priests to
conduct blessing ceremonies for same-sex couples.
(Charmaine Noronha, AP)
