Lambeth 2008 under risk

The Lambeth Palace's invitation to the next Conference revealed that the Archbishop of Canterbury chooses a very difficult way to deal the conflict within the Anglican Communion.
The purpose of not invite what the Archbishop Williams understand as the extreme sides within the theological debates, would be a political deal or a ‘salomonic’ way to overcome constraints during the gathering next 2008 Conference. One of the not invited bishops to Lambeth is Gene Robinson. Acting as stated, the ABC is causing very strong reactions and putting the Conference under incertainty.
Especially because those who are reacting are raising some canonical and theological principals concerned on the comprehension about the Episcopate as is understood in the Anglican tradition.
The order of episcopate – in the Anglican tradition - is legitimate by the idea of communion. A bishop is consecrated after previous procedures that include being in communion with local diocese, national or provincial legitimating recognition and these instances in clear communion with Canterbury.
Bishop Gene Robinson is a legitimate bishop elected, consecrated and is member from a Province that is in full communion with Canterbury. And his episcopate – as the order itself – is shared in collegiality with all others bishops within the Episcopal Church. A Bishop do not exists by him or herself. The order is not a personal property but is owned by the Church. In this way, only if a bishop is under certain disciplinary condition stated by the Province, his legitimacy could be in question.
If the ABC has the challenge to maintain the whole Communion united, and this is gradually more and more difficult for him, on the other side he can’t exclude any bishop around the Communion to attend Lambeth 2008. Exclude Gene Robinson is a great risk to cause more and more division. The argument that Lambeth is a personal invitation of the Archbishop and, for instance, he has the right to invite who he understand as adequate sounds not well.
The scenery of the next Conference may become very difficult to deal if bishops around the world understand the exclusion of Gene as offensive to the collegiality that Lambeth itself is the signal more visible within the Communion!
I’m so worried about the risk of great loses of legitimacy of the next Lambeth 2008.
We need to pray for wisdom and patience that is expected from Lambeth Palace.

Comentários

Anônimo disse…
I will refer all to the words of UBI CARITAS by Maurice Durufle . . . the words say it all:

Ubi caritas et amor [where there is charity and love] Deus ibi est [God is there].
Congregavit nos in unam Christi amor [The love of Christ has gathered us together]. Exultemus et in ipso jucundemur [Let us rejoice and be glad in it]. Timeamus et amemus Deum vivum, et ex corde diligamous nos sincero [Let us revere and love the living God and from a sincere heart love one another].

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