Sydney
Diocese Standing Committee
Statement
on the Actions of the Synod of New Westminster in Canada
over blessing of Same-Sex unions
News - Web posted Wednesday, 26 June 2002
Statement from the Standing Committee of Sydney Diocese, 24th June 2002
“Standing Committee believing -
(a) that the recent decision to allow church blessing of same-sex unions by the Synod of New Westminster, of the Anglican Church of Canada, has taken that Synod to a stand in opposition to both adherence to the clear teaching of Scripture, as well as to the moral teaching of the Universal Church derived from Scripture, and
(b) that this Synodical decision causes a critical rift in relationships in the Anglican Communion between those who adhere to the Scriptural tradition and those who are concerned to affirm doctrinal and moral teachings that are Scripture denying, and
(c) that the maintenance of unity in the Anglican Communion is not a higher priority than faithfulness to the Scripture and long-held moral consensus of the Universal Church,
therefore respectfully encourages the Archbishop -
(d) to send his statement to bishops in the Anglican Church of Australia for their endorsement and signature with a view to forwarding the statement to the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Primate of Canada, the Bishop of New Westminster, and the Secretary General of the Anglican Communion, and
(e) to request that Archbishop Carey raise this matter at the forthcoming 12th meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council and the meeting of the Primates’ Standing Committee, and
(f) to send our greetings in Christ to the clergy and parishes of New Westminster Diocese that have opposed their Synod’s decision with the assurance of Sydney Diocese’s steadfast support for their faithful and courageous stand on the teaching of Scripture, our affirmation of their call for effective alternative episcopal oversight, and the assurance of our continual prayer for them.”
Source: Anglican Media Sydney
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