Friday, February 23, 2007

Akinola says

Here:
Led by Nigeria's Archbishop Peter Akinola and Kenya's Benjamin Nzimbi, the bishops said if Canterbury "does not come back to us by September 30, we will decide whether they will continue being with us or not."

"Let us know if they will have stopped celebrating same sex marriages and ordaining homosexuals," Bishop Akinola who is the chairman of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (Capa) said during the launch of an HIV /Aids prevention plan at Panafric Hotel.
...
Bishop Akinola described homosexuality as a global problem.

"If God said it is not right, who am I to say it is?" he asked.
Here:
The head of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, said the Church in Africa will make the decision to either break away or not depending on whether Canterbury, the Church's headquarters in London, would have acted on their ultimatum.

"We have given the Anglican Church an ultimatum to review the situation and by September we will know whether to continue together or apart," Akinola said on Thursday.
Did he actually put it in those terms - the Church in Africa breaking away if Canterbury does not act?

And what about this line: "Let us know if they will have stopped celebrating same sex marriages and ordaining homosexuals." The Communique instead says

In particular, the Primates request, through the Presiding Bishop, that the House of Bishops of The Episcopal Church
1. make an unequivocal common covenant that the bishops will not authorise any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions in their dioceses or through General Convention (cf TWR, §143, 144); and
2. confirm that the passing of Resolution B033 of the 75th General Convention means that a candidate for episcopal orders living in a same-sex union shall not receive the necessary consent (cf TWR, §134); unless some new consensus on these matters emerges across the Communion (cf TWR, §134).
It is rather easy to say already that same-sex marriages have not been sanctioned by bishop. Moreover, what the HOB is asked to do is - not to prevent same-sex blessings - but to "not authorise any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions...."

Regarding "ordaining homosexuals" that is not what the Communique says. It refers to "episcopal orders" - that is consecration of a bishop.

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