Nottingham, England - Anglican leaders will hear tomorrow a theological justification by the heads of the Canadian and American churches for their recent actions relating to how they have addressed issues surrounding homosexuality in the church, reports the Times newspaper.
The Primate of the US Anglican Church, the Most Rev Frank Griswold, will deliver a report to the 13th Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) which opened in Nottingham at the weekend, under the theme "Living Communion".
The report will address why it was felt that the openly gay Gene Robinson should become Bishop of New Hampshire.
The Canadian Primate, the Archbishop of Montreal, the Most Rev Andrew Hutchison, will also lead a delegation to explain the actions of the New Westminster Diocese in authorising same-sex blessings.
The reports come after the new Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, said he wanted homophobia banished from the Church of England, and that he wanted people to stop using “ghastly” language that implied people were “not human beings” because of their sexual orientation.
The US report, To Set Our Hope on Christ, has been prepared by the liberal theologian Mark Mcintosh, of Loyola University, Chicago, and others.
The Americans have expressed regret for the effects of their actions as recommended by the Windsor Report.
They continue to stand by the ordination of Bishop Robinson, but have agreed a temporary moratorium on any future episcopal ordinations, straight and gay.
Their report concludes with a detailed appendix setting out a 40-year history of the US church’s explorations of the gay issue.
After the primates’ meeting in Ireland this year, Canada and the US agreed to withdraw their official representatives from this week’s meeting of the Anglican Consultative Council, the worldwide church’s executive body. Their delegates will be limited to explaining their actions.
The meeting opened yesterday with a procession through the streets of Nottingham led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams.