Justin Welby encouraged Church of England leaders to "take risks".

"To be silent on the unethical treatment of migrants or on war or oppression, on the abuse of human rights, on persecution, is to be one of the oppressors" he told the Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops.

The Lambeth Conference of Anglican bishops is convened by the Archbishop of Canterbury once every 10 years. It took place at the University of Kent, Canterbury Cathedral and Lambeth Palace between July 26 and August 8.

Calling climate change an "undeclared war", the former oil executive warned it could create 1.2 billion refugees with consequences "tragic beyond anything in human history".

The Archbishop continued: "Climate change, better called the climate crisis or better still the climate emergency, as we know is the result of the wealthier countries having declared war on God's creation unknowingly and unthinkingly starting from the 19th century.

‘The symptoms of that war now are that the wealthy dump refuse in the oceans.

‘They tell the poor not to use carbon-generating fuels and they say to the world, too often, not by their word but by their actions, we will keep our wealth and you, the poor, must discover new paths".

Welby also criticised the UK government's deal with Rwanda in which UK asylum seekers would be sent to the African country. In exchange for accepting them, Rwanda will receive millions of pounds in development aid.

Archbishop Welby said the Rwanda proposal would not "stand up to the judgment of God", adding there were "serious ethical questions about sending asylum seekers overseas".

His criticisms, and similar private remarks reported to have been made by Prince Charles, led PM Boris Johnson to acknowledge the Rwanda deal had drawn opprobrium from "slightly unexpected quarters".

Sources

Daily Mail

CathNews NZ

In it, we come to a question - of what we believe about human dignity, including sexuality - that is deeply dividing, not only for Anglicans but for every part of God's global church.

This conference is one of the few places where we can meet and be honest with each other about what we think, listen to others and pray together.

In some churches, like the Anglican Communion, the disagreement is open. In others, it is behind locked doors. But in all it is real. And in all the subject is of the greatest importance.

Most of the Call on Human Dignity (including sexuality) is uncontentious. None of us would want to argue for sexual violence in conflict, abuse of the vulnerable or violence against minorities or women.

But paragraph 2.3 is very different. For some here, it will be a great relief.

There is no attempt being made to alter the historic teaching of the vast majority of Churches of the Anglican Communion. For some, this paragraph will be hugely painful, and agonizing emotionally, for it is felt by many to state that who they are and who they love is wrong, that they are less than fully human.

So in this very brief address, please let me state some important principles.

First, the Call is about Human Dignity and also about Sexuality.

The reason the two are combined is that its central theological foundation is that all human beings are of equal worth, loved by God and are those for whom Jesus died on the Cross and rose to life. As St Paul says again and again in Romans "there is no distinction".

Second, as we discuss this, we are all vulnerable.

For the large majority of the Anglican Communion the traditional understanding of marriage is something that is understood, accepted and without question, not only by Bishops but their entire Church, and the societies in which they live.

For them, to question this teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries would make the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack. For many churches to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

For a minority, we can say almost the same.

They have not arrived lightly at their ideas that traditional teaching needs to change. They are not careless about scripture.

They do not reject Christ.

But they have come to a different view on sexuality after long prayer, deep study and reflection on understandings of human nature.

For them, to question this different teaching is unthinkable, and in many countries is making the church a victim of derision, contempt and even attack.

For these churches not to change traditional teaching challenges their very existence.

So let us not treat each other lightly or carelessly.

We are deeply divided.

That will not end soon.

We are called by Christ himself both to truth and unity.

Third, there is no attempt to change people's minds in this Call.

It states as a fact that the vast majority of Anglicans in the large majority of Provinces and Dioceses do not believe that a change in teaching is right.

Therefore, it is the case that the whole of Lambeth 1.10 1998 still exists.

This Call does not in any way question the validity of that resolution.

The Call states that many Provinces - and I say again, I think we need to acknowledge it's the majority - continue to affirm that same-gender marriage is not permissible.

The Call also states that other provinces have blessed and welcomed same-sex union or marriage, after careful theological reflection and a process of reception.

In that way, it states the reality of life in the Communion today.

As is said in the letter, and I re-emphasise, there is no mention of sanctions, or exclusion, in 1.10 1998.

There is much mention of pastoral care.

As Lambeth 1.10 also states: "all baptised, believing and faithful persons, regardless of sexual orientation are full members of the Body of Christ" and to be welcomed, cared for, and treated with respect (I.10, 1998).

Fourth, many people are watching and listening, both inside and outside the Church.

But we bishops, you alone and I are responsible for what is decided on this Call.

When we will all answer to God on the day of judgement, we will not be able to say - and there is no vote today, but when at some point if ever we make a decision on this - we will not be able to say that I voted this or that way because others told me too.

Please, therefore, be present, in this room or online, today. Do not spend the time looking on your phone at what others outside the room are saying.

You are the shepherds of your flock as I am the shepherd of the flock that I serve.

Let us not act in a way that disgraces our witness.

Speak frankly, but in love.

Finally, a short comment on my own thinking.

I am very conscious that the Archbishop of Canterbury is to be a focus of unity and is an Instrument of Communion.

That is a priority.

Truth and unity must be held together, but Church history also says that this sometimes takes a very long time to reach a point where different teaching is rejected or received.

I neither have, nor do I seek, the authority to discipline or exclude a church of the Anglican Communion.

I will not do so.

I may comment in public on occasions, but that is all. We are a Communion of Churches, not a single church.

I want to end by repeating this line from the Call on Human Dignity: "As Bishops we remain committed to listening and walking together to the maximum possible degree, despite our deep disagreement on these issues.

Sister and brothers, may I thank you for your patience in listening to me."

Source

• Anglican.ink

Friday's announcement at the Lambeth Conference in Canterbury, England came from the Global South orthodox bishops as they pressed for re-affirmation of traditional teaching on marriage.

The Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches (GSFA) claims to represent 75 percent of the Anglican Communion.

They declared their position a day after 100 people, including twelve bishops, joined a walk at the Conference's campus venue. The walk aimed to show solidarity with LGBTQ people.

Even before the conference began, documents referring to gay relationships were already causing tempers to flare.

The GSFA says it will table its own resolution at the conference. It will reaffirm Lambeth Resolution 1.10 as the Church's official teaching on marriage and sexuality.

That resolution was formally passed at the Lambeth Conference in 1998. It describes marriage as a life-long commitment between a man and a woman. Same-sex unions are therefore outlawed, the GSFA says.

The 2022 Lambeth Conference organisers have got it wrong, the GSFA adds.

They have failed to recognise the resolution "is not just about sex and marriage".

Rather, it's "fundamentally about the authority of the Bible which Anglicans believe to be central to faith and order".

GSFA chair Archbishop Justin Badi says the GSFA also wants the sanctions imposed on provinces that ordain bishops in same-sex relationships. Provinces allowing same-sex marriages should also be sanctioned.

The Anglican Church of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia is among them, he says.

Badi says the Communion has been "for far too long driven by the views of the West". It has ignored voices from the Global South.

"Today, in Canterbury, we may be ‘gathered together' but we most certainly cannot ‘walk together'".

For that to happen, provinces which have gone against scripture — and the will of the consensus of the bishops — must "repent and return to orthodoxy," he says.

The row over same-sex marriage erupted on the eve of the conference.

The draft conference documents said "It is the mind of the Anglican Communion as a whole that same-gender marriage is not permissible."

Protests from supporters of same-sex marriage followed.

The documents were then amended to note differences among Anglican provinces.

The statement now notes while many provinces ban same-gender marriages, others have a different view.

Besides the 650 bishops from around the globe attending the conference in person, hundreds of others have boycotted it.

They are protesting the support from some parts of the Communion for same-sex marriage.

Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, says the conference is not a synod or a legislative body.

Rather, it is a place where bishops could come together.

While Resolution 1.10 is "still very much part of the Anglican Communion, there's deep division," he says.

"It will need to be decided in each province and diocese."

The Conference - the first to be held in 14 years - will continue after it ends on Friday, when bishops return to their provinces.

Source

• Religion News Service

Based on comments by the presiding bishop of the US Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, the Irish Times reported the conference had been cancelled.

Bishop Schori said the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was "very clear that he is not going to call a Lambeth until he is reasonably certain that the vast majority of bishops would attend".

No planning or fundraising has taken place for a 2018 conference, she observed.

One blog reported her saying that the Archbishop of Canterbury had told her that the conference had been cancelled.

The Lambeth Conference, a gathering of Anglican bishops from around the world, traditionally takes place every ten years.

The 2008 conference was marred by a significant boycott over the gay clergy issue, the Irish Times article noted.

Bishop Schori said the next Lambeth Conference "needs to be preceded by a primates meeting at which a vast majority of primates are present".

As Archbishop Welby "continues his visits around the [Anglican] communion to those primates it's unlikely that he will call such a meeting at all until at least a year from now or probably 18 months from now", she said.

"Therefore I think we are looking at 2019, more likely 2020, before a Lambeth Conference."

But the Virtue OnLine Anglican news service said the blog which broke the story about the Lambeth Conference being cancelled failed to check with Lambeth Palace.

Lambeth spokesman Ed Thornton told VOL the cancellation hasn't been confirmed yet "and we won't be commenting at least until primates visits are completed".

An Anglican bishop subsequently told VOL that the Archbishop of Canterbury may well postpone Lambeth till 2020.

"It is by no means cancelled, it is still too early to say," the VOL article continued.

"2018 is four years away and anything can happen between now and then."

Sources

• Irish Times
• Virtue Online
• Anglican Ink
• Image: 40Yearsordained2000yearsministry.com