Archbishop of Canterbury won’t recognize bishops consecrated in Singapore
Episcopal News Service, February 24, 2000
In a February 17 letter to all bishops of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury George L. Carey has concluded that he cannot recognize the two American priests consecrated to the episcopate in a January 29 service in Singapore – Charles Murphy of South Carolina and John Rodgers of Pennsylvania.
Pointing out that “territorial integrity is a most important element of due episcopal order and collegiality,” a principle “emphasized and endorsed” over the years by Lambeth Conferences of Anglican bishops, Carey said that the consecrations ignore this principle. “In the case of this particular consecration, neither the constitution of the Province of South East Asia nor that of that of the Episcopal Church of Rwanda, to whose primates John Rodgers and Charles Murphy have sworn an oath of canonical obedience, have been followed.” He added that Anglican polity “requires that ordained ministers should be properly authorised to pursue their ministry in the province within which they wish to work, and according to canon law of that province. It appears that this is not the intention in this case, and it is doubtful in the present circumstances whether such authorisation would be forthcoming.”
Even though he is prepared to recognize Rodgers and Murphy as “faithful and committed ministers of the Gospel, I have to conclude that I cannot recognise their episcopal ministry until such time as a full rapprochement and reconciliation has taken place between them and the appropriate authorities within the Episcopal Church of the United States.”
Addressing the bishops who participated in the consecration, Carey said that “the understanding of episcopal ministry, which appears to have allowed them to act unilaterally, without consultation and in secret, is quite foreign to the Anglican tradition.” The consecration contradicts the “corporate and representative nature of episcopal ministry,” Carey said.
Expectations that the serious issues the Anglican Communion is facing will be resolved at the March meeting of the primates is “unrealistic,” Carey said. He reminded the bishops that the meeting is “consultative” and, while there was some exploration of an expanded role for the primates, “there has been no opportunity for us to explore these proposals in any detail.”
In the meantime, “We have no authority to impose our will on any province. To talk of the primates disciplining the Episcopal Church of the USA or any other province for that matter, goes far beyond the brief of the Primates’ Meeting.”
Carey expressed sympathy with those who are “deeply concerned at the direction in which some parts of the Communion are moving. I understand your fears, your worries and your frustrations.” Those bishops who have rejected the strong stand at Lambeth 1998 on sexuality issues are raising “substantial difficulties” for colleagues around the world. Yet the church must continue its dialogue on sexuality issues. He concluded that “this situation is a test of our belief in the Anglican way of dialogue, study and prayer.” The consecrations have made it “difficult” for the American church to “respond constructively to the criticisms which are being laid on them.” He urged the bishops to keep the situation in perspective and “guard against the risk of allowing one issue to divert all our attention from the primary task of mission to which we are called.”