The world's top-ranking Anglican Communion archbishops Thursday urged the U.S. Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada to voluntarily withdraw from a key global council because of the North Americans' liberal views on homosexuality.
If the request is granted, it will be the first official breach in the 77-million member worldwide Anglican Communion since the Episcopal Church ordained an openly gay priest in 2003 as bishop of New Hampshire, and since both the U.S. and Canadian churches began to permit the blessing of same-sex unions over the last several years.
In a communique issued after a three-day closed-door summit near Belfast, Northern Ireland, the Anglican primates -- archbishops of national Anglican churches -- stopped short of calling for the ouster of the communion's two North American member churches.
Instead, the primates committed themselves to using "their best influence" to persuade bishops and priests in the U.S. and Canada to observe a three-year moratorium on blessings of same-sex unions and installing as bishop anyone living in a sexual relationship outside a traditional marriage between a man and a woman.
Meanwhile, they want the North Americans to withdraw from a key policy body known as the Anglican Consultative Council. Unlike the Roman Catholic Church, the 38 national Anglicans churches are self-governing and their spiritual leader, the archbishop of Canterbury, does not have the power to dictate to them.
The church conservatives hope the Americans and Canadians will change their views on homosexuality by 2008, when the world's Anglican bishops are scheduled to convene for their once-a-decade meeting in England.
In a statement released Thursday, the U.S. presiding bishop and primate, the Most Rev. Frank T. Griswold, did not specify whether the U.S. church would withdraw from the consulting council over the three years.
Griswold said the primates' recommendations "would not please everyone." But in clearly diplomatic language, he said the report showed there was more that unites the worldwide church than divides it.
Griswold can continue to participate in the international primates' meetings.
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is trying to make peace between conservatives, particularly in Africa, Asia and South America, and the more liberal Europeans and North Americans.
