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LONDON. — Several Anglican bishops from Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific said yesterday that they no longer recognize Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby as their leader, deepening a rift within the global Anglican Communion over gay marriage.
Some bishops who belong to the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches said they no longer consider Welby to be the spiritual head of the global communion and do not regard the Church of England, which Welby heads, as the “mother church” of Anglicanism.
Earlier this month the Church of England’s national assembly, the General Synod, voted to let priests bless same-sex couples, while maintaining a ban on clergy conducting gay weddings. Same-sex civil marriage has been legal in Britain for almost a decade.
The synod’s decision was a compromise measure that came after years of wrangling about the church’s stance on homosexuality. Welby said he wouldn’t personally bless any same-sex couples because it’s his job to unify the 85 million members of the global Anglican Communion.
The dissenting bishops said the Church of England had “departed from the historic faith” and the synod’s decision ran “contrary to the faith and order of the orthodox provinces in the communion.” – AP
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