Ordination of gay bishop leads to Catholic-Anglican dialogue changes

Published: 2003-12-02

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The crisis within the Anglican Communion following the ordination of an openly gay bishop in the United States has led the ordaining bishop to resign his post on the Anglican-Catholic dialogue team. At the same time, the Vatican and the Anglican Communion announced they were convoking a panel of experts to study the "ecclesiological issues" raised by the U.S. Episcopal Church's decision to ordain an openly gay bishop and the decision's potential to split the Anglican Communion. Bishop Frank Griswold, presiding bishop and primate of the Episcopal Church in the United States, resigned as Anglican co-chairman of the Anglican-Roman Catholic International Commission Nov. 29 "in the interest of not jeopardizing the present and future life and work of the commission." Archbishop Rowan Williams of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion, accepted his resignation saying, "I am very sorry that this has seemed the best course," but he thanked the U.S. bishop for his contributions to the dialogue. The commission, commonly referred to as ARCIC, is responsible for the official theological dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion.

Copyright (c) 2003 Catholic News Service /U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. The CNS news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed, including but not limited to such means as framing or any other digital copying or distribution method, in whole or in part without the prior written authority of Catholic News Service .