The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Dr. Rowan Williams, has proposed that members of provinces that have breached moratoria requested by the Instruments of Communion with regard to the long-standing controversy surrounding the ordination of practicing homosexuals, should not take active part in ecumenical dialogues in which the Communion is formally engaged.

In his Pentecost Letter issued on May 28, the Archbishop noted that when a province “declines to accept requests or advice from the consultative organs of the Communion,” which serves some 80 million members of Anglican and Episcopal Churches worldwide, “it is very hard to see how members of that province can be placed in positions where they are required to represent the Communion as a whole. This affects both our ecumenical dialogues, where our partners (as they often say to us) need to know who it is they are talking to, and our internal faith-and-order related groups,” he explains.

The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon Dr. Williams has also recommended that, while the tensions remain unresolved, representatives of these provinces who serve on the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO), should, for the time being, operate only as consultants, rather than full members. He said provinces would be contacted regarding the implementation of these proposals, which would also be fully discussed at the next meeting of Primates, scheduled in January 2011.

The Archbishop pointed to the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost which enabled people from different countries and cultures to find “a common voice” in proclaiming the gospel, and acknowledged the diversity of the Anglican Communion. However, he said “In our dealings with each other, we need to be clear that conscientious decisions may be taken in good faith….. and yet have a cost when they move away from what is recognizable and acceptable within the Communion.”

He noted that members of the Anglican Communion were “living through a time of substantial transition, a time when the structures that have served us need reviewing and refreshing, perhaps radical changing.” Calling for a ‘new Pentecost’ and “renewal in the Spirit,” the Archbishop urged members of the Communion to reflect on how to “rebuild relations and to move towards a more coherent Anglican identity.” (Click here for the full text of the Archbishop's Pentecost Letter.)