Anglican Bishops to Discuss Homosexuality at National Meeting
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official1440
- Date
- 1991 October 28
- Source
- Anglican News Service
- Type
- Press Release
- Text of motion
- The national House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Canada has placed the issue of homosexuality on the agenda of its meeting in Mississauga, Ontario from November 4-10.
- The purpose of the discussion will be:
- "To identify issues that need to be examined about the 1979 Statements on Human Sexuality and to set out a process for doing this, with appropriate timelines."
- The statements of the bishops in 1979 act as guidelines affecting the ordination of homosexuals to the diaconate and priesthood of the Anglican Church of Canada. The guidelines require persons of homosexual orientation, as a condition for ordination, to make a commitment to the bishop to abstain from sexual acts with persons of the same sex.
- The discussion will take place in the context of a wider debate within the church on issues of human rights and human sexuality. In recent years, the bishops have been asked to review their policy by members of the gay and lesbian community within the Anglican church. Also, questions have been raised by bishops themselves about the status of the guidelines if a proposed document on "Human Rights Principles for the Anglican Church of Canada" drafted by the church's own Human Rights Unit should be adopted by the General Synod next year. The document seeks to prohibit discrimination in the church on several grounds, including sexual orientation.
- Ordination in the Anglican Church of Canada is solely within the jurisdiction of the bishops. This is different from the United Church of Canada which has another process of selection and approval of candidates.
- The discussion at the meeting in November will be held "in camera". The resource person will be the Reverend Professor James Read, Director of the Toronto School of Theology and editor of a series of theological, biblical and ethical reflections on human sexuality published by the Anglican Church in 1986 ["A Study Resource on Human Sexuality: Approaches to Sexuality and Christian Theology."]
- It is expected that a news release will be issued following the November meeting.
- Notes
- For more information contact: The Reverend Michael Ingham, Principal Secretary to the Primate, 600 Jarvis Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 2J6, (416) 924-9192; Mr. Doug Tindal, Director of Communications, 600 Jarvis Street, Toronto, Ontario, M4Y 2J6, (416) 924-9192.
- See 1979 House of Bishops Statements on Human Sexuality Draft Human Rights Principles.
- Subjects
- Anglican Church of Canada. House of Bishops
- In camera meetings
- Homosexuality - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Homosexuality - Law and legislation - Canada
- Human rights - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Human rights principles for the Anglican Church of Canada
- Ordination of gays - Anglican Church of Canada
- House of Bishops' Statement on Human Sexuality (1997)
- House of Bishops' Guidelines on the Ordination of Homosexual Persons (1979)