(xxx) The Primacy (continued from Item xxix)
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official8544
- Date
- 1968 October 20-24
- Source
- House of Bishops. Minutes
- Type
- Resolution
- Seconder
- Bishop of Calgary
- Prologue
- A letter had been received from the General Secretary of General Synod on behalf of N.E.C. forwarding suggestions from the Commission on the Primacy with a request for the comments of the House. The Primate introduced the subject but discussion was delayed until the next session. (Continued in Item xxx.)
- Text of motion
- "That the communication from the General Secretary containing suggestions on the Primacy be received."
- The proposals from the Commission on the Primacy were as follows:
- Proposals
- 1. There shall be a Primate who shall be the presiding bishop of the Anglican Church of Canada, and who, on assuming this office, shall be the senior Metropolitan of the Anglican Church of Canada, with the title of Archbishop.
- 2. The Primate shall be identified and canonically established as chief pastor to the whole Church.
- 3. He shall be charged with giving leadership in initiating and developing the policy and strategy of the Church, including the implementation of decisions of General Synod throughout the whole Church.
- 4. He may take order for the Consecration of Bishops, when duly elected, if such provision is made by any of the Synods of the several Ecclesiastical Provinces.
- 5. He shall maintain his office at the national headquarters of the Church, presently in Toronto, Ontario, and shall be considered to be the chief executive officer of the national staff; he may delegate such authority and responsibility to other executive staff, including any personal assistants who may be appointed by him after provision of financial requirements.
- 6. The Administration and Finance Committee shall determine annually the financial needs of the Primate, including all salaries, office expenses, living allowance, travel expenses, entertainment allowance, and other attendant expenses; funds above those provided from the income of any capital fund shall be obtained through the General synod Apportionment or Assessment.
- 7. If considered advisable by the House of Bishops and the clergy concerned clerical members of the national staff and overseas personnel may be licensed by the Primate, to enhance the pastoral relationship with such persons; a relationship may be established, by agreement of the Bishops, with clergy who are placed on the "House of Bishops' List".
- 8. The Primate shall (a) preside over the House of Bishops;
- - (b) preside over the Upper House;
- - (c) preside over the General Synod in joint session;
- - (d) preside over the National Executive Council;
- - (e) be ex officio a member of all Committees and Commissions.
- This section shall not be considered to preclude the possibility of others presiding over the above bodies, from time to time.
- 9. He may speak in the name of the Church, after consultation with the National Executive Council or General Synod.
- 10. He shall be detached from specific diocesan and/or Provincial duties and responsibilities upon his election as Primate; i.e., he shall resign his see and relinquish his Provincial duties, if any.
- 11. The Primate shall hold office until he resigns or reaches the age of 70, at which time the office shall be filled, pro tem, by the senior Provincial Metropolitan.
- 12. Present canonical provisions for the resignation of and for filling the office of Primate shall apply and be reworded as necessary (see Canon III).
- 13. Other constitutional and canonical changes shall be made as required to implement these Proposals.
- The proposals were dealt with one by one.
- Proposal 1 was approved.
- Proposal 2 -- Moved by the Bishop of Ontario, seconded by the Archbishop of New Westminster and carried:
- "That we recommend that Proposal 2 be removed because, as it is presently understood, the office of chief pastor pertains to the Bishop of the Diocese."
- Proposal 3 was approved.
- Proposal 4 -- Moved by the Bishop of Brandon, seconded by the Bishop of Ontario:
- "That the Primate may be the chief Consecrator at the Consecration of Bishops if such provision is made by any Synods of the several Ecclesiastical Provinces."
- (This motion later was withdrawn.)
- Moved by the Bishop of Huron, seconded by the Bishop of Nova Scotia:
- "That the Primate may be the chief Consecrator at the Consecration of Bishops and that we suggest to the Provinces that they make provision for the Primate to alternate with the Provincial Metropolitan in acting as Chief Consecrator."
- This was received as an alternative motion.
- An amendment to the motion of the Bishop of Brandon was moved by the Bishop of Kootenay, seconded by the Bishop of Calgary:
- "That we recommend the deletion of Proposal 4 pending the receipt of the report of the Committee on the structure of the Church concerning Ecclesiastical Provinces."
- On the withdrawal of the motion of the Bishop of Brandon this amendment became an alternative motion.
- A further alternative motion was moved by the Bishop of Ottawa, seconded by the Bishop of Newfoundland:
- "The House of Bishops expresses its judgment that the Primate should normally be the Consecrator of Bishops."
- The Chairman ruled that the several motions and amendments were alternative motions. The three alternative motions were put to the House in the following order -- the motions of the Bishop of Huron, the Bishop of Kootenay and the Bishop of Ottawa.
- The Bishop of Huron's motion was defeated.
- The Bishop of Kootenay's motion was carried, i.e., "That we recommend the deletion of Proposal 4 pending the receipt of the report of the Committee on the structure of the Church concerning Ecclesiastical Provinces."
- The Bishop of Ottawa's motion was lost.
- The Bishop of Brandon then moved an amended form of the motion of the Bishop of Ottawa, seconded by the Bishop of Calgary, which carried:
- "That we recommend to the Committee on Structure of the Church that a study be made of the possibility of Canada being only one Province (Ecclesiastical) with the Primate as the Metropolitan." (For 15 - Against 8).
- Proposal 5 -- The Bishop of Ontario moved an amendment to the proposal, seconded by the Coadjutor Bishop of Rupert's Land:
- "That the words 'and Pastor' be inserted after 'officer', line 3, and the word 'executive' in line 4, be deleted."
- This motion was later withdrawn.
- Moved by the Bishop of Huron, in amendment, seconded by the Bishop of James Bay:
- "That everything following 'Ontario' be deleted."
- This amendment was lost, 10 to 11. The Bishop of Ontario's motion was then withdrawn.
- Moved by the Bishop of Saskatoon, seconded by the Bishop of Montreal and carried:
- "He shall maintain his office at the national headquarters of the Church and shall be charged with giving leadership, through the national staff and other agencies of the Church, in initiating and developing the policy and strategy of the Church, including the implementation of decisions of General Synod throughout the whole Church."
- Proposal 6 was accepted.
- Proposal 7 -- Moved by the Bishop of Brandon, seconded by the Bishop of Athabasca and carried:
- "That the House agrees to the idea of Proposal seven and recommends that a procedure such as outlined in Canon XXI be followed as it refers to Chaplains in the Forces."
- Proposal 8 -- Moved by the Bishop of Ontario, seconded by the Bishop of Yukon:
- "That we recommend deletion of Clause 'a' of Proposal 8."
- Moved by the Bishop of Newfoundland, seconded by the Bishop of Ontario and carried:
- "That the House of Bishops inform the Commission on the Primacy that the House wishes to give further consideration to the Primate necessarily presiding over this House."
- Proposal 9 -- No comment.
- Proposal 10 -- Moved by the Bishop of Newfoundland, seconded by the Bishop of Cariboo and carried unanimously.
- "That the House of Bishops recommends in regard to Proposal 10 that the House of Bishops of the Province of Ontario be asked to explore the possibility of providing an alternative solution by means of a small diocese or Collegiate Church within that Province. The House of Bishops further recommends that the present arrangement with the Province of Rupert's Land and with N.E.C. be extended until such time as a decision is reached."
- Proposals 11, 12, 13 and 14 -- No comment.
- Subjects
- Anglican Church of Canada. Primate - Office
- Anglican Church of Canada. Commission on the Primacy
- Anglican Church of Canada - Bishops
- Anglican Church of Canada - Structure
- Anglican Church of Canada. Committee on the Structure of the Church