Irish Archbishop Praises Church

Irish Archbishop Praises Church
The Ledger 

A top leader of the worldwide Anglican Communion is praising action taken by the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) to defuse an international uproar over gay issues.

"I think there's been a very positive response and one that has pleased me greatly," Anglican Archbishop Robin Eames, primate of the Church of Ireland, this week told the PBS program "Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly."

Eames chaired the Lambeth Commission, a blue-ribbon panel appointed by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams to study how the 77 million-member Anglican Communion can avoid schism over homosexuality.

A year ago, the Lambeth Commission released its "Windsor Report," which criticized the Episcopal Church for provoking tensions by consecrating Bishop V. Gene Robinson, who is openly gay. The report called on ECUSA to express its regret and impose a moratorium on both consecrating gay bishops and permitting same-sex blessings.

Earlier this year, Episcopal bishops offered their "sincerest apology and repentance for having breached our bonds of affection" with other Anglicans who have been outraged by the U.S. Church's actions.

Last month, the Anglican Church in Nigeria changed its constitution and deleted all references to a relationship with the archbishop of Canterbury.

Much of the future depends on what happens at ECUSA's next General Convention in June 2006, Eames said.