No concrete action anticipated on sexuality before Lambeth concludes

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a c c w e b n e w s
The Anglican Church of Canada
http://www.anglican.ca/
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MARITES N. SISON
STAFF WRITER

Aug 2, 2008

Canterbury, England
The Archbishop of Hong Kong, Paul Kwong, on Saturday said he found it "a
little disappointing" that the Lambeth Conference is ending tomorrow with
"no concrete action" to resolve the issues around sexuality that have
triggered deep divisions within the Anglican Communion.

Alluding to The Episcopal Church in the U.S., which has ordained an openly
gay bishop, and the Vancouver-based diocese of New Westminster, which has
permitted same-sex blessings, Archbishop Kwong urged those involved in the
conflict to make a "sacrifice" similar to that made by the Church of South
China in 1948. The Lambeth Conference of 1948 had ruled that the diocese of
South China's proposal to ordain a deaconess to the priesthood for an
experimental period of 20 years would be "against the tradition and order
and would gravely affect the internal and external relations of the Anglican
Communion." In 1944, Florence Li Tim Oi had been ordained the first female
priest in the Communion by the bishop of Hong Kong; in 1946, to defuse the
controversy surrounding her ordination, she surrendered her priest's
licence, but not her Holy Orders.

"We were criticized for that...That was considered a radical move...
For the sake of the communion we revoked the ordination of Florence Li Tim
Oi," he said.

"We respect what people are doing, that what they've done is correct in
their context. We're not asking them to defend that what they're doing is
right, but what sacrifice can you make for the interest of the Communion, of
the church?" he asked.

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