On Wednesday morning, December 9th a new Facebook group was created: "Anglicans who want THIS statement from Canterbury. " In less than 48 hours, the membership of the group has swelled to over 2500 and counting. Members include former staff from Lambeth Palace and at least one current bishopsin the Episcopal Church. The statement the group is signing onto follows:
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The Archbishop of Canterbury has failed to exercise moral leadership to protect gays & lesbians in Uganda and has instead exercised political pressure to attack a bishop-elect in Los Angeles because she is a lesbian.
As Anglicans who treasure their Communion and expect more from their Archbishop, in the Advent spirit of John the Baptist's cry to the religious leaders of his time, we call on+Rowan Williams to repent of his earlier statement and issue this one instead:
"The proposed legal actions that would make homosexuality punishable by death in Uganda, and the lack of outrage regarding this proposed action by the Church of Uganda, raises very serious questions not just for the Church of Uganda and its place in the Anglican Communion, but for the Communion as a whole."
"The proposed legislation has not yet become law, and could be rejected, with the Anglican Church of Uganda leading the opposition. That decision will have very important implications. The bishops of the Communion have collectively acknowledged that offering pastoral care and listening to the experience of homosexual persons is necessary if our bonds of mutual affection are to hold."
We believe with God all things are possible -- and we pray together during this Advent season of repentance and new beginnings for the revitalization of our Communion on behalf of the Gospel and for the liberation of all held captive by homophobia.
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For more information contact:
The Reverend Canon Susan Russell, Chair
Diocese of Los Angeles Program Group on LGBT Ministry
All Saints Church
132 North Euclid Avenue
Pasadena CA 91101
626.583.2741
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