Apology to LGBT community must be followed by action, senior Anglicans warn Archbishop of Canterbury

Jan 21, 2016 by Jill

By Ruth Gledhill, Christian Today:

Senior Anglicans who wrote to the Archbishop of Canterbury on the eve of last week’s Primates Meeting have thanked him for his apology for the way the Church has treated the gay community, but warned that his words must be followed by action.

Eighty-five senior Anglicans who originally signed a letter to Archbishop Justin Welby have written again to thank him for the apology he made to LGBT Christians at the end of the Primates Meeting, but added that words alone are not enough.

They warned that words without action will further undermine trust and cause “yet more pain”.

At the end of their week-long meeting, during which the conservative Archbishop of Uganda left early, the remaining Primates of the Anglican Communion agreed by a substantial majority that The Episcopal Church should face “consequences” for consecrating gay bishops and approving same-sex marriage.

About the lesbian and gay community, Archbishop Welby said: “I want to say how sorry I am for the hurt and pain in the past and present that the Church has caused and that the love we have at times completely failed to show.” This followed the publication of an open letter to Welby calling for repentance for the way the Church had behaved towards the LGBTI communities.

The latest letter, signed by more than 80 people including cathedral deans, retired bishops and senior clergy and laity, says that failure to carry into action the commitments on equality and opposing criminal sanctions would seriously undermine trust and lead to further pain for LGBTI Christians.

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