Archbishop of Melbourne condemns proposed GAFCON Australia diocese
by David Ould, Anglican Ink:
The Archbishop of Melbourne and former Primate Philip Freier has issued a wide-ranging ad clerum. In his letter he addresses the recent move by Gafcon to clarify it’s position.
I agree with the Primate’s view that there is no need for this “new church entity” – Anglican doctrine has not been changed by the recent Appellate Tribunal opinion or the effect of the Diocese of Wangaratta’s application of the national churches “Canon Concerning Services”. Undoubtedly, the proponents of this initiative think differently for the reasons they describe.
Freier’s letter also contains a number of assertions or suggestions that may possibly aggravate current tensions by misrepresenting Gafcon’s position.
Freier compares the proposed move to the Ordinariates set up by the Roman Catholic Church and speaks of “rebuilding parish ministries”. He calls upon clergy “leaving” to “voluntarily relinquish their Anglican orders”.
Supporters of Gafcon (including this writer) would want to observe that there is no intention by a single member of Gafcon (not a flood, not a trickle, not a drip) to leave the Anglican Church of Australia, only a potential desire to find an alternative home within it led by a faithful bishop. Nor would any move likely to be anything less than entire parishes leaving together in order to maintain faithful ministry.
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