The Rev’d Mr Harris has released via his blog confidential emails not addressed to him. We assume him to be a man of civility and honor, in view of his role as a member of the Executive Council of The Episcopal Church. The Anglican Communion Institute has long been on record as supportive of the Anglican Communion, the Covenant process, and the flourishing of the Episcopal Church and the defense of its Constitution. We have welcomed the Pastoral Visitors idea as emerging from the Communion’s common life, and have been engaged, through Communion Partners, with a plan that would honor the polity of this Church and find a way to maintain the unity of the Church and of the Anglican Communion. Communion Partners has from its inception been on record as wishing to prevent churches from leaving because, given the season we are in, they were unclear about the place of their own mission within the larger Anglican Communion. Our understanding of the proper role to be exercised by the Presiding Bishop, consistent with the Constitution of The Episcopal Church, is the subject of a public document to be found on our web-site (see the 12 March 2009 essay below) and so no secret.
Mr Harris has put before the public email communications that are not addressed to him, but are fully consistent with this larger goal of maintaining the witness of the Anglican Communion and the role of The Episcopal Church as integral within that. The statement that be refers to, signed by Bishops of this Church, is equally fully consistent with this position on the place of The Episcopal Church within the world-wide Anglican Communion. We would request that he indicate, given his role on the Executive Council, what the justification for this publication of email correspondence not addressed to him is; and further, why he did not discuss the matter of private emails with the principals before releasing them on his blog and passing them on to his colleagues elsewhere. We request that Mr. Harris explain to the public how he obtained access to this confidential communication.
The Revd Canon Professor Christopher Seitz
Research Professor of Biblical Interpretation
University of Toronto, Wycliffe College
Director, Incarnation School of Theology, Dallas
Add to the following:
Once again, we have evidence that if one does not tow the official line, if one dares to go against the status quo, then one will be branded as disloyal - or worse, "manipulating a schism driven agenda" to "undermine the mission and ministry of the Episcopal Church." Yikes! The former Archbishop of Canterbury wasn't kidding when he warned the Communion Partners last week that regarding the remnant orthodox wing of The Episcopal Church “all signs suggest that over time they are likely to be cleaned out of TEC.” Babyblue
Well, the plain and simple truth is if you look at a prior posting you will find that if one puts together a comment on a blog from Babyblue with Radner's comments with the Diocese of the South West resolutions it is pretty simple to conclude what the orthodites of the world are up to. They seem to think that because we are kind we are weak. They think that because we do not think as they do that we are stupid. I expect they will think differently from now on
If the Communion Partners, Fr. Rob Eaton included, thought that they could destroy the Episcopal Church from within they need to think again. No organization of any kind will allow dissension to the point of its own annihilation. That is not going to happen and it certainly is not going to happen here in TEC. TEC will allow genuine discussion and argumentation for the sake of moving the faith forward but TEC will not stand for the internal destruction of the Episcopal Church. You all seem to think that you could change the game and hope no one would find out -- sorry about that. It is my fondest hope that TEC will develop a strategy that will put this group of hate mongers out where they can do the least amount of damage -- that would be somewhere other than the Episcopal Church!
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