Conservative and liberal wings of the Anglican communion have stepped back from the brink of schism and opted to take more time to address their differences.
A conference of 35 Anglican primates, meeting in Co Down,announced yesterday that US and Canadian churches had been asked to withdraw from a key council until 2008 to consider their stance on gay clergy and same-sex unions. They have also been asked to place a moratorium on public rites of blessing for same sex unions and on the consecration of any more gay bishops.
At a press conference to announce their decision the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, denied the Anglican communion was irreparably split. He said the heads of its component churches had not opted for a fudge or dodged the issue. But he added American and Canadian churches faced a difficult choice about their next step. The Episcopal Church of the USA said it welcomed the step as a chance to "move forward together".
The global Anglican communion has been deeply divided since 2003, when the US Episcopal Church backed the ordination of an openly gay bishop, Dr Gene Robinson of New Hampshire diocese. The Anglican Church of Canada upset traditionalists by approving as rite for the blessing of same-sex unions that year also.
Yesterday Archbishop Williams released a five-page communique following deliberations by the Primates, which began last Sunday. He called on the US and Canadian churches to withdraw from the Anglican Consultative Council until 2008, when the next Lambeth Conference would take place. The Primates were "deeply alarmed" he said, that the "standard of Christian teaching on matters of human sexuality" had been "seriously undermined by recent developments in North America".
Admitting that the Anglican communion's problems were far from over, he added: "We still face the possibility of division, of course we do. That's not going to go away. Any lasting solution will require people somewhere along the line to say, 'Yes, we were wrong'." Despite the profound differences he detected an "impressive" willingness to find a way forward without division.
"The North American Churches have been told very clearly and directly about the potential cost of the actions they have taken," he said. "The question now put is, given that cost, where do you want to put yourself? How close do you want to be to the other churches in this family?"
He said the point of the withdrawal was to "make some space" for all parties to consider their positions.
Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, Primate of the Episcopal Church USA, said the Anglican leaders' statement "reflects our mutual desire to move forward together". "The request [ to withdraw], together with the opportunity for a hearing with the Anglican Consultative Council, gives space for speaking and listening," he added.
The Archbishop of Perth, Dr Peter Carnley, insisted Anglican leaders had "no intention" of watering down the worldwide communion. He ruled out suggestions its 38 provinces might become "a kind of loose-knit federation"."That has no interest for the Primates," he said. "We are theologically grounded in the communion of God the Holy Trinity and that's what we want to maintain."