NIGERIA: The Anglican primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, has strongly attacked the Church of Ireland primate, Archbishop Robin Eames, accusing him of "irresponsible accusations" which were "outrageous, uncharitable and untrue".
It follows personal comments made by Dr Eames on the controversy within Anglicanism which followed the consecration of a gay man as bishop in the US and agreement on a rite of blessing for same-sex unions in a Canadian diocese.
Dr Eames was chairman of the Lambeth Commission set up to resolve the ensuing conflict. It published its Windsor Report last February. It recommended that the Episcopal Church of the US (ECUSA) express regret following the consecration of Gene Robinson as bishop of New Hampshire and for the consequences which followed.
Speaking on a recent trip to the United States, where he received two honorary doctorates, Dr Eames said that in his opinion the ECUSA bishops had met that request.
The archbishop added that it was arguable the US bishops "exceeded what was asked for by the Windsor Report".
Last month the Church of Nigeria, which had already broken off links with both the US and Canadian Anglican churches, said it would sever relations with the Church of England if it was to condone homosexuality.
In an open letter to Dr Eames, Dr Akinola said he was "astonished by your declaration that ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada have satisfied the requirements of the Windsor Report".
While grateful that "regret" had been expressed by the north American churches, he continued: "We all know that this is no more than a brief cessation of provocative actions and that no permanent change of mind is intended".
He said it had been reported that Dr Eames allegedly said he was "quite certain that some of us [ African Anglicans] have been bought . . . Such irresponsible accusations are outrageous, uncharitable and untrue.
"If you have any evidence of such financial inducements, I challenge you, in the name of God, to reveal them or make a public apology to your brother primates in the global south for this damaging and irresponsible smear. I have always made it clear that there is no price-tag on my head," Dr Akinola wrote.
