BREAKING NEWS: A Group of Canadian Bishops will read a statement from the floor of General Synod tonight. Orthodox Anglicans astounded at back-door approval of same-sex relationships: Eleventh-hour amendment of same-sex motion passes less than a 12 hours after a previous amendment defers the issue FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 3, 2004 ST CATHARINES, ONTARIO – Less than twelve hours after the Anglican Church of Canada’s governing body was braced to defer a decision to bless same-sex unions for theological study, Synod today passed an eleventh-hour amendment to the motion affirming the “sanctity” of same-sex relationships. The amendment was briefly debated on the floor of General Synod late last night, and deferred until this morning’s plenary session. Several orthodox delegates rose to speak against the amendment, saying it didn’t make sense to affirm the sanctity of same-sex relationships ahead of the theological discussion Synod had already called for. One delegate tried to change the language of the amendment to “affirm and love those who are in same-sex relationships”, but that effort was voted down. In church language, “sanctity” means “blessed”, “holy”, or “sacred”. It is twice used in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer in relation to marriage ceremonies. But Rev. Garth Bulmer, mover of the amendment, told Synod he didn’t intend for “sanctity” to hold any theological meaning. Anglican Essentials Canada, a coalition of orthodox Anglicans, says the amendment to affirm the sanctity of same-sex relationships goes even further than the original motion, which merely assigned jurisdiction of same-sex blessings to individual dioceses. “Sanctity equals blessing,” said Rev. Charlie Masters, national director of Anglican Essentials. “This is entire discussion is about whether we can bless same-sex unions. So the matter has suddenly already been decided.” Masters said the Essentials group will wait for the response from the international community before making any further decisions about their future. The Synod’s decision overturns a 1998 resolution by an overwhelming majority of all Bishops in the Anglican Communion, which stated that same-sex activity was incompatible with Scripture. The church has been in turmoil since June 2002, when the governing body of the Vancouver-based Diocese of New Westminster voted by 62 percent majority to become the first in the world to officially enact a blessing rite for same-sex unions. In October 2003, the world’s 38 Anglican national leaders decisions in the United States and New Westminster decisions threatened to “tear the fabric of our communion at its deepest level”. The Canadian and U.S. churches jointly represent about 4 percent of the worldwide communion. -30- Orthodox Primate: Canadian Decision will ‘reap devastating consequences’ Synod’s decision to sanctify same-sex relationships “goes much further” than original controversial motion FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 3, 2004 ST CATHARINES, ONTARIO – The Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada’s decision to “sanctify” same-sex relationships places such relationships on par with marriage, and will exacerbate the crisis in the worldwide Anglican Communion, says a leading orthodox Primate and member of a high-ranking commission trying to keep the worldwide Communion together. In a message to orthodox Anglicans in Canada, issued shortly after today’s vote, the Primate of Bahamas and the West Indies, Most Rev’d Drexel Gomez, said he saw Synod’s passed motion as “much more serious than even the original form of the motion, which did not describe the nature of same-sex unions.” “The attempt to give committed ‘adult same sex relationships’ the same theological stature as marriage exacerbates the crisis in the communion and will reap devastating consequences,” he said. The original motion did not discuss the blessing of same-sex unions, but instead asked Synod to affirm individual dioceses could decide on their own. Archbishop Gomez is a highly-respected senior orthodox Anglican, and member of the Lambeth Commission, struck to address growing divisions in the Communion over human sexuality. In October 2003, the world’s 38 Primates said U.S. and New Westminster decisions threatened to “tear the fabric of our communion at its deepest level”. The Canadian and U.S. churches jointly represent about 4 percent of the worldwide communion. -30- STATEMENT TO ORTHODOX ANGLICANS IN CANADA Warm greetings from the Bahamas where a group has been meeting in theological consultation about the current crisis in the Anglican Communion. Word has come to us of very serious actions of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada. We note the decision to defer paragraph (2) of resolution A-134 to the Primates Theological Committee for a determination as to whether or not the implementation of liturgies for the blessing of same-sex unions represents a doctrinal change. We are sad, however, that the General Synod of the ACC has passed an amendment to resolution A-134 which has the effect of negating the deferral of paragraph 2 to the Primates Theological Committee. In our view, the amendment is much more serious than even the original form of the motion which did not describe the nature of same-sex unions. The amendment goes much further than the original motion in employing expressions which Scripture uses to describe marriage (Eph 5:25-33). In accordance with Scripture, your own Prayer Book uses this language in its marriage service. It is completely unacceptable to Bible believing orthodox Christians that same-sex unions are described as “holy”. Such language is reserved for marriage alone. The attempt to give “committed adult same sex relationships” the same theological stature as marriage exacerbates the crisis in the communion and will reap devastating consequences. For more information, please contact Vianney (Sam) Carriere, director of Communications, or Brian Sarjeant or Lorie Chortyk, media relations,at the general Synod Media Room: 905-984-4868.