Archbishop of Canterbury clarifies the Anglican Communion's stance on ordination and unions

BB NOTE: This is from an interview conducted by Guardian (Tanzania) newspaper with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, following the conclusion of the Anglican Primates meeting in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. In the interview, the Archbishop clarifies the official stance of the Anglican Communion on all ordinations and same sex unions. This is true.

Will The Episcopal Church finally stand down from its unilateral position to remain in the Communion? Come September we will know.

Q: We go back to the primates meeting in Dar es Salaam. The meeting has failed to come out with a clear decision on the raging controversy regarding same sex marriages….

A: That`s not true actually…

Q: It seems that the leaders are more concerned with preserving their cohesion rather than communicating the truth to the faithful. So, given the circumstances, what does the Anglican Church stand for and why are you dilly-dallying to give a stance in this very crucial moral issue?

A: The stance of the Anglican Communion is clear: It has never said anything other than that. The ordination of active homosexuals is not acceptable.

It has never said anything other than that the marriage of same sex-couples is not to be admitted.

That`s what the Lambeth Conference said in 1998, and every meeting has said so since then.

Q: This could be a turning point for the Anglican Church. The Anglican Church in Africa is up in arms against this situation. It has severed relations with the Episcopal Church in the US. Is schism not inevitable in the near future?

A: I don`t know. We have worked very hard to avoid it this week by saying to the American church what the condition might be…that we can mend the broken relations; and between them and other churches; and I think that the Primates Meeting has come out with a very clear statement that if that relationship is to be restored, there are certain things that we need to hear from them (the American Church).

Read the entire interview here.

BB UPDATE: Listen to the Archbishop of Canterbury's "Presidential Address" at the Church of England's General Synod today.