Western Diocese Causes Stir

Canadian diocese declares full communion with Anglican Network and Southern Cone.

(Staff) Recent motions passed by the Diocese of Athabasca (in northern Alberta) have caused a stir amongst those watching for new developments on the realignment front.

Resolution # 2008-11 reads: “BE IT RESOLVED that the Synod of the Diocese of Athabasca inform the parishes and the bishops who have joined the Anglican Network in Canada and the Province of the Southern Cone that we are in full communion with them.”

This however, appears not to be a move to realign, or even a statement of intention to do so. And Archbishop Clarke (above left), in an open letter post-Synod, cautioned against over-reaction and speculation regarding Athabasca’s actions: “I have taken the rather unusual step of writing this letter because I am concerned that there seems to be some confusion over certain resolutions passed at our recent synod. I am also aware that there are those who for their own particular motives have attempted to ‘spin’ our decisions in directions very different than we intended.”

Describing what he understood to be the spirit of the motion, Archbishop Clarke, in the same letter, commented on an overly “legalistic” notion of “in communion” that has taken hold and that he and his diocese wanted to use that term in a more spiritual or “relational” way. He said, “…we, in the Diocese of Athabasca, are committed to being ‘in communion’ with as wide a range of our brothers and sisters in Christ as is possible.”

Nonetheless, in an increasingly polarized Canadian Church, Athabasca, by passing a motion which did not distance the diocese from the AniC and the Southern Cone, was bound to attract a great deal of interest--especially considering another motion which rebuked diocesan bishops who are using the courts to sue realigning parishes in order to get control of church properties.

Commenting on that motion in his open letter, Archbishop Clarke said, “While we fully recognize that such matters can only be dealt with internally within the affected dioceses, we believe that it is part of our mutual responsibility to urge all, as brothers and sisters in Christ, to seek all other possible solutions before resorting to the civil courts. We believe that such litigation affects us all because again it endangers our unity and undermines our credibility.”

A motion to “reaffirm and uphold” its foundational theology as expressed in the Solemn Declaration of 1893 also passed at Athabasca’s synod as did motions (passed by huge majorities) requesting that the issue of abortion be brought to the forefront in Church discussions as well as in Parliament.

The full texts of the motions as well as the Archbishop’s letter can be found at www.dioath.ca.