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04/04/2004: "It's not about feelings"
Anglican Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, in the U.S. to meet with conservative Episcopalians, denounced the ECUSA's policy toward homosexuality. No surprise there–Akinola is the unofficial leader of Global South Anglicanism, and has been very outspoken about what he sees as the embrace of heresy by the ECUSA. What's interesting is the clueless reaction:
Episcopal Church spokesman Daniel England said yesterday that [ECUSA Presiding Bishop Frank] Griswold understands that Akinola has strong feelings on the issue.
"I'm sure the presiding bishop will be disappointed if the archbishop cannot join him at the communion table," he said.
One wonders if it has ever occurred to Griswold that there are Christians who don't decide theological questions based on their strong feelings. Archbishop Akinola's problem with the ECUSA has nothing to do with emotion–it has to do with ECUSA's trampling of Scripture and the tradition of the church for the sake of political correctness. He doesn't just disagree with Griswold–he knows the PB and his minions are wrong, tragically wrong, wrong in a way that jeopardizes souls for whom Christ died.
As for the communion table, you have to actually be in communion with someone to have koinonia in the Eucharist, and that in turn requires that you see in that person someone with whom you share the faith of the Church Catholic. Akinola no longer recognizes the gospel in the proclamations and prevarications of Griswold, and so even if they were to come to the same table, there would be no communion between them. Somehow I doubt that the archbishop will experience much of a loss.
(Hat tip: Hampton. AP article from the Washington Post.)
