The cracks grow wider. . . .

In light of Archbishop Akinola’s statement on the Church of England’s new policy permitting same-sex civil partnerships, it seems the cracks in the Anglican Communion are growing wider.

Back on May 30th , I expressed my amazement at ++Rowan Williams’ support of this new policy and painted in stark terms its implications for the Communion. I would probably be slightly more tactful now, but I wrote:

I seriously doubt any reasonable hope remains of keeping the Anglican Communion together save the Queen asking him to step down, which I don’t expect.

Up to now, the Global South clergy could say the embrace of homosexuality in the Anglican Communion was confined mainly to errant North American dioceses. And they declared communion with those dioceses broken or impaired.

But what are they to do now? Rowan Williams has put them in a position where they will see little choice but to disassociate themselves from the Archbishop of Canterbury and therefore from the Anglican Communion. Otherwise, Global South clergy will no longer have any credible answer to those in their dioceses who say they are aligned with sin.

Even putting aside the morals of this matter, this is an incredibly stupid move by the Archbishop. But if there is to be a split in the Anglican Communion, at least this will speed it along.

There hasn’t been a lot of fallout yet, but it’s coming. Oh, it’s coming.

I think I’d like to be wrong about such things. But it appears the new C of E civil partnership policy may indeed make it impossible for the Anglican Communion to stay together.

The fallout has only begun.