++Venables on the Primates Meeting and TEC Fudge (and St. Matthias Day)

Primate of the Southern Cone Gregory Venables has issued some straight talk about the Primates Meeting and TEC PB Schori’s attempt already to fudge it:

We must now see if the Episcopal Church is going to be willing to fulfill the spirit and the specifics of our agreement. From the first indications, I am most ´concerned. We gave much time to producing a Communiqué which was unambiguous and straightforward. Tragically, in the Presiding Bishop’s remarks to the Church Center community just two days after the close of the meeting she misguidingly argues that there was agreement and understanding among the Primates that blessings of same-sex couples could continue as “pastoral care” as long as there was no official published liturgy for it. That assertion quite scandalously demonstrates the very concern that the Communiqué addresses in identifying this situation.

By the way, I visited my beloved Smokey Matt’s this morning to attend Matins and Low Mass on the Feast of St. Matthias, their patron saint. You might remember they left the Episcopal Church last year. This morning I discovered they are now under the pastoral care of ++Venables – a very good choice for both of them. And it’s a good example of orthodox evangelicals (such as ++Venables) and orthodox Anglo-Catholics (such as Smokey Matt’s, of course) working together as is meet and right.

St. Matthias is linked with Judas since Matthias replaced Judas among the Twelve Apostles. So the readings this morning dealt much with those who fall away and those who are faithful. Very timely, methinks.