++Rowan’s Lambeth Tea Party Getting Snubbed?

This morning there is a very surprising report from the Telegraph that the vast majority of bishops in the Anglican Communion, perhaps three-fourths of them, did not respond to ++Rowan William’s invitations to Lambeth by the original July 31st deadline.

With the important caveat that Petre’s reporting has been less than reliable at times, this is encouraging news. Apparently, a majority of bishops don’t appreciate ++Canterbury placing the deadline before matters with the Episcopal Church and its (lack of) discipline are even close to resolved. And they are probably also signaling that they don’t appreciate that all the TEC bishops save one are invited after they have pretty much given the Communion and especially the Primates the finger.

And to not go to a tea party where just anyone is invited is very Anglican, don’t you know.

This story, if true, puts Canterbury’s pushing back of the deadline last week in perspective. They said it was a courtesy to the bishops of Sydney. In reality, Canterbury hardly had any choice but to scrap the deadline.

Maybe ++Rowan’s enabling of the Episcopal Church is costing more than I and others anticipated.