Yes. Actual Sanctions Against The Episcopal Church

When we noted the unhappy tone of --Schori’s response to ++Canterbury’s Pentecost letter, we speculated that she had already been informed that his missive was not merely more words.

Although I am not privy to the exact moment Her Apostasy was informed, it indeed turns out that His Grace’s words actually have teeth. Kenneth Kearon has informed TEC that certain of their representatives are booted off Anglican Communion bodies:

Last Thursday I sent letters to members of the Inter Anglican ecumenical dialogues who are from the Episcopal Church informing them that their membership of these dialogues has been discontinued. In doing so I want to emphasise again as I did in those letters the exceptional service of each and every person to that important work and to acknowledge without exception the enormous contribution each person has made.

I have also written to the person from the Episcopal Church who is a member of the Inter Anglican Standing Commission on Unity Faith and Order (IASCUFO), withdrawing that person’s membership and inviting her to serve as a Consultant to that body.

Certain intervening provinces, namely the Southern Cone, may also be in danger of sanctions. We’ll leave that issue aside for the moment.

Now, some may say that the sanctions against TEC are no big deal and dismiss them as too little, too late. However, they do mark a transition. No longer is the Archbishop of Canterbury engaging merely in more conversation, more concern, more indaba. He is actually imposing sanctions with the door open for more.

It is yet to be seen how much Dr. Williams will follow through on discipline. But he finally is engaging in actual church discipline. And that is significant.