Anglican-Orthodox dialogue imperiled

(Directions to Orthodoxy) - Gays and women bishops could wreck relations between the Church of England and the Moscow Patriarchate, the Russian Orthodox Church reports.

On July 28 Bishop Hilarion of Vienna and Austria, the Russian Orthodox Church’s representative to European institutions met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams and his secretary Canon Jonathan Goodall during the Lambeth Conference to discuss the state of Russian Orthodox–Anglican relations.

In a report printed last week, Moscow said that its representative told Dr Williams of its distress over the July decision by General Synod not to provide legal safeguards for traditionalists opposed to the consecration of women bishops. The consecration of women bishops would be an “additional obstacle” to Orthodox-Anglican dialogue, Bishop Hilarion told Dr Williams, adding that such a move would exclude “even the theoretical possibility of the Orthodox churches acknowledging the apostolic succession” of Anglican bishops.

Moscow reported that Bishop Hilarion also shared his Church’s disquiet over the consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire. The 2003 consecration of Bishop Robinson had led the “total curtailment” of relations between the Russian Orthodox Church and the Episcopal Church after 150 years of dialogue.

“The representative of the Moscow Patriarchate expressed the hope that a similar event would not be repeated in the Church of England and that the Anglican Communion as a whole would continue to support traditional standards of Christian morality, as expressed in the Gospels and the writings of the Church Fathers,” the Moscow statement noted.

A third area of concern, Bishop Hilarion said, was the participation of the Estonian Apostolic Orthodox Church in Anglican-Orthodox talks. Moscow has objected to the inclusion of the Estonian Church --- which broke away from Moscow with the blessing of the Ecumenical Patriarch following the collapse of the Soviet Union --- in ecumenical dialogues with the Anglican Communion and Roman Catholic Church.

Moscow “would be forced to leave” any meeting where the Estonians were present, Bishop Hilarion said. No surprise there.

While couched in stronger, more direct language, Moscow’s concerns over the future of inter-church relations mirror those of the Vatican. In addresses to the bishops at Lambeth, three Catholic cardinals urged the Anglican Communion to set its house in order and warned that gays and women bishops could wreck ecumenical relations with Rome.

Dr Williams assured the Russians of the Church of England’s desire for continued fraternal relations with Moscow and welcomed its participation in future Orthodox-Anglican talks. Said another way: "Watch idly as we boil our own frogs. Please don't mention turning down the burner or jumping out to kinder waters."