Folia Theologica et Canonica, Supplementum (2016)
Hanns Engelhardt, Marriage and Divorce In Anglican Canon Law
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE IN ANGLICAN CANON LAW 69 4. General The action of the Episcopal Church and the development in other Provinces concerning Same-Sex Unions have had repercussions through the whole Anglican Communion. Addressed in the framework of a Communion-wide consultation process of the Anglican Church in Canada already the Vice-Chair of the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity, Faith and Order (IASCUFO), Bishop Stephen Pickard, had written in 2015 after consideration of the matter in this commission: “The members of IASCUFO, while representing a variety of contexts and positions on the issue, cautioned that such a change by one member church “would cause great distress for the Communion as a whole, and for its ecumenical relationships. Members of the Commission are unanimous in urging you not to move beyond your present policy of ‘local option.”’ IASCUFO has members from across the breadth of the Anglican Communion. There are some who understand why this issue has arisen within the Anglican Church of Canada and are sympathetic with the intention to make this change. Some are from churches that are facing the same issues. There are others for whom the question of same-sex marriage is almost incomprehensible, let alone welcome. IASCUFO understands that it is of course the prerogative of the Anglican Church of Canada to address issues appropriate for its own context. However, it will not likely come as a surprise that a body of the Anglican Communion would say that for one member church to make a change of this magnitude to the understanding of a lesser sacrament (Catechism, Book of Common Prayer Canada 1959) on its own, would cause great distress for the Communion as a whole, and for its ecumenical relationships. Members of the Commission are unanimous in urging you not to move beyond your present policy of ‘local option’. The fact that the Anglican Church of Canada has not made a national synodical decision about the blessing of same-sex unions or same-sex marriage has given space for the rebuilding of fragile relationships across the Communion.”55 55 http://www.anglican.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/12-9-2014-Inter-Anglican-Standing-Com mission-on-Unity-Faith-and-Order.pdf accessed 12 June 2016.
