Folia Theologica et Canonica, Supplementum (2016)
Hanns Engelhardt, Marriage and Divorce In Anglican Canon Law
MARRIAGE AND DIVORCE IN ANGLICAN CANON LAW 71 The Anglican Consultative Council receives the formal report of the Archbishop of Canterbury to ACC-16 on the Primates’ Gathering and Meeting of January 2016; and affirms the commitment of the Primates of the Anglican Communion to walk together; and commits to continue to seek appropriate ways for the provinces of the Anglican Communion to walk together with each other and with the Primates and other Instruments of Communion.59 In his concluding speech at this ACC meeting the Archbishop of Canterbury said: “Like all the Instruments of Communion - whether the ACC, the [office of the] Archbishop of Canterbury, or the Lambeth Conference - the Primates’ meeting has no legal authority over Provinces. Any kind of synodical control of that kind has been rejected since the first Lambeth Conference.” “Neither can anyone instrument legally bind another Instrument. The Anglican Communion only works when the relationships within it are good enough to permit a common discernment of the way in which we are being led by the Spirit. And historically this has been seen in what is often called reception.”60 In the same speech he had already said: “Given that my report, referred to in the resolution, incorporated the Communiqué and was very explicit on consequences; the resolution clearly supports and accepts all the Primates’ Meeting conclusions.” However, on 6 May 2016, six outgoing members of ACC issued a Statement entitled “Clarification” saying In receiving the Archbishop of Canterbury’s formal report of the Primates’ Gathering and Meeting, ACC 16 neither endorsed nor affirmed the consequences contained in the Primates’ Communiqué.6' Where this “Walking together” will lead the Anglican Communion remains to be seen. At ACC-16 no member of the Episcopal Church has stood for any elective office in the Communion - neither the Chair etc. of ACC nor the Standing Commission of ACC and the Primates. ” http://www.angIicancommunion.org/structures/instruments-of-communion/acc/acc-16/resoluti ons.aspx (accessed 12 June 2016). “ ACNS 20 Apri 12016. 41 Episcopal News Service (ENS) 6 May 2016.
