Did the ECUSA defy the Anglican Primates by consecrating Gene Robinson as bishop?
No. The primates do not have the power to forbid a province to do anything. Clearly a majority of primates wish that New Hampshire had chosen another person as bishop. The statement issued by the primates on October 17 acknowledged that Robinson’s consecration would tear the fabric of the communion, regretted that the Episcopal Church’s actions (and actions of the Canadian Church) did not represent the communion as a whole and short-circuited the dialog on human sexuality called for by the 1998 Lambeth meeting. The primates asked provinces to consider (in consultation with the Archbishop of Canterbury) providing alternative oversight for dissenting parishes, and requested that the Archbishop appoint a special commission to explore issues of governance within the communion. This commission is to report within a year. Most of all, the primates urged that no province take precipitous action and to wait for the commission report.
