What is the significance of the February 2005 Primates’ Communiqué?
Meeting in Northern Ireland in late February 2005, the Primates of the Anglican Communion issued a closing communiqué that upheld the Communion’s traditional teaching on Scriptural authority and human sexuality (Lambeth 1.10); asked the U.S. and Canadian representatives to voluntarily withdraw from the Anglican Consultative Council (ACC) until Lambeth 2008; called for the appointment of a Panel of Reference (see below); and called the North American churches to set out their thinking behind their actions at the upcoming June 2005 ACC meeting. The communiqué was a strong commitment by the worldwide Anglican Communion to reaffirm the apostolic faith and hold accountable those provinces which have abandoned traditional Christian teaching and practice. The statement makes clear that the two churches must choose between repentance marked by compliance with the Windsor Report, or face separation from the rest of the Communion.
