Archbishop of Armagh Dr Alan Harper has had his first encounter as Primate of the Church of Ireland with the problems now dividing the global Anglican Communion and its 78 million members.
A meeting of the world's Anglican primates ended in Tanzania without any lasting agreement on how to heal divisions that are threatening to lead to open schism. The crisis was sparked not only by the consecration of Gene Robinson, a gay bishop, in New Hampshire in 2003, but also by the decision of some hard-line bishops, especially Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, to interfere in the internal affairs of dioceses where they regard the bishops as too liberal, to the point of even consecrating rival bishops.
The primates' final communique gives the Episcopal Church in the US an ultimatum of September 30th for an unequivocal undertaking not to authorise blessings for same-sex couples or to consecrate any more gay bishops living in same-sex relationships. Yet, while the American bishops have been given a belt of the crozier, Archbishop Akinola has escaped without censure and his supporters in the US have the green light to set up a church-within-a-church under a primatial vicar or senior bishop. By allowing bishops to interfere in the internal affairs of other autonomous Anglican churches, the primates have set a dangerous precedent that undermines the historic and patristic understanding of bishops as the focus of unity within their dioceses. And they have rejected a key concept within the 39 Articles - the foundational document of Anglicanism - in which Article 26 declares that "the Unworthiness of the Ministers hinders not the effect of the Sacraments".
The continuing arguments within the Anglican Communion are damaging the church's mission and undermining the Gospel. Many must question the priorities of bishops who can meet in one of the world's poorest countries but spend most of their time debating sexuality rather than poverty and injustice.
A split in the Anglican Communion may have been postponed but now appears inevitable, even if it is only through forming a two-tier structure, in which only some churches have full membership. However, the constitution of the Church of Ireland commits that church to maintaining communion with the Church of England, and with all other churches agreeing with the principles of the constitution's "preamble and declaration", and to promoting "quietness, peace, and love among all Christian people". The Anglican Communion may split, but the Church of Ireland must remain committed to maintaining communion with all parties.