On the Anglican Covenant:
Abp. Hiltz is anticipating that the Covenant will go through more revisions. ACoC has made helpful and constructive criticism and suggestions for previous drafts and that pattern should repeat itself; a group has been working on this for several years. This will go back to various ACoC committees – not before 2013.
On a possible pastoral statement:
Nothing is clear at this point. There could be a resolution or we could end up with a “collection of reflections from discernment groups” or a statement that “affirms themes from the discernment groups.” Apb. Hiltz is hoping not to fight things out in this synod, but have “constructive dialogue”.
On the blessing of same-sex unions and the moratoria:
If synod as a whole passes a motion that approves the blessing of same-sex unions, that would break the moratoria. If synod passes a motion that approves the local option, this would still break the moratoria. The fact that some dioceses are currently performing same-sex blessings – unofficially, as it were – does not break the moratoria.
On disagreement:
The church is already living with difference and doing it “more and more gracefully”. Two dioceses already have rites for blessing same-sex unions (New West and Niagara) and others are “experimenting”. Some dioceses are further ahead (or behind, depending on one’s perspective) than others. Niagara is the only diocese that has no limit on parishes that can perform SSBs. “nobody today in our church has walked away” (!!) – meaning, no active bishop has walked away and taken a diocese with him.
On Apb. Rowan’s Pentecost letter:
Abp. Hiltz is unsure of its consequences for Canada; it is somewhat open-ended although the principles of exclusion that the letter lays out do not sit well with the ACoC perspective.
Good that you can get to be on in the conference David
Ah, right, hmm…
Positively Orwellian….
Fred Hiltz’s comments simply prove he is on the side of apostasy despite his attempt to suggest he is “sitting on the fence”. I do not refer to him as Archbishop as he clearly denounces his vows and no longer worships our Lord and Saviour. He has traded his allegiance to the gods of political expediency and political correctness. He clearly rejects the authority of Scripture. If he were to do the honourable thing he would not only resign but force other apostates to do the same.
I sincerely pray that those claiming to be orthodox will not be taken in by this deception.