Horray for the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia

The recent creation of the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FOCA)--a group of self-proclaimed Orthodox Anglicans of various ilks, including several who have either left the Episcopal Church (U.S.) or who were tossed after a finding they had abandoned the church--created a global flap when recently revealing that Anglicans must adhere to their vision of Orthodox Anglicanism to be in their new club. Their requirements include agreement with the Thirty Nine Articles (1562) and use of the 1662 Prayer Book. These guys (yep, guys) have a preoccupation with the past and anything gay, no question.

I can only speak for myself, but I was pleased to read that the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Dr. Phillip Aspinall, was getting ahead of the game given one FOCA member, Bishop Peter Jensen (Sydney), apparently now belongs to both the clubs, FOCA and the Anglican Church of Australia. Jensen will also be boycotting the Lambeth meethings to begin mid July.

Recently at the GAFCON meeting where FOCA documents were, apparently, finalized, Jensen spent quite a bit of time trying to make sense to the press of both Archbishop Orombi's and Archbishop Akinola's often contradictory statements even stepping up to answer for them when asked if they did, indeed, support violence against gays and lesbians in their respective countries. I have to say, it was depressing seeing another white guy have to step in to sort out what was, to me, a lot of gibberish.

International human rights groups have pointed to Akinola, who supported legislation in his country for mandatory jailing of gays and lesbians, as advocating for violation of human rights in his support of the "gay law". Given the slaps Akinola has passed out and the tough language he has used to belittle and verbally assault gays and lesbians, one would have thought him smart enough to figure he would get asked such questions.

Orombi flat denied knowledge of violence against gays and lesbians in his country (Uganda). Whether his head is in the clouds or in the sand, Orombi needs to come back to earth. Both sure seem to know a lot about Gene Robinson on an entirely different continent, but cannot manage to track news in their countries.

So, horray for Dr. Aspinall. He warned nicely, but warned nonetheless. An interview with Dr. Aspinall can be read here.