davidould.net has learned that the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Archbishop Philip Freier of Melbourne, has today taken three actions in response to the crisis forced onto the national church by the Diocese of Wangaratta’s decision to sanction a liturgy for the blessing of the partners in a same-sex marriage.
- As he foreshadowed, Archbishop Freier has referred a question to the Appellate Tribunal, a body which offers an opinion on matters referred to it.
- We understand that the Primate has also written directly to Wangaratta Bishop John Parkes and the Vicar General of the diocese urging them not to proceed with any use of the proposed liturgy before the Appellate Tribunal has issued its opinion.
- Indicated to the bishops that he intends to gather them for a discussion on this matter before the end of the year.
Freier’s actions in making a direct request of Bishop Parkes are likely to be received with gladness by conservatives in the national church who had become increasingly frustrated with what they perceived as a relative passivity over this growing crisis.
The Primate has no actual authority to instruct another bishop how to act but his position of influence means that Bishop Parkes is now in a very difficult position. He has indicated that he will preside over the very first use of the liturgy at the highly-publicised blessing of Archdeacon-emeritus John Davis and his partner Robert Whalley on Saturday 14 September.
Given that Parkes, Davis and Whalley have sought to make their event a cause célèbre, actively participating in many media interviews and highlighting the service in a speech at synod it would be a major setback for Parkes to now resile. He has previously stated that he is convinced there is no impediment to him proceeding with the “blessing”.
To proceed would worsen his position in any upcoming disciplinary Special Tribunal brought about by his presiding at the service.
Sources familiar with the Appellate Tribunal’s processes tell davidould.net that a final opinion is very unlikely to be issued before next year’s Special Session of General Synod, let alone before the upcoming bishops’ meeting or Bishop Parkes’ retirement on 21 December.
update 5 September 2019
The Primate has issued the following release on his website:
The Anglican Primate of Australia, Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier, has referred the question of blessing same-sex marriages to the Church’s highest court, the Appellate Tribunal.
This follows a resolution approving blessing such marriages passed by the Synod of the Diocese of Wangaratta last month. Same-sex marriage became legal in Australia after the 2017 plebiscite.
Dr Freier has written to all Australian diocesan bishops telling them that he has sought clarification from the Appellate Tribunal, and that in the meantime he has asked the Diocese of Wangaratta not to use the service of blessing.
He told the bishops that the synod’s resolution was significant for the whole national Church, and that the Church’s General Synod Office would invite submissions for the tribunal to consider.
Archbishop Freier foreshadowed the referral in a blog post before the Wangaratta synod was held. Read that post here.
Here’s the full letter sent to the bishops:
Religions constantly controlling other persons’ lives!
Literally run these fascists out of town!!
right, so we’re going to get rid of the “fascists” by running them out of town.
Does that not sound slightly, what’s the word now….
…. FASCIST to anyone?
“Relative passivity”……has frustrated me for the last decade or more as anyone who wasn’t navel-gazing could see the approaching tsunami coming directly at the Anglican Church. A laissez-faire attitude brings its own consequences.
🙂
It is chic, edgy and directional to conduct Anglican same sex marriage blessings, quite evidently. However, one has to question the long term effect. Will it truly aid the Anglican Church of Australia’s mission, in the future? Anything which divides the church surely has to be undesirable, if not downright bad. We cannot assume that our children’s generation [ours are in their 20s and early 30s] and our unborn grandchildren’s generation, are going to feel as so many of our generation do. Prudence and caution, were once synonymous with Anglican culture. Old Viking saying: “you cannot master the wind but you can adjust the sail!”
I left the church years ago – too much church of England in its DNA. All about the politics, status & control. More of a private club than a church. I’ve come back, and I’m on the other side. I now keep that private, to stem the abuse. Many remember the Sydney diocese untaxed $1M to a lieing hate campaign; add the child sex abuse royal commission & they have had religion . Remember the census – 50% of the country has none. Lifestyle & sport are the new God’s. Current issues are driving more away, it’s a pathway to irrelevance. There is going to be quite a fight – I KNOW