Canada court rules
for rebel Anglicans for now
Reporting by Randall
Palmer; editing by Janet Guttsman
From ca.reuters.com
on the Web, February 29, 2008
OTTAWA -- A Canadian court on
Friday ruled in favor of two conservative congregations which broke away from
the Anglican Church of Canada and said they can stay in their church buildings
for now.
The court battle echoes that being fought in the United States with the
Episcopal Church, over whether national denominations can keep the assets of
congregations that split away from the national church because they are upset
with liberal positions on homosexuality and the Bible.
The decision by a court in Hamilton, Ontario, means two rebel congregations
retain exclusive use of their facilities for now. They and the Anglican
diocese of Niagara will return to court on March 20 to sort out a longer-term
arrangement.
Fifteen Canadian congregations have placed themselves under the authority of the
conservative Anglican church in southern South Americas -- the so-called
Southern Cone.
It is a small fraction of the total number of Anglican parishes across Canada.
But it includes the largest congregation in the country -- St. John's
Shaughnessy in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The head of the Anglican Church of Canada, Archbishop Fred Hiltz, told the
conservative rebels in mid-February that individuals could leave, but they could
not take property or assets with them.
The conservative churches oppose the Anglican Church of Canada's tolerance of
the blessing of same-sex unions, arguing that it reflects a casual approach to
the Bible.
Hiltz has said those on both sides of the issue should be able to co-exist in
the Anglican Church of Canada.
|
