Background:
Report on Singapore Consecrations
Letter to the Primates of the Anglican Communion
by Archbishop of Canterbury
Reflection on consecration of Bishops in Singapore
FUNG Chi Wood, 14 March 2000, Hong Kong
There is no check and balance on the Archbishops of the Anglican Communion, they can do anything they like. We should have some measurements to prevent the same thing happen again.Conservatives Christians think they are 100% right, they think they are God the Perfect One, they want to act like God, to exercise judgement and punishment. Jesus' teaching of no judging on others is ignored (Mt 7:-2, Lk 6:37).
Homosexual issue is a very complicated issue that requires sharing, listening, caring, learning, understanding, loving, studying...but not judging, hate, discriminating...No one is totally right and correct, different views and positions, arising from sincerity and Christian love, no matter you agree or disagree, should be well respected, this is the Anglican spirit.
I am proud of being an Anglican, not because I agree with everything within the Anglican Communion, because I find there are various spiritualities and Christian traditions in the Communion, from low church to high church, from fundamental to Pentecostal, to evangelical, and to ecumenical, from conservative to liberal, and this is life, this is the diversity we have in this amazing world. Trying to make everything homogeneous and stereo-type is contrary to the reality that numerous different human lives of different social and religious environment, culture, experience etc. And we can and should learn from each other with great respect.
"Unity in diversity" is the Anglican spirit, and this should be the spirit of every modern minds too. And one of the greatest challenge of the Church nowadays is unity. While not accepting diversity, unity cannot be accomplished.
This time, it is not a layman, not a priest, not a bishop, but two Archbishops, with other bishops, who did a very un-Anglican thing, and furthermore, is un-constitutional in their Church in Singapore, in the Church in United States, and in the Anglican Communion. If Archbishops did wrongs, who could correct them? If there is not proper remedial measurements arising from the Primates Meeting in 22 to 29 March 2000 in Oporto, Portugal, this unconstitutional consecration of Bishops will be a cleft leading to larger and may eventually non-remedial cleavage of the Anglican Communion. May God have mercy.
An apology from the Archbishops and bishops concerned is an appropriate and not too harsh request, I think.
May God the Almight One guide us.
Second Website of Rev. Fung Chi Wood (Chinese and English)
First Website of Rev. Fung Chi Wood (English only)