Africa Rejects 'Pink' Money

admin · Africa Rejects 'Pink' Money

Africa Rejects 'Pink' Money

Tisha Steyn
17/04/2004 12:30 - (SA)

Nairobi - Africa's Anglican archbishops have vowed not to receive donations from western churches which support the ordination of gay priests.

"We do not want any money from the Episcopal Church of the United States of America. This is not rhetoric. It is not a matter of a joke. We mean what we say," the chairperson of the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa, Nigeria's Archbishop Peter Akinola said, as the other clergymen nodded in affirmation.

Akinola was addressing a news conference in Kenya's capital Nairobi, on behalf of the continent's 12 archbishops, on Friday. The conference followed a two-day meeting to review the African bishops' stand on homosexuality. Five archbishops from Latin America, Asia and the Middle East also attended the gathering. The church in the four regions does not condone homosexuality.

"Those who have chosen a different path away from Anglican doctrines must repent and come back to the Anglican fold or be kicked out of the communion," Akinola said.

"We have recommended to the Lambeth Commission (in London) to take this clear line of disciplinary action against ECUSA because of what it has done."

He said the Episcopal Church of the United States of America (Ecusa) had violated Anglican teachings by supporting gay unions. Last August the Episcopal church consecrated Gene Robinson, who had lived with a man for 13 years, as bishop of New Hampshire diocese.

The move prompted the majority of churches from Africa, Asia and Latin America to sever links with Robinson's diocese.

The Lambeth Commission was formed to gather views on homosexuality and look into measures to mend the differences that have threatened to tear apart the 450-year old Anglican Communion.

Serious

"We believe the commission will accept our recommendation because we represent more than half of the entire Anglican world," Akinola said. Of the 70 million Anglicans worldwide, 42 million live in Africa.

To show their seriousness, the bishops issued a three-month ultimatum on Friday to the Episcopal Church of the United States to repent or face dismissal from the Anglican Church.

The church in Africa depends on funding from the west, particularly from the Episcopal Church of the United States to run its projects. IPS could not establish how much money they received from the west. But Akinola said: "A few provinces have been receiving money for HIV/Aids programmes and rehabilitation projects.

"We have just requested our primates to get exact figures of what they have been getting from Ecusa and make them available by end of May. But at the moment, we don't have any figures." - Sapa-IPS

admin · On Homosexual Priests/Bishops

On Homosexual Priests/Bishops

Bishops, Priests and Pastors are usually appointed to teach and preach the word of God, to guide and correct their congregation to ensure that they live sinless and according to the commandments of God.

Unfortunately nowadays, because we're living in the politically correct era, a lot of behaviours that deviate from the teachings and dictates of the word are not only prevalent, but are eroding the ethical and moral layers of the Church (the bride of Christ).

U.S. has taken lead by openly ordaining known and practicing homosexuals as church leaders and Bishops. This goes far beyond the existence of closet homosexuals ordained as Catholic priests unknown to some of their administrations.
History has also revealed that even when priests were known to have molested church members, their acts were covered up, and they were simply transferred to other parishes.

Nigeria is one of the countries that openly condones this new practice and rejects the inclusion of such bishops, priests and pastors as Church leaders in the Anglican fold.

Obviously, it can be understood that such people openly embracing acts considered an abomination in the eyes of God cannot be expected to guide their congregation away from acts God considers sinful.

Historically, recent exposures have proven that homosexual priests in the catholic fold have been known to abuse young boys trusted in their religious/spiritual care. Not to say that there do not exist some straight pastors also guilty of the same acts against their female congregational members, but neither sodomy or rape is excusable or desirable.

Each man is entitled to his sexual preferences and only God can ultimately judge our acts here on earth, but it can only be considered a mockery of God's word, if those being elected as custodian of his word, be they be rapists or homosexual priests are the very ones who practice the acts He deems abominable.

Cxsm
4/23/04