THE COUNCIL of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA), which met in Mauritius last week, stuck to an African agenda. Members resisted the efforts of outside lobbyists who had wanted it to make statements on the current dispute in the Anglican Communion. Those taking part were laity, clergy, bishops, and archbishops in the provinces of Burundi, Central Africa, Congo, Indian Ocean, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Southern Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, and West Africa. The communiqué released at the end emphasised the struggles in Africa for which CAPA was set up in 1979, and to which it recommitted itself in 2002, with a vision of “A generation without AIDS”. The new communiqué said: “We have met as representatives of the fastest growing part of our beloved Communion and those of us gathered account for more than 37 million Anglicans. We believe that we have ‘come of age’. We, who were once regarded as disobedient to God, are now compelled by the gospel to declare the good news of God’s liberating love to all those who live in disobedience to God’s Word.” Invited guests included the Archbishop of York. The meeting recorded the Council’s distress at the suffering and devastation in East, Central, and West Africa; military oppression in Myanmar; political oppression in Zimbabwe; and the conflict between Muslims and Christians in Darfur. It responded with honesty to a report on the HIV/AIDS pandemic, noting some encouraging signs, but warning: “The disturbing growth in the numbers and classes of new infections reminded us that the battle is far from over. This is especially true for many women in Africa who find themselves increasingly vulnerable to sexual oppression and abuse. “We believe that, as a faith community, in addition to our ongoing care for those living with HIV/AIDS, we must issue a renewed call to prevention through abstinence and faithfulness — with particular focus on the men of our communities. We also call on the UN and the Governments of the G8 nations to fulfil their commitments so that the suffering of our most vulnerable sisters and brothers can be alleviated.” The meeting also described the growing number of people living in abject poverty within the African provinces as “a devastating indictment of poor governance in a continent that has been blessed by God with remarkable resources”. The communiqué dealt briskly with the Communion crisis (see below). It reported: “While we have spent the majority of our time focused on the call to a life of faithfulness within our own continent, we have been unable to ignore the current crisis in our Communion. . . We are united in our conviction that the Lord of the Church is calling upon Africa once again to contend for the ‘faith once and for all delivered to the saints’.” The Primates of the provinces, with the exception of the Archbishop of Southern Africa, issued their own statement, calling for a special meeting of the Primates and the postponement of the Lambeth Conference. The Church Society, a UK lobby group, was among those calling last week for CAPA bishops to declare the Episcopal Church in the United States out of communion, and it urged the suspension of the Lambeth Conference. |
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