THE WINDSOR Continuation Group issued not so much a report as a set of preliminary observations, for the hearing on Monday afternoon. Humidity was at its highest so far and bishops were sweltering in the heat: perhaps that in part accounted for the weariness of many as they emerged.

The system at the hearings is that those who wish to speak queue at the microphone. There is no selection of speakers to ensure balanced representation. Of the 25 speakers, 18 were reported to have been North American voices from both sides of the divide. “They were basically just slagging each other off,” said one bishop in frustration.

But there were were no real surprises in this third report, which calls for moratoria to apply on the complete cessation of blessings for same-sex unions; consecrations of those living in openly gay relationships, and all cross-border interventions and inter-provincial claims of jurisdiction. These measures were not intended to be punitive, said the chair of the group, Bishop Clive Handford.

The moratoria have been requested on three occasions in the Windsor process, the most recently at the Primates Meeting in Dar es Salaam in 2007. The report describes the requests as having been “less than wholeheartedly embraced on both sides.” Bishop Handford made it clear that interventions by Nigeria, Uganda and the Southern Cone were all part of the moratoria.

These measures would not demand Gene Robinson’s resignation. The Bishop made it clear, “We are not anywhere intending to imply that Bishop Gene Robinson should resign as a result of what we have called for in our observations, because we are aware that [he] was elected bishop according to the processes of the Episcopal Church. Whatever we may think about that, nonetheless we recognise that they went through a process.”

But the understanding of ‘moratorium’ is that this refers to both future actions and is importantly - retrospective: it “requires the cessation of activity... This necessarily applies to practices that may already have been authorised as well as proposed for authorisation in the future, and anything in the pipeline must cease. Bishop Handford said the moratoria would “help us to pull back, draw breath, take stock” and enable better dialogue together as things went forward.

The document warns, “The failure to respond presents us with a situation where if the three moratoria are document not observed, the Communion is likely to fracture. The patterns of action currently embraced with the continued blessings of same-sex unions and of interventions could lead to irreparable damage.”

It goes on: “The call for the three moratoria on these issues relates to their controversial nature. This poses the serious question of what response should be made to those who act contrary to the moratorium during the Covenant process and who should make a response.”

It recommends the swift formation of a Pastoral Forum at Communion level to engage “theologically and practically” with situations as they arise or divisive actions that may be taken around the Communion. It would be “a body that could respond quickly to pressure points in the Communion,” said Bishop Handford. The Archbishop of Canterbury would preside and would appoint its episcopal chair and members. The Forum would be responsible for addressing “those anomalies of pastoral care arising in the Communion against the recommendations of the Windsor Report. It could also offer guidance on what response and any diminishment of standing might be appropriate where any of the three moratoria were broken.”

The report says unequivocally: “The proliferation of ad hoc episcopal and archiepiscopal ministries cannot be maintained.” It recommends a scheme in which existing ad hoc jurisdictions could be held “in trust” in preparation for their reconciliation within their proper Provinces – something Bishop Handford described as “a kind of safe space into which all these bodies can come.

“They will not then be dependent on primates or others in other provinces but they will be held together in what you might call a kind of holding bay, a safe space which will have a very real link to the Pastoral Forum. They will be there ‘held in trust’ as it were until the day when through dialogue they can return to their parent bodies.”

Bishop Handford declared, “We wish to find a way of healing the breach that has been caused by these interventions.” The ‘holding bay’ principle is not designed for people to opt into in the future, nor to be a “growing body,” the Bishop made clear. It is meant to be a diminishing body as dioceses or parishes return. What would happen to property has yet to be worked out: this was “broad brush... a lot of teasing out to be done.”

The document reaffirms the assurances given to gay and lesbian people in Resolution 1:10 of Lambeth 98 and calls for all bishops to influence their governments to work towards the decriminalisation of homosexuality. It will accompany observations and material from conversations, all of which will be brought to the ACC in May 2009.

[The full text is now available on the Anglican Communion website: Windsor Continuation Group - Preliminary Observations to the Lambeth Conference (Parts 1, 2 and 3) ]