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Anglicans in talks with Orthodox on women

by
02 November 2006

DIALOGUE on theological differences between the Anglican and Orthodox Churches took place in Cyprus last week. The meeting of the International Commission of the Anglican-Orthodox Theological Dialogue met in Kykkos for the last in a series of meetings between the two Churches that began in 1973.

For the past 16 years, the Commission has met annually or biannually to discuss and reflect on theological questions. The final meeting was to complete discussion on points investigated in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in 2003. In particular, that meeting had raised  the issue of women's ordination.

Of the final meeting, a representative of the Anglican Communion, Canon Hugh Wybrew, a former Vicar of St Mary Magdalen's, Oxford, said on Tuesday: "We discussed the issue of the ordination of women to the priesthood. Obviously, the Orthodox Church is not able to do so at the moment, and the ordination of women in the Anglican Church is still being received.

"Unfortunately, the tendency is to accuse those with whom we don't agree of heresy, whereas the Commission's point of view is that it is an open question that still needs discussion. We need to understand each other's position."

While unable to go into detail about the matters discussed, Canon Wybrew said that a final report on the deliberations would probably be released early in 2006.

Among the ten other Anglican members of the Commission were the Revd Dr Timothy Bradshaw, from Regent's Park College, Oxford, and Canon Livingstone Ngewu from the province of Southern Africa.

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