The Nigerian Anglican Community has threatened to
separate itself from its English counterpart if it proceeds with the
decision to permit homosexual clergy in civil partnerships.
Primate of the church in Nigeria, Most Revd. Nicholas
Okoh, said in a statement that he acknowledged that all men fall short
of God’s call to holiness but emphasised that clergymen are to lead
exemplary lives.
He said, “As a House of Bishops, while we acknowledge
that we all fall short of God’s call to holiness, we dare not
compromise the clear teaching of our Lord on faithfulness within holy
matrimony and chastity outside of it.
“Sadly, we must also declare that if the Church of
England continues in this contrary direction, we must further separate
ourselves from it and we are prepared to take the same action as those
prompted by the decisions of The Episcopal Church and the Anglican
Church of Canada 10 years ago.”
He stated that the bishops lamented the failure of
the Church of England to exercise its legal and moral right to opt out
of the civil partnerships legislation in 2005, despite warnings given in
England and around the Anglican Communion.
He said, “This was a first step towards the
recognition and institutionalisation of a behaviour contrary to the
plain teaching of the scripture.”
Okoh added that the decision came at a wrong time,
days before the retirement of Archbishop Rowan Williams; and before Dr.
Justin Welby becomes the new Archbishop of Canterbury.
PUNCH
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