PB Asks Nigeria to Reconsider Travel Plans

Jim points us to a letter from Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori to Archbishop Peter Akinola:

My dear Archbishop Akinola:

I am writing this letter with my prayers for you and for the entire worldwide Anglican Communion from a fellow child of Christ.

I understand from press reports you are planning to come to the United States to install Martyn Minns as a bishop in the Convocation of Anglicans in North America. I strongly urge you not to do so.

First, such action would violate the ancient customs of the church which limits the episcopal activity of a bishop to only the jurisdiction to which the bishop has been entrusted, unless canonical permission has been given. Second, such action would not help the efforts of reconciliation that are taking place in the Episcopal Church and in the Anglican Communion as a whole. Third, such action would display to the world division and disunity that are not part of the mind of Christ, which we must strive to display to all.

I would carefully ask that you reconsider your plans to come to this country for this purpose. This request stems from the hope and vision of reconciliation which was the mind of the primates as we met in Tanzania.

Your servant in Christ,

Katharine Jefferts Schori

The ball is in Nigeria's court, and the world is watching.

Anyone know of any protests planned this Saturday in Northern Virginia in case he does show up? Graceful protests, of course. One would hope there will at least be someone representing TEC to greet the press, and offer an alternative perspective of Abp. Akinola, Bp. Minns and CANA.

To be clear, I would imagine that the last thing the leadership of TEC wants is a bunch of Jakites showing up at this event. It's an interesting idea, but we'd just catch grief from both sides. It would also probably accomplish little more than fueling Peter's megalomania.

J.