Diocese of Uruguay Breaks from Southern Cone

From the Anglican Communion News Service:

One week after a proposal to allow dioceses to individually permit women's ordination to the priesthood was turned down by the Tenth Synod of the Province of the Southern Cone, the Diocese of Uruguay has voted to seek another jurisdiction with which to share its ministry...

...The diocese requests that permission for transfer from the Province take place within the year and that if this is not possible an appeal would be made to the Anglican Consultative Council to arrange for oversight, following Provincial canons. Uruguay has been a diocese within the Southern Cone since its formation in 1988.

Well, well, what have we here? The Province of the Southern Cone, notorious for the attempted theft of various North American dioceses, now has one of their own following their Provincial precedent. Imagine that.

It's going to be interesting to watch whay happens in Uruguay now, for a few reasons:

1. Given their history of raids on North American dioceses, it would seem impossible for the Southern Cone to now make the argument that a Diocese cannot leave their Province. If they do, their hypocrisy will be revealed.

2. In light of the recent ecumenical sanctions placed on the Southern Cone for cross-border interventions, it is doubtful that any other Province is going to rush to pick up Uruguay, as they will then open themselves to similar sanctions.

3. Since the presenting issue is women's ordination, there might be a few Provinces tempted to rush in to the aid of Uruguay, in the name of justice, equality etc. I think that would be a big mistake, as it would give some credence to the previous irregular, if not downright illegal, actions of the Southern Cone. If it was wrong for the Southern Cone to pillage North America, then we have no right to interfere in Uruguay.

J.