Been reading the Windsor Report,

the considered response of the Anglican Communion (whose U.S. member is the

Episcopal Church) to the election of openly homosexual bishop Gene Robinson

to the Diocese of New Hampshire, and to the authorising by a diocese of the

Anglican Church of Canada of a public Rite of Blessing for same sex unions.

It is, for an Anglican document, suprisingly forthright. It scolds the

offending parties for supposing they had more latitude in deciding these

things than (according to the Report) they actually have. It asks them to

apologize, and urges that no further such actions be taken until “realistic

and visionary ways” can “be agreed to meet the levels of disagreement at

present,” and “to reach consensus on structures for encouraging greater

understanding and communion in future.” Translation: No more of this

stuff, please, till we’ve had a few years to chew it over.

These scoldings are tucked away in a vast souffle of gassy prose about

“healing” and “communion,” “study and reflection,” “listening and

discernment,” etc. etc. etc. Still, as Anglican-speak goes, it’s a stern

rebuke.

(Twenty years or so ago there was a sharp exchange in the House of Commons

between Labour Party pit bull terrier Dennis Healey and the diffident,

soft-spoken Geoffrey Howe. Healey later said that being criticized by Howe

was “like being mauled by a dead sheep.” Reading the Windsor Report brought

this to mind.)