AFP: Sydney bishops to boycott Anglican meet over gays (Feb 3)

SYDNEY: Bishops in Australia's largest city Sydney are pulling out of the Anglican Church's top global meeting this year in a dispute over gay bishops and same-sex marriages, a spokesman said Sunday.

The boycott is being spearheaded by Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen, who is a leading conservative voice in the acrimonious row over the ordination of openly gay Bishop Gene Robinson in the United States.

Announcing the move after an ordination service here, he said another five bishops would also not attend the Lambeth Conference, which runs from July 20 to August 3 in Canterbury, England.

"With regret, the archbishop and bishops of the Diocese of Sydney have decided not to attend the Lambeth Conference in July," he said in a statement.

"They remain fully committed to the Anglican Communion, to which they continue to belong, but sense that attending the conference at this time will not help heal its divisions."

The US Episcopal church in 2003 consecrated Robinson as a bishop, outraging conservative colleagues in the Anglican church around the world.

Conservative Anglicans, mainly from Asia and Africa, have been threatening for some time to boycott the conference over Robinson's appointment.

The Lambeth Conference is held every 10 years and is the highest meeting of the world Anglican communion, bringing together more than 800 bishops from all over the world.

Robinson himself has not been invited, but the US bishops who consecrated him have been asked to come.

A spokesman for Jensen confirmed to AFP on Sunday that the bishop would not attend.

"For quite a while, that is certainly what a lot of people in the Anglican world expected," the spokesman said.

A number of African bishops led by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria are also expected to boycott the meeting. - AFP/ac