Newspaper reports suggesting that there is a split between Southern Cone Primate Gregory Venables and Dr. Williams are not true, he told VOL.

A spokesman for the Anglican Communion said the Archbishop of Canterbury had not in any way endorsed the actions of the Primate of the Southern Cone in welcoming the Diocese of San Joaquin in the Episcopal Church to become part of his province.

Archbishop Venables told VirtueOnline in a phone call to the Primate, "I have neither sought nor claimed his endorsement for our actions in Canada or the Diocese of San Joaquin. At the same time however he has been informed of the steps we were planning in North America. If that hadn't been the case we wouldn't have moved ahead."

Recently, the Archbishop of Canterbury urged parishes desiring to leave the Diocese of Central Florida to obey their ecclesiastical authority [Bishop John W. Howe], which was met with a polite “no thanks” from orthodox parishes.

The letter caused anguish among clergy in TEC prompting the Archbishop of Canterbury to send yet another letter clarifying his letter to Bishop Howe. In it, he stated that his response to Bishop Howe was neither a new policy statement nor a roadmap for the future, but a plain response to a very urgent and particular question about clergy in traditionalist dioceses in TEC who want to leave for other jurisdictions, a response reiterating a basic presupposition of what the Archbishop believes to be the theology of the Church.

The primary point was that - theologically and sacramentally speaking - a priest is related in the first place to his/her bishop directly, not through the structure of the national church which serves the dioceses. The diocese is more than a “local branch” of a national organization.

Archbishop Venables believes the situation in the US Episcopal Church and the Anglican Church of Canada warranted his intervention. "The exodus is far greater than TEC is acknowledging," he said. "These faithful people must be given a holding ground until things are resolved."

He reaffirmed his bond with the Archbishop of Nigeria, the Most Rev. Peter Akinola, and said he stands "shoulder to shoulder" with the orthodox Nigerian Primate.

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