BRAZILIAN DIOCESE TERMINATES RELATIONSHIP WITH DIOCESE OF CENTRAL PA

Special Report

By David W. Virtue

RECIFE, BRAZIL--The Evangelical Diocese of Recife has terminated its companion relationship with the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania over the consecration of V. Gene Robinson an activist homosexual to the ECUSA episcopacy. The diocese recently voted three resolutions one of which was to terminate its relationships with the Diocese of Central Pennsylvania and its bishop, the Rt. Rev. Michael W. Creighton, because they voted yes to the consecration of Robinson with the bishop, lay and 2 of the 3 clergy in favor of Gene Robinsons election.

The Brazilian diocese is led by the orthodox Rt. Rev. Edward Robinson Cavilcanti.

The resolution kept open the possibility of any parish church or individuals in the Central PA diocese staying in relationship with the Diocese of Recife if they did not support the resolutions of GC2003, said The Rev. Miguel Uchoa, a priest in the diocese who sent the news to Virtuosity.

Our actions officially put us in the position of mainstream Anglicans around the globe, he said.

The first resolution decided to break communion with the two dioceses of New Hampshire and New Westminster and clarifies our position with the biblical understanding of sexuality. A second resolution states that we are not going to have communion, companionship or any kind of relationship with any diocese, bishop, clergy or institution that supported GC2003 resolutions on sexuality.

Fr. Uchoa said the climate of the Church in Brazil was still the same. Sometimes even it is even more aggressive against our diocese [Recife] positions and it is very aggressive against our bishops decisions, he wrote.

The priest said the passing of these resolutions was not easy, as there was a group in the diocese speaking out and asking the province to come with the primate to pastorally intervene in our diocese. Those clergy and some lay people made a lot of noise, people, who once supported the bishop and called themselves evangelicals, he said.

The priest said that in recent discussions with the Evangelical bishop and he is taking a position with two clergy that were licensed because and were assumed to be homosexuals.

Our canons say that no one can be ordained if they are gay or even support the normalization of the behavior. Bishop Robinson also licensed rectors after the convention in different churches in the diocese.

Uchoa noted that opposition in the diocese did not come from a majority, but it is hard to deal with the province coming against us all the time. We ask for your prayers. The good news is that we are taking back the diocesan structure, the seminary and other commissions.

Furthermore the other good news is that our plans to make the dioceses into two dioceses did not result in any prejudice. The churches who are working in the north of Recife (Deanery of north) and they are totally orthodox and the project goes on.

The bishop has already installed a new Dean in the new pro cathedral and there is a new dean of the area, he said.

Uchoa said that by the Year 2006 there will be a new diocese, formed in time for the general synod. We are working hard to plant and to strengthen churches in the area. It requires a lot of hard work and needs much help.

Our hope for Anglicanism in Brazil, comes from the Northeast now more then ever. We need to expand the church here to be a future province, a second province in the country.

Uchoa said the Diocese of Recife was looking for a new companion relationship with an orthodox diocese in the US. We have not cut any links with orthodox churches, dioceses and organizations.

We have the passion for evangelism, church growth, new evangelistic methods...a real passion for the lost. We want to share and be in connection with all orthodox believers. Anglicanism will flourish in the spiritually arid wilderness of Brazil as orthodox and biblical churches are born. God is helping us.

The province was, till recently, in the revisionist grip of  Glauco Soares de Lima. The new orthodox Primate is the Most Rev. Orlando Santos de Oliveira.

END