SYDNEY: ARCHBISHOP CARNLEY SAYS EXTREMISM MAY LEAD TO CHURCH SPLIT

By Malcolm Brown

February 14, 2004

The Anglican Primate of Australia, Archbishop Peter Carnley, has made a stinging attack on the leadership of the Sydney diocese.

In a new book, Reflections in Glass, Dr Carnley warns the diocese itself might split because of the extremism of the ruling group.

The archbishop, who is to retire next February, said that while the leadership of the diocese resisted most of his ideas, they were not universally rejected.

"The diocese of Sydney contains as much diversity of thought as most of the other Anglican dioceses, even if is to be frankly admitted that a distinct and characteristic kind of evangelicalism predominates," he said.

"It is reported that up to 50 Sydney parishes might consider approaching the college of Australian bishops to seek a form of 'alternative episcopal oversight'."

If Australian Anglicanism split, the "first divide" might be "within the diocese itself".

Dr Carnley writes that given Australia's diversity, "inter-faith dialogue seems inevitable". But the Sydney diocese was quite cold on recognition of other faiths.

The Dean of Sydney, Phillip Jensen, had denounced other faiths as false. "This is certainly not the most helpful approach," Dr Carnley said.

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