FiF Wales   ~   Credo Cymru

Agreed Statement on Communion

Adopted unanimously by the Provincial Council on Monday 11 November 2002

Credo Cymru is a voice for traditional believers within the Church in Wales.

We uphold the faith handed down from Christ by the apostles, the faith of St David and all the saints of Wales, the faith of the historic mainstream of Anglican Christians.

Within that vision, which includes evangelism, ecumenism, teaching on moral issues and the right ordering of society, we believe that men and women are equal in Christ, but have different roles and responsibilities. We stand by the teaching of the universal and undivided Church on Holy Order and are unable to accept the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopate.

The action of the Church in Wales, along with some, but by no means all, provinces of the Anglican Communion, in allowing women to be ordained to the presbyterate has radically altered the nature of our Communion. We are in a situation of what the Eames Commission and the Lambent Conference have called 'impaired communion'.

The exact nature of that impairment is difficult to define; indeed, many will define it, if at all, in different ways; but the fact of impairment is an inescapable reality, not just an unease or an unwillingness to accept the changes. An element of doubt has been introduced into the sacramental life of the Church and that doubt inevitably leads to impairment of our communion. Nevertheless, we would emphasise that this doubt is only about the ordination of women to the priesthood: we do not call in question any other sacramental acts of any bishop who has so ordained women or of the male members of his diocesan priesthood.

We welcome the pastoral provisions that went with the passing of the Bill to allow women to be ordained as priests and in particular the provision of a Provincial Assistant Bishop. This was sought and is needed because the effect of the doubt already mentioned is seen most clearly in the mutual relationship of priests within a diocese. Within the priesthood there ought to be such an interchangeability that any priest can stand in place of the bishop or any other priest in the celebration of the Eucharist. The ordination of women to the priesthood, as both parties clearly understood when the relevant legislation came into force, ended that reciprocity. We note that the pastoral provisions presuppose impairment of communion by providing for those who need to look other than to the Ordinary for pastoral and sacramental care. We affirm that just such provision, in accordance with the recommendation of the Eames Commission, and in the Church in Wales represented by the provision of a Provincial Assistant Bishop, will be needed for as long as the Anglican Communion continues in the period of reception' which that same Commission describes as 'a long and spiritual process'.

Within the present arrangement we are committed to work within the structures of the Church in Wales; to maintain as high a degree of communion as possible within the limits imposed by individual conscience and doctrinal integrity; and never to do anything on our own which could be done together, with other Anglicans first but also with other Christians.

It is our earnest hope that within the framework of this statement and the pastoral provisions there can be a continued growth of strong and effective parishes within the constituency supporting our aims and that people from those parishes will be able to play a full part in the life of the Church in Wales and its deliberative bodies.

We note that some Provinces have proceeded to the ordination of women to the episcopate; if this were to happen within the Church in Wales it would be impossible for proper care to be given to those of our persuasion under the current pastoral provisions. The element of doubt which already exists for priests and laity would extend to the order of bishops as the Provincial Assistant Bishop could no longer be in full communion with all his fellow bishops in the Church in Wales. We therefore call on the Bench of Bishops and Governing Body to enter into constructive discussion with Credo Cymru beforehand if our Province should ever consider taking this course.