Is the Fat Lady Singing for the “Anglican Communion?”

There are reports today that fully 6 of 10 Bishops might boycott next year’s Lambeth conference. Were that to happen, it might effectively be the end of the Anglican Communion. This is, of course, all over the Episcopal Church’s affinity for all things ‘gay’. Bishop Scott-Joynt of Winchester lays out the only way that a boycott can be avoided.

The bishops of The Episcopal Church must meet the demands of the recent Primates’ Meeting in Dar es Salaam.

In their communique, the Primates gave the US bishops until September 30 to agree to “make an unequivocal common covenant that the bishops will not authorise any Rite of Blessing for same-sex unions” and “confirm that… a candidate for episcopal orders living in a same-sex union shall not receive the necessary consent unless some new consensus on these matters emerges across the Communion.”

It does not seem likely that such a commitment is forthcoming. Is this the end of the Anglican Communion and Bishop Rowan Williams? So sayeth Damian Thompson of the Uk Telegraph:

Another threat to boycott next year’s Lambeth Conference! This time, Church of England bishops are planning to stay away. The Times goes into the details, but I can’t be bothered to keep up with this boycott fever. I just want to make two points.

Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams
Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is ‘finished’

1. The Anglican “Communion” – you need inverted commas these days because it’s not in communion with itself – is destroying the Church of England. Either the C of E cuts its ties with the crazy, gay-obsessed churches of the former colonies or it splinters into disestablished sects, which would be a tragedy for England. The Lambeth Conference should be the occasion at which the ex-Communion formally dissolves itself.

2. Rowan Williams, currently on “study leave”, is finished. He should extend his studies indefinitely, because his authority is broken. I guess Sentamu is the obvious candidate to take over; he certainly wants the job.

I am not sure if the Anglican Communion is as dead as Thomspon does. I suspect it will linger as a zombie or ghost, haunting for some time to come. But what do I know, I thought Lindsay Lohan might actually have been rehabilitated this time. Time will tell.