The Church of England Evangelical Council have given support this week to thirty-seven evangelical clergy who have been excommunicated in Brazil.
A statement from the evangelical council called on the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference to investigate the situation “as a matter of urgency,” according to the CoE Newspaper.
Brazilian primate Archbishop Orlando Santo de Oliveira had dissociated his province from the actions of the Bishop of Recife, the Rt Revd Robinson Calvacanti, in taking part in irregular confirmations in Ohio in March 2004.
Bishop Calvacanti was deposed and Recife had appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Panel of Reference. But last week the situation was inflamed even more when the suffragan bishop Rt Revd Filadelfo Oliveira of Recife, removed all 32 clergy who had been loyal to Bishop Calvacanti.
On 2 September, the “Recife 32” issued a statement expressing their “shock and dismay” at the decree and protested that they had been excommunicated before the result of the appeal to the panel.
It was "without being accused of anything, without following any official process, without having the right to defend ourselves, and without the opportunity of any appeal".
The CEEC statement issued on Tuesday was signed by Bishop Wallace Benn, the Rev Paul Gardner and the Rev Nick Wynne-Jones. It stated: “We consider that this constitutes persecution of those who wish to uphold biblical and traditional Anglican teaching on human sexuality.
“Furthermore, this appears to be an attempt to purge the Diocese of orthodoxy and to create one which has abandoned traditional Anglican teaching.”
They warned that the Anglican Communion would be at risk unless “clear and decisive” action is taken.
They declared in their statement that they were out of Communion with the liberals. “We cannot regard those who persistently depart from historic and orthodox Anglican teaching as being in communion with those who seek to remain true to the traditional and biblical foundations of the Anglican Church,” they said.
