Anglican leaders ‘condemn’ Archbishop of Nigeria’s anti-LGBTTQ+ message

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 05/03/2021 (1984 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Citing concerns for the safety of LGBTTQ+ Anglicans and others in Manitoba, Geoff Woodcroft, the Bishop of Rupert’s Land, has written a letter of concern to Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury and head of the global Anglican Communion.

The letter from Woodcroft, sent Thursday, was in response to one issued Feb. 26 by the Anglican Archbishop and Primate of All Nigeria Henry C. Ndukuba, in which he criticized Anglican bishops in the U.S. and Canada for the “toleration of same-sex persons within their fold.”

In the letter, Ndukuba accuses them of allowing “the deadly ‘virus’ of homosexuality” to infiltrate the Anglican Church and LGBTTQ+ members should be “urgently and radically expunged.”

Woodcroft called on the Archbishop of Canterbury to publicly respond, noting there is “continuing discernment regarding sexual expression within the Anglican Communion.”

In an interview, Woodcroft said he was first alerted to the Archbishop of Nigeria’s message Monday by clergy in the diocese who had viewed it on social media.

“I knew I couldn’t let this go,” he said. “If I didn’t respond, I am basically saying we should close the church if we can’t stand up for the dignity of every human being.”

After consulting with Linda Nicholls, Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, and other members of the Diocese of Rupert’s Land, Woodcroft sent his letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury — one of a number of Canadian Bishops to do so, he said, including the Bishop of the Diocese of Brandon.

Ndukuba’s message can have terrible consequences for Anglican and other LGBTTQ+ people in Manitoba and around the world due to social media, Woodcroft said.

“It’s a violent statement,” he said, adding, “Words spoken in a different part of the world can have ripple effects… it can pave the way for others to enact violence against LGBTTQ+ people in Manitoba, who may fear for their safety, along with those who care for them, pray with them and walk with them.”

Along with condemning the letter from Nigeria, Woodcroft said he wanted to indicate Christianity is “meaningless if we aren’t willing to be like Jesus and move in the circles he moved in, healing, reconciling and challenging unjust structures. If we don’t do those things, people looking for God will not pay any attention to us.”

On Friday, the Archbishop of Canterbury responded, releasing a statement criticizing the letter from the Archbishop of Nigeria.

“I completely disagree with and condemn this language,” he stated, noting the worldwide Anglican Church is on record as condemning homophobic actions or words.

“It is unacceptable,” he said. “It dehumanizes those human beings of whom the statement speaks.

“The mission of the church is the same in every culture and country: to demonstrate, through its actions and words, that God’s offer of unconditional love to every human being through Jesus Christ calls us to holiness and hope.”

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