June 1, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Cynthia P. Brust
202-412-8721
Connecticut Six Comment on Statement by Panel of Reference Chair
As clergy, lay leadership and congregations of the Connecticut Six, we have consistently sought consideration by the Panel of Reference, and we maintain a commitment to cooperate with the Panel toward that end. We are saddened that our urgent request for intervention in an extremely hostile environment seems to have been lost in procedure and process, and we continue to pray for a way forward. Canon Daryl Fenton, Chief Operating Officer of the Anglican Communion Network, has never been designated or authorized to act as an agent or representative of the Connecticut Six. As we noted in our statement of May 17, 2006, we have received no correspondence from the Panel of Reference and would have responded promptly and cooperatively to any such communications.
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Attachments: (PASTED BELOW)
(1) Statement by Archbishop Peter Carnley, Panel of Reference Chair
(2) May 17, 2006 Statement by the Connecticut Six
Panel of Reference: Statement concerning the Diocese of Connecticut issued by the Chair
Anglican Communion News Service
ACNS 4148 | ACO | 30 MAY 2005
We note the public press release on behalf of "the Connecticut Six" which has been drawn to the attention of members of the Panel through its wide public dissemination.
We note that the press release suggests that “we [the wardens of the parishes concerned] have had no contact with, or personal communication from, the Panel or the Archbishop.” Our records show that Canon Daryl Fenton of the Anglican Communion Network had indicated throughout the correspondence on this matter that he is the nominated contact for the group, in line with the procedures set out in the protocols of the Panel of Reference published on the web. Communications to the parties making the appeal on behalf of and at the request of the Chair of the Panel or of the Archbishop of Canterbury, were sent through Canon Fenton by Mr Christopher Smith at Lambeth Palace in September 2005, and by Dr Brian Hanson, Co-Secretary of the Panel, in December 2005, indicating exactly the progress of the reference to the Panel.
The AAC press release on behalf of the Connecticut Six states that they filed civil proceedings in late September 2005 after “months of inaction and delay by the Panel of Reference”. In fact, the reference to the Panel was only received from the Archbishop of Canterbury on 24th October, 2005. The Panel was only notified by third parties of the civil proceedings initiated by the Connecticut parishes on 16th January 2006, in spite of the fact that the published guidelines request a stay on civil proceedings before the Panel takes on a reference.
Bishop Andrew Smith was notified six weeks after the date of reference of the reference to the Panel on 6th December 2005, after members of the Panel had been nominated to lead consideration of the reference and after an initial review of documentation had been prepared. This was on the same date that notification and a summary of the reference was sent to the parishes requesting the reference through Canon Daryl Fenton at the email address given.
The decision of the Archbishop of Canterbury to withdraw the reference to the Panel was notified in the same way to Canon Daryl Fenton on 6th March 2006, together with an indication that once the matter of civil proceedings was resolved (by stay of proceedings or other resolution in line with the published protocols of the Panel), the issue might be revisited, and response invited. No response was received.
The Diocese of Connecticut and Bishop Andrew Smith have at all times in their communications with the Panel co-operated fully with its work and signified their intention to co-operate with the progress of the Reference.
+Peter Carnley
Chair of the Archbishop of Canterbury's Panel of Reference
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*Note: The Panel of Reference Communiqué, referenced in the statement below and released on May 15, 2006, may be found on the Anglican Communion News Service website here: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/articles/41/25/acns4144.cfm.
May 17, 2006
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Connecticut Six Statement in Response to the Panel of Reference Communiqué
The Panel of Reference has issued a communiqué outlining it progress to date on three references made by the Archbishop of Canterbury, including the request for intervention filed by six Connecticut Parishes. In response, the wardens representing the Parishes issued the following statement:
We, our priests, vestries and congregations, were shocked and gravely disappointed to learn of the Panel of Reference’s actions in causing the Archbishop of Canterbury to withdraw his referral of our applications to the Panel. Our congregations appealed to the Archbishop of Canterbury, requesting he refer our situation to the Panel of Reference in July 2005 in light of the abusive and hostile actions of the Rt. Rev. Andrew Smith, Bishop of Connecticut.
Our circumstances certainly met the criteria established by the Primates in their February 2005 Communiqué calling for establishment of the Panel of Reference to "supervise the adequacy of pastoral provisions made by any churches (that were experiencing) serious theological dispute with their diocesan bishops." We have not only experienced extreme theological disputes, but Bishop Smith has also provoked civil litigation by displacing parish control over property and assets by unlawfully seizing all property and assets of St. John’s, Bristol, inhibiting and deposing its priest, installing a Priest-in-Charge without consultation with the vestry, and thereafter attempting to displace its wardens and vestry. Bishop Smith also seized the investment accounts of Christ Church in Watertown, Christ & The Epiphany Church in East Haven and Bishop Seabury Church in Groton, but returned those assets to the Parishes after civil litigation was started. Notwithstanding, we have had no contact with, or personal communication from, the Panel or the Archbishop.
Our congregations notified Bishop Smith and his Chancellor of our petition to the Archbishop of Canterbury, but he responded contemptuously. On July 27, 2005, Bishop Smith’s spokeswoman said that the Panel of Reference would “have no role in the battle for alternative Episcopal oversight (AEO) in the Diocese of Connecticut.”
Months of inaction and delay by the Panel of Reference, in the face of ongoing hostile civil action by Bishop Smith, coupled with the impending ecclesiastical threats of inhibition and deposition of our clergy, left us no choice but to file civil proceedings in late September 2005 in order to protect the life and health of our congregations as well as preserve the integrity of the ministries committed to our care. Our deep desire, however, has consistently been for the Panel of Reference to intervene in Connecticut and provide relief as prescribed by the Anglican Communion Primates.
Bishop Smith reported at a clergy meeting on February 8, 2006, that the Panel of Reference had notified him of their review and requested a response from him in early January 2006. We received no word from the Panel regarding its communications with Bishop Smith. Now we read in a public document that the Archbishop of Canterbury has withdrawn the Connecticut reference to the Panel “until such time as the matter of the civil cases has been resolved.”
Regrettably, the Panel of Reference did not consult with us or give us an opportunity to speak to their need for a stay of pending civil litigation. Through our counsel, we have repeatedly advised the Diocese of Connecticut that we are agreeable to a referral to the Panel of Reference. Accordingly, we can only assume now that the Diocese and the remaining defendants in the civil litigation have advised the Panel that they will not agree to the Panel’s request to stay the civil litigation. Once again, it appears that the Diocese of Connecticut has denied Parishes the relief and a fair hearing to which they are entitled by evading an acceptable process providing for dispute resolution. Presumably, the Diocese has concluded that it cannot persuade a disinterested mediator of the rectitude of its position.
Notwithstanding, we pray the Archbishop of Canterbury will contact us and the Diocese of Connecticut directly so that our pending applications for review will now be immediately referred to the Panel of Reference, this time with specific directions from the Archbishop of Canterbury to proceed with these applications without delay, unless, of course, it is the Diocese which declines to accept intervention by the Panel of Reference.
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