International Orthodox Christian News

OTTAWA, Nov 29 (Reuters)

The liberal hierarchy of the Anglican Church of Canada appealed to the archbishop of Canterbury, the leader of the world's Anglicans, on Thursday to step in to resolve a battle with conservatives in Canada and Latin America over gay marriage.

Archbishop Fred Hiltz and fellow Canadian archbishops are angered that the orthodox Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of the Americas has started giving oversight to Canadian congregations that are unhappy with churches blessing homosexual marriages.

"This action breaks fellowship within the Anglican Church of Canada and the Anglican Communion," the Canadian archbishops said in a statement.

They called on Rowan Williams, the archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the 77 million Anglicans globally, "to make clear that such actions are not a valid expression of Anglicanism."

They appealed to him "to address the very serious issues raised by this intervention."

Two conservative Canadian bishops announced this month they were coming out of retirement to lead orthodox Anglicans in Canada under the authority of Archbishop Gregory Venables, head of the Argentine-based Southern Cone church.

Two congregations with roots in the Anglican Church of Canada joined them, and as many as 20 more are considering doing likewise.

At issue is the practice, for now principally in the western Canadian diocese of New Westminster, British Columbia, of blessing gay marriages, which are legal in Canada.

Archbishop Hiltz criticized Venables' actions as inappropriate and contravening ancient canons of the church.

The disaffected conservatives have responded to similar statements in the past by saying it was the Anglican Church of Canada that was violating historic provisions limiting marriage to a union between a man and a woman.

While same-sex marriages are legal in Canada, churches are not required to perform the ceremonies.

(Reporting by Randall Palmer; Editing by Rob Wilson)