THE Archbishop of Armagh, the Most Rev Dr Robert Eames, is to head the commission set up by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, in an attempt to avert schism in the Anglican Church over the issues of homosexual ordinations and same-sex blessings.

Dr Williams said that the aim of the commission was to help the Church to find a way forward through a “crucial and critical” point in its life.

Lambeth Palace said that the commission, expected to begin its work early next year, will take “particular account” of the decision to authorise a rite for same-sex blessings in New Westminster, Canada, as well as the ordination of Canon Gene Robinson on Sunday as Bishop of New Hampshire.

Primates from the Global South argued at this month’s summit for a way of making provinces more accountable, and asked Dr Williams to set up the commission to consider the role of the Archbishop of Canterbury in maintaining communion between provinces when grave difficulties arise.

A legal report presented to the Primates, disclosed by The Times, reveals that one area the commission is expected to examine will be how the Archbishop can be given more authority in intervening in the affairs of other provinces.

Significantly, besides Dr Eames, Primate of All Ireland and the Church’s longest-serving primate, the commission’s membership includes Professor Norman Doe, author of an influential study into Anglican ius commune, or common law, which was presented to a meeting of the primates in Kanuga, North Carolina, in 2001 and published recently in the Ecclesiastical Law Journal.

In his paper Professor Doe wrote: “There is no formal Anglican canon law globally applicable to and binding upon member churches of the Communion. No central institution exists with competence to create such a body of laws.”

In the study he outlined a way of drawing up an understanding of Anglican common law dealing with inter- Anglican relations and looks at how this overarching common law could be incorporated into each individual Church’s canonical structure. This would, he predicted, vastly reduce the likelihood of disagreements between provinces.

Such a development would increase the legal authority of the Archbishop of Canterbury to match the moral authority he possesses as primus inter pares of the primates of the Anglican Communion.

A Lambeth Palace spokesman said: “Membership of the commission has been drawn up by Dr Williams in consultation and reflects the breadth and diversity of the Anglican Communion as well as providing substantial canonical, theological and ecclesiological expertise.”

The commission has been asked to report back by the end of September next year. Dr Williams said that its main task would be to offer advice on finding a way through the situation which currently threatens to divide the Communion.

He said: “The primates were clear that the Anglican Communion could be approaching a crucial and critical point in its life. The responses of provinces to developing events will determine the future life of our Communion in a profound way and we need to take time for careful prayer, reflection and consideration to discern God’s will for the whole Communion. This commission, under the Communion’s longest serving primate, is intended to contribute to our finding a way forward.”

Other members of the commission are Canon Alyson Barnett-Cowan, Director of Faith, Worship and Ministry of the Anglican Church of Canada. The conservative evangelicals on the commission include Archbishop Drexel Gomez, Primate of the West Indies, Archbishop Josiah Iduwo-Fearon, Archbishop of Kaduna in Nigeria and Archbishop Bernard Malango, Primate of Central Africa.

Leading liberals include Bishop John Paterson, Primate of Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia. From the open evangelical wing is Dr Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham.

Dr Williams’s former chaplain from Wales, Canon Gregory Cameron, will act as the commission’s secretary.

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