The Anglican Church of Canada says it's trying to work with the larger international church on the issue of blessing same-sex unions, but is willing to walk away from the Anglican Communion.
North American churches are increasingly sitting on the opposite ideological side from their counterparts in the developing world on same-sex blessings and ordination of women, and many say it could lead to a rift in the church in as few as three years.
"The language that continues to be used consistently is that of 'full repentance,' " for seeming to support the blessing of same-sex unions, said Ven. Paul Feheley, principal secretary to the Primate of Canada, leader of the country's Anglicans.
The greater world church "wants us to admit that we've made a horrible mistake -- say we've been bad children -- go to the corner and promise never to do it again."
Archdeacon Feheley was at the University of Toronto on Tuesday to deliver a speech on behalf of the Primate, Archbishop Andrew Hutchison, who was ill.
The Anglican Church of Canada wants the communion to recognize the same-sex debate as an internal issue, but has met censure and disrespect from the increasingly powerful group of churches from much of Africa and South America, called the Global South. The U.S. Episcopal Church has also been shunned for consecrating an openly gay man as bishop. In Canada, the Vancouver diocese of New Westminster has approved the blessing of same-sex unions.
Archdeacon Feheley said that the issue could be more about power than scripture and doctrine.
In his speech, Archbishop Hutchison said through Archdeacon Feheley that by the way the North American churches had been singled out "one would have thought. . .that only the United States and Canada had been struggling with this," adding that spiritual issues surrounding homosexuality and same-sex unions are popping up in Anglican churches around the world.
"Now that the Global South holds the majority of Anglicans, they want their voice to be heard and their weight to be felt," Archdeacon Feheley said in the speech.
The Global South was also reacting to a perceived liberalism and arrogance of North America and to a streak of anti-Americanism in particular, he said.
"I believe that we are doing all that we can to demonstrate to the communion how important unity is for the Canadian church," he said.
In an attempt at conciliation, the Canadian church has agreed to defer the issue of same-sex blessings until its general synod meets in 2007.
"This is a matter of doctrine, but not core doctrine, and not a communion breaking issue," Archdeacon Feheley said, but noted that the church may be no further ahead on the debate in three years.
Any possible break with the communion is unlikely to happen before the Lambeth Conference in 2008, in which all of the bishops are invited to attend a gathering by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
After the speech, Archdeacon Feheley said that the Canadian church didn't want to use the prospect of leaving the communion as a bartering tool, but "if this is where Canada believes that this is where the holy spirit is guiding us then other churches must respect that."