HOMOSEXUAL BISHOPS: AKINNOLA TACKLES CANTERBURY

Robinson, the openly gay Anglican Bishop.

The controversy over consecration of openly gay bishops in the world-wide Anglican Communion has broken the 70 million member church down the middle. In the center of the pro-scripture fundamental group is the Arch-Bishop and cosmopolitan of the church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Reverend Peter Jasper Akinnola who at the weekend told the West over the consecration of an openly gay Bishop Vicky Imogene "Gene" Robinson of New Hampshire Diocese that Africans no longer need to go to Canterbury before they can practice Christianity.

Bishop Akinnola who was contributing on the BBC world service at the weekend called on the American Episcopal church (Anglican Communion) to apologize to the world-wide Anglican Communion, repent before God, and remove Bishop Robinson who is presently planning a civil union with his eighteen years homosexual partner, Mark Andrews in middle of 2008, three weeks before the Lambeth conference, the highest decision making body of the Anglican Communion which holds every Ten years. Andrews currently works in the New Hampshire state government.

Bishop Akinnola

Akinnola, head of over 20 million Anglican faithful in Nigeria explained that he is not a divisive figure in the church that the division within the church started when the West did not honor the agreement reached at the 1998 Lamberth Conference where it was decided that the church should not embrace the abominable consecration of homosexuals. He said that, in spite of the agreement, the Episcopal Church in America decided to defy the world-wide body and went ahead to elect and install Robinson, a rehabilitated alcoholic and a divorcee father of two daughters, as Bishop of New Hampshire Diocese.

Akinnola rejected the attempt to be tagged a rebel and a fundamentalist, saying he remains an evangelist who does not seek any earthly gain or power. He said he would not react to uncharitable remarks credited to Dr. Ron Williams, the head of the Anglican Communion and Arch-Bishop of Canterbury.

In his reaction, Bishop Robinson said that he was not a beast as he is being described by the majority of Anglicans all over the world. He also said that he is not out to encourage schism in the church. He said that the union between him and his partner next May is not aimed at insulting the delegates to the Lamberth Conference. He added that it was unfortunate that Arch-Bishop Akinnola would continue to view him as less human because of his sexual life-style.