One or two of us took a deep breath at this, for it was a rare instance in our lifetimes of the Church of England actually standing up for something, and actually being right. It was also shocking, however, that in a country with an established Christian church, and whose Muslim population (for example) is only around three per cent, such an exhortation should be felt necessary.

In a meeting Nov. 14 between South Riding missioner the Rev. Phil Ashey, and Bishop Suffragan David Colin Jones, Mr. Ashey gave Bishop Jones a letter informing the Bishop of the congregation's decision and also of his own decision to resign his position as missioner, quit the Episcopal Church and place himself under the authority of the Bishop of Ruwenzori, the Rt. Rev. Benezeri Kisembo.

The priest was speaking a fortnight after an instruction by the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education reaffirmed the Catholic Church's "profound respect" for homosexuals, but said Catholic seminaries should not admit students for ordination who "practise homosexuality, present deep-seated homosexual tendencies or support the so-called 'gay culture'".

Assurances by the Anglican Communion led to a resumption of talks and a fourth meeting of IARCCUM, the International Anglican-Roman Catholic Commission on Unity and Mission, were held "to review work on the project to produce a Common Statement" that would "identify a sufficient degree of agreement in faith to enable the development of a deepened common life and mission" between the two Churches, the statement read.