For many years the largely liberal (and ECUSA financed) Province of Brazil has struggled to accept the existence within it of a vibrant, committed, and mission oriented evangelical contingent based in the North East of the country. As the storm clouds gather over the Anglican Communion as a whole, it appears that the Primate, Dom Orlando with the other liberal bishops, is bent on coercing Dom. Robinson Cavalcanti and the evangelical diocese of Recife out into the storm.

The extraordinary meeting of the camera of bishops proved to be just that. On the basis
of the testimony of a small minority of largely inexperienced clerics from the diocese of Recife (who disagree with Bishop Robinson's theologically evangelical convictions), decrees were made to the effect that certain parishes of the Recife diocese would now come under the control of the liberal diocesan bishop of Brasilia, Mauricio Andrade.

There emerged from the meeting, without pausing to hear either bishop Robinson Cavalcanti, or the vast majority of evangelical Anglicans who serve and worship in the diocese of Recife, a form of "special episcopal supervision" was decreed, formulated on extremely innovative and unspecific grounds!

"Speaking for the evangelical majority, our sadness has been compounded by the equivocal and questionable behaviour of our own suffragan bishop, Dom Filadelfo Oliveira. Just weeks after formally apologizing to bishop Robinson for attending secret "conspirators" meetings with those few Recife clerics who oppose him, and just weeks after re-affirming his loyalty to Dom. Robinson Cavalcanti, bishop Filadelfo has now performed yet another U-turn, joining the other bishops in the Province in the attack on Robinson and the diocese, on account of what the camera of bishops recognizes are "theological and pastoral divergences," said the Rev. Estevao Menezes.

"As a diocese with a majority of evangelicals and with an evangelical diocesan bishop, it is our opinion that the decrees made in Porto Alegre (contained in a letter addressed to the Anglican Church in Brazil), are both unjust and unacceptable."

(The text that follows is a translation of the response to the Porto Alegre decrees, signed by approximately 50 church leaders, most of whom are clergy.)

"We urge our evangelical brothers and sisters throughout the world to hold us up in prayer as we do you, as together we weather the storm of change, seeking patiently through the Holy Spirit a brighter tomorrow for Christ's true bride."

TRANSLATION OF THE DIOCESE OF RECIFE RESPONSE TO THE PORTO ALEGRE RESOLUTIONS:

To the Bishop Primate: Dom. Orlando Santos Oliveira To the House of bishops of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil To the Anglican diocese of Recife To the Episcopal Anglican church of Brazil - To brothers and sisters in other denominations:

Isaiah 62:6-7 "I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, 7 and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth."

Greetings in the Lord,

01. We, the undersigned, Diocesan bishop, Archdeacons, members of the diocesan Executive Council, members of the diocesan Administrative Committee, priests, deacons and lay ministers of the Anglican diocese of Recife, surprised by the Resolution letter (unnumbered) from the camera of bishops, united in Porto Alegre-Rio Grande do Sul, on 16th. September, 2004; in the absence of the diocesan bishop of the Anglican diocese of Recife, and based on alleged; recent occurrences in that diocese; (sic), without specifying which; express our disappointment, our perplexity, and our most vehement protest and repudiation of its terms, as an unjustifiable contravention of diocesan autonomy, and nullify it, by absolute Right, on account of the total absence of legal basis, on the grounds that Article 1 and corollaries of Canon 3 of the General Canons of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil neither typify, nor support, explicitly or implicitly, any item of the said Resolution letter. It is a clear legal principal that obligations are inexistent where there is no express requisite, and that there is no jurisdiction without a clear norm to endorse it. It is evident therefore that the camera of bishops, assembled by unilateral decision, deprived of data, and utilising distorted or partial information, without basis either in the Constitution, or in the General Canons of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, extrapolated its functions, doing harm to the principle of diocesan autonomy as the local church, and held not a juridical but a political deliberation, an affront not only to (church) Law, but also to Anglican ecclesiology, constituting, therefore, a dangerous precedent for provincial life. As a consequence of its juridical nullity, we duly note the terms of the said Resolution letter, and file it, with all respect.

02. The presence of bishop Dom. Maurício Andrade, or of any other bishop, with reference to item 2 appended to the Resolution letter, shall not be welcome in the Anglican diocese of Recife, nor will the supposed special episcopal supervision be considered legitimate, since it does not exist in the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, be it in the General Canons, or in the synodal resolutions, never having been made normative. Therefore, our position is that, in name of (church) Law and peace in the Province, the aforementioned bishop ought to decline from exercising an illegal, illegitimate, and unacceptable function.

03. Additionally, we call to attention the total absence of any individual written manifestation to the diocesan bishop and/or diocesan executive council on the part of any member of the clergy revealing, tension, lack of serenity and stress in pastoral relations; when some of these clergy (referring to the few names cited in the Porto Alegre resolutions; trans.) in recent weeks received the bishop and his wife for dinner, or spent the weekend as guests in the bishop beach house, or, on the other hand, have not had any kind of conversation with the bishop recently, be that of positive or negative character. The Anglican diocese of Recife only takes into official internal consideration, that which is addressed (in written form) to its constituted authorities, moreover, it is a legal principle that appeal be made to the superior governing authority only after the case has been fully examined in the inferior. The Anglican diocese of Recife officially negates the solicitation of these members of the clergy, since unable to deliberate without documental basis.

04. In the same way the Anglican diocese of Recife fails to recognise any parish or mission which, in Extraordinary General Assembly, under the leadership of the PCC or mission council has deliberated to solicit: a) special episcopal supervision b). such supervision in the person of bishop Dom. Maurício Andrade, since, there are in evidence, only a few select signatures, collected privately, without the knowledge and/or delegation of the communities in question.

05. The diocesan Executive Council has received no litigation, with evidence or proofs of the intimidation of any clergy person by the diocesan bishop, and such a claim is vague, inconsistent and gratuitous.

06. We express our surprise and our disappointment at the disloyal and anti-ethical behaviour of suffragan bishop Dom. Filadelfo Oliveira Neto, in this whole episode, which profoundly affects the legitimacy of the exercise of his function in this diocese, in accordance with the pre-requisite of Article 1 of Canon 19 of the General Canons: The suffragan bishop is an assistant of the diocesan bishop and acts under his direction.

07. As an Anglican diocese regularly constituted, and faithful to the ecclesiology determined by the Lambeth Conference, and the clear points of the Constitution and the General Canons of the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil and of the Diocesan Canons (including the Canon 22, Article 3, point of legal pre-requisite for all the Ministers acting within its territory) and in re-affirmation of its status as autonomous local church, through the present document, the Anglican diocese of Recife communicates to the Episcopal Anglican Church of Brazil, to all members of the diocese of Recife and to the Brazilian Christian community, answer and decision, on the soundest foundations of Doctrine, of Norms, of Jurisprudence and of Custom.

08. Always open to dialogue, and loyal to Anglicanism, in search of Peace the sister of Truth, we respectfully undersign,

Recife (PE), 17th. September, 2004

Right Rev Robinson Cavalcanti Diocesan Bishop Anglican Diocese of Recife

ARCHDEACONS: Ven. Arc. Rev. Mauricio R. Fernandes Coelho Standing Committe - Chairman South Area Garden of Olives´ Parish.

Ven. Arc. Canon Rev. Quintino Jose Orengo da Silva Center Area Semeador´s Parish.

Ven. Arc. Revda. Maria Gorete Correia M. Silva North Area Social Action Secretary Redemption´s Parish.

Very Rev Dean Luiz Souza de França PB/RN/CE States´ Area Ressurrection Con-Cathedral.

STANDING COMMITTEE MEMBERS:

Revda. Simea de Souza Meldrum Living Waters´ Parish.

Adriana Ortiz Ressurrection´s Con-Cathedral.

Emanuel Autran Reconciliation´s Parish.

Maria Edilene de S. Pereira Mediator´s Parish.

SECRETARIES:

Rev. Estevao Menezes da Silva General Secretary (Executive) Garden of Olives´ Parish.

Rev. Manoel Severino Moraes de Almeida Right Humans Secretary Good Samaritan´s Parish.

Evangelist Samuel Hansen O. Silvestre Evangelism and Mission Secretary Saint Luke´s Parish.

ML. Jeane Grande de Miranda Arruda Coelho Intercession Secretary Salvation´s Parish.

Maria de Fatima A. França Women Secretary Ressurrection´s Con-Cathedral.

Valdenio Bezerra Figueiredo Men Secretary Garden of Olives´ Parish.

VICARS:

Rev. Evilasio Tenório da Silva Bethel´s Mission Station.

Rev. Fernando Acosta Rodriguez Holy Spirit Parish and Jesus of Nazareth Mission Station.

Rev. Geison Savio de Holanda Vasconcelos Holy Spirit Station.

Revda. Juciara Maria Rodrigues do N. Crasto Saint Paul´s Parish Bethesda Mission Station.

Rev. Marcio Medeiros Meira Saviour´s Parish Communion´s Parish.

Rev.Miguel Angelo de A. Uchoa Cavalcanti Holy Spirit Parish & Mount Moriah Mission Station.

Revda. Veralucia Lins Silva Redemption Parish.

Revda. Vera Lucia Melo do Nascimento Emmanuel Parish.

Rev. Canon. Washington Franco Philadelphia Parish.

DEACONS:

Rev. Daniel Barbosa da Silva Prior of the Evangelical Order of Saint Stephen Martin Luther King Mission Station.

Rev. Decio da Silva Emmanuel´s Parish.

Rev. Elias Leoncio de Brito Filho Good Samaritan Parish.

Rev. Fred de Melo Souto Lima Holy Spirit Parish.

Rev. Josias Pereira de Souza Júnior Holy Spirit Parish.

Rev. Manoel Nunes da Silva Neto Hope´s Parish.

Rev. Marconi Alves de Oliveira New Life´s Parish.

Rev. Marcus Throup Garden of Olives Parish.

Rev. Raniere Almeida de Oliveira Semeador´s Parish.

Revda. Solange Cristina Pereira Peace´s Mission Station.

Rev. Tiberio Marques da Silva Redemption Parish.

RETIRED CLERGY:

Rev. Antonio Costa de Oliveira Comforter Parish.

MINISTERS IN RECOGNITION OF ORDER

Rev. Cezar Romero Leal Vieira Garden of Olives.

LAY READERS & PERSON IN CHARGE MINISTER:

Andre Luiz de Souza Philadelphia´s Mission.

Claudio Luiz Figueiredo de Brito Salvior´s Mission.

Dinamerico Wanderley Ribeiro de Sousa Holy Spirit Parish.

Flavio Adair Torres Soares Christ Liberator Mission.

Jocelenitlon Gomes da Silva Salvation´s Mission.

Josias Pereira de Souza Living Waters Parish.

Luiz Fernando Bernhoeft Holy Spirit Parish.

Mauricio Amazonas Good Samaritan Parish.

Pablo da Rocha Barbosa Redemption´s Parish.

Sergio Bartolomeu Ramos da Silva Semeador´s Parish.

Teresa Julieta de Paula Menezes Catao Salvation´s Parish.

The Rev. Estevao Menezes is General Secretary of the Diocese of Recife in Brazil. This story was translated from Portuguese by the Reverend Marcus Throup.

END