ONE of the leading figures in the Church of England has called for a moral crusade in the wake of a feared split in the worldwide Anglican communion.
The Bishop of Chester, the Rt Rev Dr Peter Forster, was speaking as the Church appeared to edge closer to a schism over the issue of homosexuality.
A four-day meeting held near Armagh, in Northern Ireland, broke up yesterday, with primates of the 78m strong Anglican communion asking its member churches in the United States and Canada to voluntary withdraw from intercommunal gatherings for at least three years.
The meeting was called to discuss the Windsor Report, set up by Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams in an effort to resolve the crisis over the ordination of the first openly-gay Anglican bishop, Gene Robinson, as Bishop of New Hampshire and the blessing of same-sex unions in Canada.
However, Dr Forster said the Anglican church needed to look at all areas of morality in its discussions on sexuality, not just the issue of homosexuality. He also said he was unhappy with the "scapegoating" of homosexuals, particularly Gene Robinson.
In a lecture to evangelical Anglicans, Dr Forster added: "I am as cautious about a reinterpretation of Christian norms in relation to heterosexual relationships outside marriage as I am to sexually active same-sex relationships.
"I regret that the spotlight so often falls upon the homosexual dimension, which I believe is a form of corporate scapegoating by the heterosexual community.
"While I regard the Windsor Report as in many respects an admirable document, within its scope, I like least the singling out of Gene Robinson. Why should he be barred from the next Lambeth Conference while those bishops who consecrated him are to be invited?"
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