Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America

Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de America
Primate Héctor Zavala Muñoz
Territory Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay
Members c. 22,000
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Anglican realignment

Provinces

Anglican Church of Nigeria  · Anglican Church in North America · Anglican Church of Rwanda · Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America  · Anglican Diocese of Sydney  ·

Associations
American Anglican Council · Anglican Coalition in Canada · Anglican Communion Network · Anglican Network in Canada  · Federation of Anglican Churches in the Americas · Forward in Faith
Events

Global Anglican Future Conference · Departures from the Episcopal Church

Related churches
Anglican Mission in the Americas · Anglican Province of America · Convocation of Anglicans in North America · Episcopal Missionary Church · Reformed Episcopal Church ·
People

Peter Akinola · Robert Duncan · Drexel Gomez · Peter Jensen · Gene Robinson · Gregory Venables · Rowan Williams

Issues
Anglicanism · Windsor Report · Ordination of women · Homosexuality and Anglicanism

Anglicanism Portal

The Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America (Spanish: Iglesia Anglicana del Cono Sur de América) is the ecclesiastical province of the Anglican Communion that covers the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay and a diocese in Brazil, in South America.

Formed in 1981, as of 30 November 2007, the province reported 22,000 members.[1] Its members in South America are thinly spread, making it one of the smaller provinces in the Anglican Communion in terms of numbers, although one of the largest in geographical extent.

Background before 1981

During the 19th century, British immigrants to South America brought Anglicanism with them (Milmine p.8). In Britain, a voluntary Anglican society was formed in 1844 to evangelize the indigenous peoples of Tierra del Fuego. This later became the South American Mission Society (SAMS) and extended its activities the Araucanian regions of Chile and the Chaco. It still plays an important place in the life of the church[n 1][2]

The first diocese was established in 1869 as the Diocese of the Falkland Islands and the rest of South America, excepting British Guyana. The see of the bishop was in Buenos Aires (Milmine p.11).[n 2] Despite its title, the diocese's effective territory was restricted to the Southern Cone plus Peru and Bolivia. By contrast, Anglican/Episcopal congregations in Brazil and the more northern Spanish-speaking countries were effectively under the wing of the Episcopal Church of the USA (Milmine p.9). As the Anglican Church and its mission grew in South America, new dioceses were created from that larger one. Missionary bishops were appointed to smaller dioceses.

Until 1974, these missionary dioceses were under the metropolitical oversight of the Archbishop of Canterbury. For the next seven years, they were administered by an ad hoc council known by the acronym CASA (Consejo Anglicano de Sud América) (Milmine p.16), which also had Brazilian members.

History

In 1981 the five dioceses of Argentina (at the time including Uruguay), Northern Argentina, Peru & Bolivia, Chile, and Paraguay came together to form the Province of the Southern Cone. Uruguay became an independent diocese in 1988 (Milmine p.48) and Bolivia some years later. The province is distinguished by a conservative approach to the interpretation of biblical texts and church practice.

In 2003, after the consecration of Gene Robinson as Bishop of New Hampshire in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, the Province of the Southern Cone severed its relationship with the US Episcopal Church. It objected to Robinson's selection, as he was the first openly gay, partnered bishop within the Anglican Communion. The Province is in full communion with the Anglican Church in North America, formed in 2009 by former members of the Episcopal Church. But in its diocesan synod, the Diocese of Uruguay voted to maintain full communion with both the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church.

Later, the Church of the Province of the Southern Cone decided to extend ecclesiastical jurisdiction to conservative congregations (such as some from the Diocese of Virginia) that departed from the Episcopal Church, but were located within its geographical authority. This decision was not authorized by the Anglican Communion. The schism remains unresolved.

In November 2010, after the Provincial Synod that took place in Argentina, Bishop Héctor Zavala Muñoz, Diocesan Bishop of Chile, was elected as Primate. He is the first South American primate of this province.

Dioceses

Diócesis de Argentina (Diocese of Argentina)

Diócesis de Argentina Norte (Diocese of Northern Argentina)

Diócesis de Bolivia (Diocese of Bolivia)

Diócesis de Chile (Diocese of Chile)

Diócesis de Paraguay (Diocese of Paraguay)

Diócesis de Perú (Diocese of Peru)

Diócesis de Uruguay (Diocese of Uruguay)

Extra-provincial jurisdictions

The bishops and a number of communicants of four dioceses in the United States — the Diocese of San Joaquin (ACNA), the Anglican Diocese of Pittsburgh (ACNA), the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth (ACNA) and the Diocese of Quincy (ACNA) – have voted in their conventions to separate from the Episcopal Church and affiliate "on an emergency and temporary basis" with the Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America. Those who have chosen to remain in the Episcopal Church in the United States have reformed their dioceses and have elected new leadership. The Episcopal Church has pursued legal action to try to recover assets held by the dioceses that realigned.

In Canada, 72 parishes in Canada have formed the Anglican Network in Canada and identify as an "ecclesial body under the jurisdiction of the Anglican Province of the Southern Cone". The province also claims one diocese in Brazil, the Diocese of Recife (Diocese do Recife) under Bishop Robinson Cavalcanti.[5] This is not to be confused with the Diocese Anglicana do Recife, which is a member of the Anglican Episcopal Church of Brazil.

The Anglican Communion Office does not recognize jurisdiction of the Southern Cone bishops over dioceses and ecclesiastical bodies located geographically outside Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay.[6] The arguments against this realignment claim that overlapping episcopal jurisdiction goes against Anglican polity and tradition; while those arguing in favor claim that while rare, there exist a number of examples of similar realignments throughout Anglican and Christian history.

Notes and references

Notes

  1. ↑ But, since 2010, SAMS has been part of the new Church Mission Society.
  2. ↑ This was due to legal requirements at the time, which did not allow the Church of England to consecrate or appoint bishops outside those territories under the jurisdiction of the Crown.

References

  1. ↑ Anglican Journal: Quick facts: The Anglican Church of the Southern Cone of America Nov 30, 2007
  2. ↑ History: Church Mission Society, Official website
  3. ↑ http://www.aco.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=534&view=alpha
  4. ↑ http://www.aco.org/tour/diocese.cfm?Idind=533&view=alpha
  5. ↑ "Southern Cone offers haven to disaffected US dioceses", Church Times, 16 November 2007
  6. ↑ http://www.aco.org/tour/province.cfm?ID=S5

Bibliography

Milmine, Obispo Douglas (1993), La Comunion Anglicana en América Latina

External links