(AFP) – Sep 21, 2007

NEW ORLEANS, United States (AFP) — Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams said Friday he hoped to avoid a split within the global Anglican communion following crisis talks with the US church over its liberal stance on homosexuality.

Leaders of the US branch of Anglicanism, the Episcopal church, said they expect to have a response to conservative critics of the church's stance by early next week, when the meeting of the House of Bishops here closes.

They also expressed hope of avoiding a schism.

"We believe it is important for the Episcopal church to remain in full communion with the rest of the Anglican communion," said US presiding bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori.

The response will come just days before a deadline set by global leaders for the US branch to reverse its position on the ordination of gay clergy and the blessing of same sex unions.

A summit of worldwide Anglican leaders who met in Tanzania in February agreed that the Episcopal Church must unequivocally bar official blessings of same-sex unions and the consecration of more openly gay bishops.

In a communique issued after the meeting, the Episcopal Church was given until September 30 to reverse its position or the primates said its relations with other Anglicans would remain "damaged at best."

Williams, while acknowledging the contentious nature of the debate, sought to downplay talk of a split.

"Despite what has been claimed, there is no ultimatum involved," he said at a press conference.

Asked if the church was prepared to let some congregations break away, Williams said, "I think it would be rather an admission of defeat if we said that we were incapable of working together on the issues that divide us.

"Whether we get to that point, I don't know. I have to say God forbid."

Neither Williams nor Jefferts Schori would indicate how the Episcopal church will respond.

"We have had stimulating and provocative conversation over the last day and a half," Jefferts Schori said. "The hope is that we have a full response by the time we close our meeting."

Williams, however, hinted that a delicate balance was needed so as to respect theological convictions while avoiding discrimination.

"Those who want to raise questions about the eligibility of gay and lesbian people in active partnerships for high office in the church would say it's not an issue of discrimination," he said.

"It's about how far the traditional common theology of the church allows us to bless those relationships."

He bristled, however, when asked whether he thought homosexuals could be "cured."

"Healing is available to any human being by the grace of God... (but) I do not assume that homosexuality is a disease in and of itself."

The 77-million member Anglican communion has been divided since 2003, when Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest, was elected bishop of the New Hampshire diocese.

Tensions were heightened last year when the Episcopal church elected Jefferts Schori, a woman, as its leader.

In response, African diocese have been ordaining missionary bishops to minister to more conservative American Episcopalians, a move that has been seen as a direct challenge to the jurisdictional authority of US church officials.

The leader of the Episcopal church offered an olive branch Thursday by inviting eight bishops to serve as "visitors" to parishes in six US dioceses which are dissatisfied with the more liberal leanings of their existing leadership.

But Williams said he was troubled by the practice.

"I don't question their personal sincerity," he said of the foreign-consecrated clergy, but added that the actions were "making it harder and harder to find constructive and viable solutions here."

Williams also said he was not in favor of postponing the communion's most important meeting, the Lambeth Conference which is held every 10 years.

Conservative Anglican leaders, principally from Asia and Africa, have threatened to boycott the conference and others have asked for a cooling off period.

"I'm not sure that we could ever define what an adequate cooling off period would look like," Williams said.

"Temperatures are very high at the moment; it would be a very skilled physician indeed to say temperatures would be down to normal by a fixed date."

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