The man who dreams of "a world without gays", Archbishop Vercoe, is representing New Zealand at an Anglican Church crisis meeting in Ireland to determine the fate of gay clergy. The meeting has ended in division, with the Episcopal Church in America and the Anglican Church of Canada being voluntarily thrown out of the Anglican Consultative Council until 2008 until they reconsider their decision to accept openly gay clergy. New Zealand's Anglican Church will fall into line. Bishop of Auckland John Paterson says the church welcomes homosexuals, but does not permit them to hold leadership roles, such as that of bishop. Archbishop Vercoe, the leader of the Anglican Church in New Zealand, caused a storm last year when he told the Herald he dreamed of a new moral uprising that would rid the world of gays. The Maori bishop's comments were defended as culturally sound by liberal Pakeha church leaders, despite condemnation from prominent figures within Maoridom. Following a public outcry, Vercoe backtracked slightly on the comments and claimed he never dreamed of a world without gays. His semi-retraction was made in a written statement released through the Anglican National Office. Vercoe has not given any interviews to the media since.
Credit: GayNZ.com News Staff
First published: Sunday, 27th February 2005 - 12:00pm