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ANGLICAN PRIMATE AND TORONTO DIOCESE OFFICIALLY REFUSE TO DISASSOCIATE FROM ANTI-CATHOLIC PRESENTATION TARGETING WORLD YOUTH DAY

Now say that they "value the right to ask uncomfortable questions"

TORONTO, July 19, 2002 (LSN.ca) - Departing from comments to LifeSite made by a spokesperson from the Anglican diocese of Toronto, the Anglican Primate of Canada and the Anglican Bishop of Toronto have refused to criticize an Anglican parish for hosting an anti-Catholic event during World Youth Day (WYD) celebrations. The Playboy funded pro-abortion group calling itself "Catholics for a Free Choice" is hosting an anti-Catholic week-long event hosted by Holy Trinity Anglican Church located in a popular area in downtown Toronto.

In earlier comments to LifeSite, a spokesperson for the Toronto Anglican diocese seemed to disassociate itself from the actions of the renegade church. He said that the diocese could not exercise control over individual churches and that the diocese supported WYD and did "not at all" consider the anti-Catholic event to be such support. However, a subsequent call by a spokesperson from the office of the Anglican Primate of Canada refused to disassociate from the anti-Catholic event.

Sam Galati, spokesperson for Anglican Primate Michael Peers told LifeSite that while the Anglican Church of Canada "is supportive of World Youth Day", but is "also supportive of efforts," such as the anti-Catholic event, "which allow the freedom to discuss issues openly." Asked several times, Galati continuously refused to distance the Anglican Church of Canada from the events at Holy Trinity Anglican, despite being told by LifeSite that the Anglican Toronto diocese did distance itself.

Toronto's Anglican Archbishop Terence Finlay issued a release on the matter the following day (July 18) saying of the Holy Trinity Church "I do support their right to do this, even when they question and challenge us. We value the right to ask uncomfortable questions in the spirit of charitable listening." The Catholic Civil Rights League reacted to the release saying that Archbishop Finlay "has chosen not to confront the extremism of their message."

Besides promoting abortion, contraception, women priests, homosexuality and all things non-Catholic, the presentation features a speaker who advocates violence and has taken part in a desecration of a Montreal Catholic cathedral, which he referred to as a "re-decoration."

See related coverage:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2002/jul/02071601.html

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