"It has become clear to me that in view of the damage my consecration might cause to the unity of the Church, including the Anglican Communion, I must seek the consent of the Crown to withdraw acceptance of my appointment to the See of Reading," said John, canon theologian at Southwark Cathedral.

In response, Harries said that he was "very aware of the immense pressures that you have been under both from the media and those opposed to your appointment. I much respect your decision, made in the interest of wider Church unity. However, I would like you to know that not only did you have my unswerving support, but also that of a great many others in the diocese," he said. "I am very sad that we are not going to be blessed by your ministry as I know the Diocese of Southwark has been."

In an announcement from his headquarters at Lambeth Palace in London, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams expressed his disappointment over some of the reaction, warning that the withdrawal "should not be taken to mean that the church can now stop being concerned about how it discerns the will of God in this area of ethics." He also expressed his dismay with some of the letters opposing the appointment that "displayed a shocking level of ignorance and hatred towards homosexual people."

The controversy centered on the admission by John that he has been in a relationship with a man for 27 years, although he reported that he has been celibate for the last decade. "My own view is that there is a sound argument from scripture and tradition in favour of Christians accepting same-sex relationships, provided they are based on a personal covenant of lifelong faithfulness," he said recently in response to critics.

Spiritual apartheid?

"Having scored this victory, anti-gay evangelists are looking to step up their campaign against gay people in the church," warned gay rights advocate Peter Tatchell. Dean Colin Slee of Southwark issued a similar warning when he made the surprise announcement at the end of a Sunday morning Eucharist. "The news will hurt thousands of Christian people who are not gay but believe strongly in God's love and redemption for all his children equally. It is irrelevant to God's love whether people are male or female, slave or free, black or white, gay or heterosexual. We are addressing spiritual apartheid."

Conservatives who had led the opposition to the appointment expressed relief. "We welcome the courageous decision which Dr. John has made for the sake of the unity of the church," said Anglican Mainstream, a new conservative coalition in England. In a statement it said that the withdrawal "will enable the Church of England to address the underlying issues in this controversy--those relating to human sexuality and the qualities desired" in church leaders "in a calmer and more considered atmosphere." Rod Thomas of Reform, representing evangelicals in the Church of England, said that the movement was "relieved" by John's withdrawal and that he had "acted honourably."

International implications

Much of the opposition pointed to international ramifications of the consecration of an openly gay bishop for unity of the church. Led by Archbishop Peter Akinola of Nigeria, leaders of Anglican churches in East Africa denounced the appointment, charging that it violated church law and went against Christian ethics.

Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi, head of the Anglican Church of Kenya, maintained that his province would not recognize the consecration, even if it meant losing the support of the worldwide Anglican Communion leadership in Canterbury. "Our stand is very clear on the issue of homosexuality, and we are totally opposed to any consecration now and in future," he said in a July 2 announcement.

Akinola, primate of the largest church in the Anglican Communion with over 17 million members, said he considered the appointment of John and election by the Diocese of New Hampshire of the Rev. Gene Robinson, an openly gay priest living in a relationship, counter to Anglican teaching.

The leader of the Anglican Church of the Province of Uganda has also opposed the consecration of John. "We have always made our stand clear. We definitely don't agree with it," Archbishop Livingstone Nkoyoyo told a newspaper June 23.

A coalition of bishops in Australia, led by the Archbishop of Sydney Peter Jensen, said that, while the current crisis has been averted, the broader issue of same sex blessings remains unresolved. Bishop Robert Forsythe said that church leadership must address similar cases in the United States and Canada. "I think time will tell but my suspicion is the broader issue has not been addressed by this," he said. "This has removed the immediate urgency but it has not solved the deep differences of outlook which have led to this crisis in the first place."

Bonds of trust strained

"The perspective of the Anglican Communion demands careful consideration here," said Williams in his statement. "The estrangement of churches in developing countries from their cherished ties with Britain is in no one's interests. It would impoverish us as a church in every way. It would also jeopardize links with other denominations, weaken cooperation in our shared service and mission worldwide, and increase the vulnerability of Christian minorities in some parts of the world where they are already at risk. Any such outcome would be a very heavy price to pay," said Williams.

"This has been a time of open and painful confrontation, in which some of our bonds of mutual trust have been severely strained. As I said earlier, we need now to give ourselves the proper opportunities honestly to think through what has happened and to find what God has been teaching us in these difficult days."

Williams said that later this year a "significant study guide to the debate in the Church of England on Issues in Human Sexuality will be published. I hope that this will be fully used to deepen our understanding. Whatever the difficulties, we cannot afford to ignore or foreclose the necessary work" of addressing the issues.

The Church of England's view on issues in human sexuality: http://www.cofe.anglican.org/view/sexuality.html