ANGLICANS OVERWHELMINGLY AGREE TO KEEP COMMUNION INTACT

CANTERBURY Anglican leaders have overwhelmingly decided to stay together at a summit aimed at preventing a split in their fellowship over homosexuality, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby said Friday, a day after the group sanctioned the U.S. Episcopal Church for supporting gay marriage.

Welby, the Anglican spiritual leader, acknowledged the pain that the decision will cause gays and lesbians and apologized for the church’s past wrongs against them, But he said a majority of Anglicans consider the position of the U.S. church an unacceptable deviation from doctrine.

“Everyone unanimously indicated that they wanted the churches of the Anglican Communion to walk together,” Welby said. “There was no exception ... it was universal and unanimous.”

Welby said there had to be “consequences” for the American churches’ decision to allow gays to marry.

Jayne Ozanne, a leading gay rights activist in the church, expressed outrage over the decision, arguing there was little “recognition at the pain this is causing,” particularly for those in African communities where homosexuality is harshly punished.