Evangelical Bishop facing suspension in Brazil

The Rev Robinson Cavalcanti, the bishop of Recife, is facing suspension after an intervention in his diocese by the Archbishop of Brazil, the Most Rev Glauco Soares de Lima. The evangelical bishop has been clashing with his mainly liberal province due to his province’s support for the Episcopal Church of the USA over the past year.

Cavalcanti has the support of the majority of his diocese in the way that he has been outspoken in criticising the liberal direction of the Brazilian Church. This he believes comes directly under the influence of the Episcopal Church of the USA. He also went on to reveal that his own suspension would be the next step.

The situation arose when a deacon in the diocese was ordained by the Archbishop of Brazil without informing the bishop, and in addition the installation of two lay priests was also made.

Over the weekend, the Archbishop gave the Bishop of Brasilia the title of supervisor of the Diocese. An administrative commission for the diocese was also appointed, which is headed by the suffragan bishop, a priest and three lay people from the diocese.

The recent report ignited angry reactions from the conservative pressure group, Anglican Mainstream. "This is unhelpful in the context of the Communion debate on the relation between dioceses and provinces in the wake of the Windsor Report," said a statement from the convener, Dr Philip Giddings.

According to Rev Lima, the matter was being dealt with internally in a letter to the Archbishop of Canterbury. His response was to an earlier appeal from the diocese to the Archbishop for outside intervention as threatening moves increase by the Province against the diocese.



Jenny Lee
Ecumenical Press