Episcopal Press and News
Brazilian Priest Leaves Anglican Church
Episcopal News Service. October 18, 2002 [2002-241-15]
After 33 years of ministry, Anglican priest Paulo Garcia told a Brazilian newspaper that the 'exaggerated freedom' granted homosexuals was one of the reasons that he made the decision to leave the Anglican Church of Brazil.
After 27 years as dean of the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, in the Aflitos quarter of Recife, Garcia said that alleged 'liturgical and ethical divergences' from the positions adopted by Anglican leaders caused him to take action. He said he will continue celebrating the Eucharist there on Sundays, although the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Recife, Robinson Cavalcanti, has appointed the Rev. Filadelfo Oliveira as acting dean of the cathedral and the Rev. Sergio Andrade as assisting dean.
Garcia said he is still deciding which denomination he will join. He has already been invited to participate in the Charismatic Episcopal Church, established in 1977 in Chicago. 'We will continue activities in the cathedral. I am praying to discover which new way that I should go, but I have still not decided,' said Garcia.
Garcia said he does not intend to leave the building or property of the congregation. He added that, legally, he has the right to remain there. 'I am certain that Brazilian civil laws that regulate property guarantee permanence to the congregation here,' observed Garcia.
Cavalcanti disagreed. 'The building belongs to the Anglican Church of Brazil--it was donated by the English. The congregation is not owner of the cathedral,' said Cavalcanti. 'As bishop and representative of the church, I will go to the courts to set justice in motion, in case Paulo Garcia refuses to leave.'
The part of the congregation that has decided to continue in the Anglican Church of Brazil will meet in another place, still not determined. 'They will be able to meet with Oliveira at diocesan headquarters. The people will continue to have all the spiritual leadership always found in our church,' said Cavalcanti.
Garcia said that the decision to disconnect himself from the Anglican Church of Brazil was very difficult and painful. 'But the accumulation of situations that I came to observe left me constrained to do so. Attitudes that violate the word of God leave my heart sad,' he explained. 'As I cannot agree to this, nor can I explain these attitudes to my people, I opted to asking for the disconnection, after 33 years of ministry...The homosexuals deserve our understanding and love and we are to help them. But our doctrinal and ethical reference is the Bible, which is opposed to homosexuality,' Garcia said.
'The departure of Paulo Garcia is lamentable and inexplicable. It caught us by surprise. What he is giving us are not arguments but excuses, because he was invited to participate in another church. Paulo never adjusted to Anglicanism and he always had difficulty in obeying his superiors and in coexisting in a plural church,' said Cavalcanti.