I received word yesterday from a friend in the Philippines that Bishop Abellon, first Prime Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the Philippines (ECP) Wenesday night in his home in Nayon. He was 87 years old. Bishop Abellon was the seventh bishop of the Philippines in Anglican succession.
He was a leader with a large heart for a large job, that of turning the Church in the Philippines towards autonomy. The process he began has eighteen years later resulted in a church that is autonomous both in structure and in funding.
The Episcopal Church in the Philippines has become an important instrument for peace and justice in he Philippines and an example of Christian ecumenism. Bishop Abellon was at the center of these efforts.
He led a full and good life. May he rest in peace.
In the midst of all the conflicts and struggles in the Anglican Communion we need to remember that what the Churches in the AC have been able to do in many places is bring a peculiar sensibility about HOW to be a Christian, one that values a rich liturgical life, a commitment to people in communities often quite different from one another, and a faithfulness to the Gospel. The ECP has been such a voice.
Thank you for the news about Bishop Abellon. I have been reading on Wikipedia the histories of the ECP and the Philippine Independent Church. Since the two churches are similar, why do they not unite?
ReplyDeleteI will light a candle for for Bishop Abellon today...thank you for sharing the history of his service and his success as a Bishop.
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