Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

Regina, Sask. - Canadian Anglican bishops have selected four from among their own number to be candidates for an election to the office of Primate, which will be held next month in St Catharines, Ont.

The election of a successor to Archbishop Michael Peers, the 11th Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, is one of the tasks awaiting more than 300 members of the Anglican General Synod when it convenes 28 May-4 June.

Archbishop Peers, who was primate or leader of the Anglican Church for 18 years, retired in February.

Under church law, Canadian bishops nominate as many as five candidates for the primacy, and General Synod members vote to elect one of them.

The following bishops were nominated at a House of Bishops meeting here on the weekend:

* Ronald Ferris, Bishop of the Diocese of Algoma. Bishop Ferris, 55, has been Bishop of Algoma since 1995 and served as Bishop of Yukon before then, from 1981 to 1995.

* Andrew Hutchison, Bishop of the Diocese of Montreal and Archbishop of the ecclesiastical province of Canada. Archbishop Hutchison has been Bishop of Montreal since 1990 and Bishop Ordinary to the Forces since 1997.

* Caleb Lawrence, Bishop of the Diocese of Moosonee. Bishop Lawrence, 62, has been Bishop of Moosonee since 1980.

* Victoria Matthews, Bishop of the Diocese of Edmonton. Bishop Matthews, the Anglican Church of Canada's first female bishop, was first elected suffragan bishop of Toronto in 1993 and has been Bishop of Edmonton since 1997.

More here: http://generalsynod.anglican.ca/stories/news.php?newsItem=2004-04-19_01.gs2004