The bishops’ decision to abandon KAIROS is a defeat for social justice in Canada. The ability of Christian faith groups to speak together publicly on a range of issues, something that has been a crowning aspect of Canadian ecumenism for four decades, has now been dealt a massive blow. The decision of the CCCB to leave KAIROS is a manifestation of the lack of ecumenical grace in the church leadership of today.
An Oct. 7 letter from CCCB President Bishop Doug Crosby noted three main difficulties for the bishops: that KAIROS emphasizes advocacy and “immediate action,” that the KAIROS board operates by consensus and then decision of the majority, and the lack of a mechanism by which the CCCB could opt out of certain KAIROS projects.