Election of our Primate or Metropolitan – Canon 3
Archbishop Patricio Viveros Robles was elected Metropolitan of the AICW following the resignation of Metropolitan Archbishop Norman Dutton and should have been Installed and Enthroned on 15th September 2007 by The Most Rev’d Dr Norman S Dutton in a service in The Private Chapel of St. Mary The Virgin at High Legh, but ++Patricio failed to arrive. The Most Rev’d Dr John Malcolm Rhodes (since promoted to his Heavenly reward) and The Most Rev’d Dr Clive Reginald Read were Installed and Enthroned respectively as Archbishop of the Province of the United Kingdom, and Archbishop of the Province of Europe.
Sources in Chile suggested ++Patricio was unable to travel as his Passport and Driving Permit had been withdrawn, but whether true or not, we have no idea. Clergy in Europe and Australasia provided details of a Criminal Case in Chile where the Judge/Magistrate referred to Patricio as “The Priest from Hell”. Copies of the article are obtainable on request from AICW . For many years the website of AICW Australia claimed Patricio had been Installed on 15th September 2007, but Patricio had not been at the Installation conducted by ++Norman who not not issued authority for any other person to Install Patricio on that or any other day. The Australian website error has now been removed.
On 10th January 2010, ++Patricio Installed Bishop Jorge Rodriques Escobar (who had been Consecrated at the same Synod on 7th September 2006 as Bishop Clive Read) to be Metropolitan/Primate Archbishop of The Anglican Independent Communion – Worldwide and determined (in accordance with Canon 3) the appointment should be for five years. The canons allow for the incumbent to serve a second similar term of years, should the candidate desire to do so.
On 8th July 2013 (3 years and 6 months into his first five year term), Primus Arzobispo Jorge announced his immediate abdication and designated Archbishop Clive Read should replace him and serve the remainder of his terms of office, the second 5-year term ending in January 2020, in expectation that his unorthodox decision would reunite AICW with AECI.
Meanwhile, the AICW continues to try and locate records which have never existed to determined who is entitled to vote.