Showing posts with label Archbishop of Canterbury. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Archbishop of Canterbury. Show all posts
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Friday, November 09, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The new Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby offered an olive branch to the gay community saying he will re-examine his opposition to same-sex marriage.
The new Archbishop of Canterbury offered an olive branch to the gay community despite reaffirming his opposition to same-sex marriage.
Justin Welby, the Bishop of Durham, pledged to examine his own thinking on homosexuality "carefully and prayerfully" and spoke out against "exclusion".
Be he said he supported the Church's current stance on redefining marriage. "I support the House of Bishop's statement in the summer in answer to the government's consultation on same sex marriage.
I know I need to listen very attentively to the LGBT communities, and examine my own thinking prayerfully and carefully. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Friday, November 09, 2012
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Justin Welby, a former oil executive who was made a bishop just over a year ago, has been appointed the next leader of the Church of England, Downing Street confirmed on Friday morning.
A statement on the website of the prime minister's office said the Queen had nominated Welby. A press conference at Lambeth Palace is taking place to announce that the 56-year-old bishop of Durham will be the 105th man to sit on the throne of Saint Augustine, succeeding Rowan Williams[.]
Welby will be enthroned as archbishop of Canterbury in Canterbury Cathedral on 21 March 2013. He said: "To be nominated to this post is both astonishing and exciting. It is something I never expected, and the last few weeks have been a very strange experience.
"It is exciting because we are at one of those rare points where the tide of events is turning, and the church nationally, including the Church of England has great opportunities to match its very great but often hidden strengths.
"I feel a massive sense of privilege at being one of those responsible for the leadership of the church in a time of spiritual hunger, when our network of parishes and churches and schools and above all people means that we are facing the toughest issues in the toughest place." » | Lizzy Davies | Friday, November 09, 2012
THE GUARDIAN – EDITORIAL: Justin Welby: a pragmatic priest in turbulent times: An evangelical conservative, the new archbishop of Canterbury will not run up against the suspicion of the church's reactionaries ¶ It was not through a puff of white smoke but through the suspension of booking at Ladbrokes that providence made itself known. For the identity of the new archbishop of Canterbury to emerge in this way is embarrassing, but then embarrassment is nothing new for the Church of England. In recent months fellow churchmen have torn themselves asunder over Occupy, and for far longer they have obsessively observed the injunction of Salt-n-Pepa: let's talk about sex. The divisive preoccupation with gay clergy and gay marriage crowds out much other discussion, and at times prevents the church being heard on anything else at all. And, all the while, the relentless withering of the congregations continues. » | Editorial | Thursday, November 08, 2012
Sunday, October 07, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The panel meeting to appoint the successor to Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, is split over the future of the Church.
It is the decision that 77 million Anglicans around the world are waiting for: who will become the next Archbishop of Canterbury.
But nine days after the successor to Dr Rowan Williams was expected to have been named, the Crown Nominations Commission remains silent.
Its work is shrouded in secrecy, but a Sunday Telegraph investigation can reveal that its 16 members are split, not over women bishops or same sex marriages, but the future of the Church itself.
A substantial number of people on the panel would like a man who will reform the structures, finance and strategies of the Church of England and help “re-imagine” it for the modern age. » | Cole Moreton, and Edward Malnick | Saturday, October 06, 2012
My comment:
The next Archbishop of Canterbury should be one who understands fully the threat of Islam, and he should also be committed to the Good News of the Gospel, leaving no stone unturned to begin the task of filling the churches once more. Anyone who does not meet up to these three challenges does not deserve to be the next Archbishop of Canterbury. Women bishops and gay marriage are side issues. The future of Western civilisation is at stake. – © Mark
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Sunday, June 24, 2012
THE OBSERVER: Key policy 'comes across as waffle', says archbishop of Canterbury in valedictory bombshellThe archbishop of Canterbury has denounced David Cameron's "big society", saying that it comes across as aspirational waffle that was "designed to conceal a deeply damaging withdrawal of the state from its responsibilities to the most vulnerable".
The outspoken attack on the prime minister's flagship policy by Rowan Williams – his strongest to date – is contained in a new book, Faith in the Public Square, that is being prepared for publication ahead of his retirement.
Passages from the book, obtained by the Observer, reflect the archbishop's deep frustration not just with the policies of Cameron's government and those of its Labour predecessors, but also with what he sees as the west's rampant materialism and unquestioning pursuit of economic growth. Williams also laments spiralling military expenditure, writing that "the adventure in Iraq and its cost in any number of ways seems to beggar the imagination".
But it is his suggestion that the big society – Cameron's personal vision of a more active civic society – is seen by people as a deliberate cover for plans to shrink the state that will be most controversial. On Saturday night, Cameron revealed he was considering scrapping most of the £1.8bn in housing benefits paid to 380,000 under-25s, worth an average of £90 a week, forcing them to support themselves or live with their parents. He also told the Mail on Sunday he might stop the £70-a-week dole money for the unemployed who refuse to try hard to find work or produce a CV.
Commenting on the "big society", Williams, who steps down in December after 10 years in his post, writes: "Introduced in the run[-]up to the last election as a major political idea for the coming generation, [it] has suffered from a lack of definition about the means by which such ideals can be realised. Big society rhetoric is all too often heard by many therefore as aspirational waffle designed to conceal a deeply damaging withdrawal of the state from its responsibilities to the most vulnerable." » | Toby Helm and Julian Coman | Sunday, June 24, 2012
Saturday, March 31, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Children are now half as likely to know the text of the Lord's Prayer than they were 40 years ago, according to a survey.
The study, which compared the answers of children aged 6-12 years old and adults who would have been that age 40 years ago, found that children today are less familiar with religious texts than their parents.
However, they are twice as likely to say that religion is important to them compared with those growing up in the 1970s.
Of the 1011 adults surveyed, 931 out of 1011 (92 per cent) said they knew the Lord’s Prayer as a child, while only 571 out of 1040 (55 per cent) of children knew it today.
The Archbishop of Canterbury told the BBC he believed that children should be taught the Lord's Prayer in schools and is worried by news that half as many children know the prayer.
Dr Rowan Williams said: "I'd like to see schools introducing children to the Lord's Prayer, so that they know that it's there, they know what it means and know why it matters. » | Josie Ensor | Saturday, March 31, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
DAILY EXPRESS: THE Archbishop of Canterbury will use his final months in office to “wage war” on David Cameron’s Government over the divide between rich and poor, friends claimed yesterday.
Dr Rowan Williams, who last week announced his intention to retire as the Church of England’s most senior cleric at the end of the year, is understood to be ready to launch a string of attacks on ministers on social policy issues.
Those close to the Archbishop, who has described himself as a “bearded Leftie”, say he is deeply concerned that Coalition policies are worsening divisions within British society.
A source close to the Archbishop, 61, yesterday said: “He is going to wage war on the Government over its social reforms and urge it to do more to create a financial system that sees the strong fend for the weak.”
And a Lambeth Palace insider said: “He is not going to shut up. He will use all the time he has left to speak out forcefully on the issues that he thinks people want addressed. He doesn’t make political calculations, but he will speak out as he sees fit.” » | Macer Hall | Monday, March 19, 2012
Friday, March 16, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: David Cameron, the Prime Minister has led tributes to Dr Rowan Williams who announced today he was stepping down as Archbishop of Canterbury. Here is a round up of the reaction:
As a man of great learning and humility, he has guided the church through times of challenge and change," the Prime Minister said.» | Friday, March 16, 2012
He has sought to unite different communities and offer a profoundly humane sense of moral leadership that was respected by people of all faiths and none.
As Prime Minister, I have been grateful for his support and advice and for the work he has done around the world, particularly in Africa where he has taken such a close interest in the Sudan.
THE GUARDIAN: Rowan Williams is to step down as archbishop of Canterbury at the end of 2012 to take up a university position at Cambridge
The archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to resign and return to academia as master of Magdalene college, Cambridge.
Williams, 61, will leave at the end of December in time to start his new role next January.
His time in office has been marked by a slowly growing schism in the worldwide Anglican church, which he has failed to heal. Williams has been attacked by conservatives for his liberal views on homosexuality and by liberals for failing to live up to these principles.
But he has been respected on all sides for his gifts as a preacher of great eloquence and flashes of clarity. » | Andrew Brown | Friday, March 16, 2012
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THE GUARDIAN: Rowan Williams: from least loved to cleverest man in the Church of England – The archbishop of Canterbury's views on female and gay clergy caused hostility but his intelligence was undeniable » | Amelia Hill | Friday, March 16, 2012
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, has announced he is to step down after ten years as he admitted that the row over homosexuality in the Church has been a "major nuisance".
Dr Williams, 61, will leave at the end of December to take up a new role as Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge next January. The Queen, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, has been informed.
His reign has been plagued by bitter rows over gay clergy and women bishops that have left him struggling to prevent the Church from unravelling.
Explaining his reasons for leaving, Dr Williams admitted that "crisis management" was not his "favourite activity" but denied the rows over homosexuality had "overshadowed everything".
But he said: "It has certainly been a major nuisance. But in every job that you are in there are controversies and conflicts and this one isn't going to go away in a hurry. I can't say that it is a great sense of 'free at last'."
Dr Williams said his successor would need the "constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros". » | John-Paul Ford Rojas | Friday, March 16, 2012
Friday, February 24, 2012
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My comment:
A theist believes God exists; an atheist believes He doesn't exist. Neither has proof; they are merely belief systems. So why should it surprise anyone when Richard Dawkins says he can't be sure God doesn't exist? Nobody, however erudite or clever can be sure about God's existence or non-existence. And I believe it is true to say that Richard Dawkins has consistently stated so in his talks and writings. – © Mark
This comment also appears here
Tuesday, December 06, 2011
The archbishop of Canterbury has warned that England risks a repeat of the riots that spread across England this summer unless the government and civil society do more to "rescue those who think they have nothing to lose".
Warning of "more outbreaks of futile anarchy", Rowan Williams, called for a renewed effort to reach out to alienated young people during what he described as the "unavoidable austerity ahead".
In an article for the Guardian, Williams links the disorder spread [a]cross England to the "massive economic hopelessness" and the prospect of record levels of youth unemployment.
Responding to the findings of the Guardian and London School of Economics research study, based on interviews with 270 rioters, Williams argues: "It isn't surprising if we see volatile, chaotic and rootless young people letting off their frustration in the kind of destructive frenzy we witnessed in August."
An overwhelming majority of people interviewed about their involvement in this summer's riots believe they will be repeated and one in three said they would take part in any future disorder. » | Paul Lewis, James Ball and Matthew Taylor | Monday, December 05, 2011
Monday, October 03, 2011
Dr Rowan Williams warned the Church hierarchy to prepare for the “culture change” that would come with the “full inclusion” of women.
Removing the bar to women’s ordination as bishops would help reverse the “creeping bureaucratisation” and “box ticking” that too often undermines the work of the Church, Dr Williams suggested.
His comments came as reforms allowing women to become bishops came a step closer to passing into Church law.
The 44 individual dioceses have until mid-November to hold ballots among members of their local synods, or assemblies, on whether to support plan.
The reforms have already proven highly divisive, contributing to hundreds of worshippers and clerics, including five bishops, leaving the Church of England to become Roman Catholics this year. » | Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor | Monday, October 03, 2011
The Anglican Church is already an irrelevance; the Archbishop of Canterbury is in the process of making it more irrelevant still.
The Church has been feminized over the years; and the more feminized the Church has become, the more the pews have emptied.
If Jesus had wanted there to be female priests and bishops, he'd have ensured that at least one of his disciples was a woman. He didn't do this; so it is pretty clear to me that this was not his intention.
Some people will say at this juncture that there were no women disciples because society back then was different. That's true. But Jesus was a revolutionary; so if he had wanted women to go out and preach the Gospel, he'd have made sure that his message was clear that they should. There is no doubt in my mind that this will bring no benefit to the Church. In fact, it will weaken an already weak Church even more.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is a man with his own liberal agenda. It appears that his agenda is more important to him than the survival of the Church.
Christianity is already dying on its feet in this country. Rowan Williams is only helping it along to its final resting place.
The Anglican Church – my own Church – has held little attraction for me for a very long time. This measure to introduce female bishops will make the Church still less attractive to me.
A feminized Church will be a weak Church. And as for his wanting to "humanise" the Church... Hasn't the Church been 'human' enough throughout the centuries? What a load of tosh, bunkum, and poppycock! – © Mark
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Saturday, September 10, 2011
Dr Rowan Williams is understood to have told friends he is ready to quit the highest office in the Church of England to pursue a life in academia.
The news will trigger intense plotting behind the scenes over who should succeed the 61-year-old archbishop, who is not required to retire until he is 70.
Bishops have privately been arguing for Dr Williams to stand down, with the Rt Rev Richard Chartres, the Bishop of London, telling clergy he should give someone else a chance after nearly ten years in the post.
Lambeth Palace would not be drawn into confirming or denying whether the archbishop will be leaving next year.
A spokesman would only say: "We would never comment on this matter."
Sources close to the archbishop say he will leave after the Queen's Diamond Jubilee next June and having seen the Church finally pass legislation to allow women to become bishops.
It is understood that Trinity College, Cambridge, is preparing to create a professorship for Dr Williams, who studied theology and was a chaplain at the university. » | Jonathan Wynne-Jones, Religious Affairs Correspondent | Saturday, September 10, 2011
Now that Dr. Rowan Williams is going, it is to be hoped that he will be replaced by a committed Christian in the traditional sense of the word. In my opinion, the most suitable person to replace him is Dr. Michael Nazir Ali. It is to be hoped that he will be chosen. I can think of no more suitable a candidate than him. With the pews in churches emptying more quickly than cinema seats after a bomb scare, the Church needs someone who is determined to bring people back into the fold, and determined to show those who are not Christians that the path to salvation is through Jesus Christ. Dr. Rowan Williams didn't do this; he didn't evangelize. As I understand Christianity, this is a must for any serious Christian, still more so for the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The West in general, and the UK in particular, is being challenged by Islam. Dr. Michael Nazir Ali is therefore the ideal candidate to replace Dr. Rowan Williams, since he was raised in Pakistan, in Karachi, by Christian parents, his father being a convert from Islam. This man is a committed Christian who understands Islam thoroughly. Given the challenges we face, he is the only sensible choice. – © Mark
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Thursday, May 05, 2011
TELEGRAPH – BLOGS – CRISTINA ODONE: Rowan Williams feels “uncomfortable” about the killing of Osama bin Laden. The man was unarmed, says the Archbishop of Canterbury, and the conflicting accounts that have emerged from the White House spread confusion and doubts.Archbishop Williams is a fine man, a good man. But he is dead wrong here. Summary execution, ie killing without trial, is just desserts for some tyrants. And Osama, the hate merchant and death peddler, was a tyrant to rank with some of the worst. His fate should be no better than theirs. Think of Benito Mussolini, who was executed by Italian partisans; he too was unarmed, but only his fellow fascists shed a tear or raised a voice in protest. Adolf Hitler cheated justice by committing suicide, but his death prompted confusion, just as in the wake of Osama’s killing. The febrile atmosphere in 1945, though, did nothing to alter the fact that Hitler was a personification of evil. Continue reading and comment » | Cristina Odone | Thursday, May 05, 2011
My comment:
As hard as it is to swallow, the Archbish had to say what he did because of Christian teachings. We lesser mortals don't want to hear it because it doesn't satisfy our baser instincts. To people who are less than good, sound practising Christians, revenge is more appealing. But for people with a higher calling, his words will find resonance.
In fairness to the man, one could hardly expect him to cheer on the killing of another, however despicable the acts he may have committed. It just wouldn't rhyme with the principles of his calling. Were he to have called for the killing of OBL, he would have been little better than the blood-thirsty imams we read about almost daily, the imams who call for the killing of the Jews and the Kuffaar. © Mark
A variant on this comment also appears here
Related »
THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury has criticised the White House over the killing of Osama bin Laden.
Dr Rowan Williams warned that the shooting dead of the unarmed al-Qaeda leader meant justice was not "seen to be done".
The differing accounts of the American special forces' operation which have emerged from the White House since Monday "have not helped", he said.
At a press conference at Lambeth Palace, The Daily Telegraph asked Dr Williams whether he thought the US had been right to kill bin Laden.
After declining to respond initially, he later replied: “I think the killing of an unarmed man is always going to leave a very uncomfortable feeling, because it doesn’t look as if justice is seen to be done in those circumstances.
“I think it’s also true that the different versions of events that have emerged in recent days have not done a great deal to help here.
“I don’t know full details any more than anyone else does. But I do believe that in such circumstances when we are faced with someone who was manifestly a war criminal, in terms of the atrocities inflicted, it is important that justice is seen to be observed.”
A spokesman for Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the head of the Roman Catholic church in England and Wales, said the church would not be commenting on the killing of the al-Qaeda leader. » | Tim Ross, Religious Affairs Editor | Thursday, May 05, 2011
Thursday, April 21, 2011
THE GUARDIAN: Rowan Williams sends Maundy Thursday plea to bankers, politicians and editors to assist communities in needBankers, politicians and newspaper editors should be legally required to spend a couple of hours every year working with the poor and needy to remind them of the purpose of their power and wealth, the archbishop of Canterbury has suggested.
He made the comments on Maundy Thursday, the day of the Last Supper when Jesus washed the feet of his disciples and when the British monarch honours deserving subjects.
In his contribution to BBC Radio 4's Thought for the Day slot, Dr Rowan Williams asked: "What about having a new law that made all cabinet members and leaders of political parties, editors of national papers and the hundred most successful financiers in the UK spend a couple of hours every year serving dinners in a primary school on a council estate? » | Riazat Butt, religious affairs correspondent | Thursday, April 21, 2011
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