THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: The Archbishop of Canterbury voiced opposition to same-sex couples adopting children and insisted that the Bible is “clear” that gay couples should not have sex, previously unpublished writings show.
Justin Welby also privately warned of a crisis facing the Church of England as a result of dwindling numbers and financial pressure which could even pose “serious questions of viability” within the next seven to 10 years.
And he openly questioned the formality of the Established Church, wondering aloud whether Jesus would have approved of “big buildings” and elaborate clerical dress.
His comments are disclosed in the first biography of the new leader of the world’s 77 million Anglicans, who will be formally enthroned in Canterbury later this month.
It charts his transformation from a highly paid City oil executive to life on a clerical stipend before his rapid promotion through the ranks of the Church.
It also reveals some of the most unguarded comments of the future Archbishop yet published, dating from his time as a little known parish priest just over a decade ago.
More recently, he voiced frustration at being branded a homophobic “European Taliban” for advocating traditional views on sex.
Archbishop Welby comes from the evangelical wing of the Church of England, which espouses traditional views on such issues. » | John Bingham, Religious Affairs Editor | Friday, March 08, 2013
