Archbishop of Canterbury apologizes for saying Church in Ireland ‘has lost all credibility’
April 05, 2010
The head of the Anglican Communion has called Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin to apologize for saying that the Church in Ireland “has lost all credibility.”
“I was speaking to an Irish friend recently who was saying that it's quite difficult in some parts of Ireland to go down the street wearing a clerical collar now,” said the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams. “And an institution so deeply bound into the life of a society suddenly becoming, suddenly losing all credibility-- that's not just a problem for the Church, it is a problem for everybody in Ireland.”
Dr. Williams later called Archbishop Martin to apologize for his radio interview remarks.
“I didn't honestly think I was saying anything that had not been said by others about the Irish Church, including leaders of the Irish Church,” said Dr. Williams. “I wasn't intending to criticize or condemn but to point out a really tragic situation and a huge challenge that faces the Church in Ireland at the moment which many of them are rising to with great courage.”
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Further information:
- Archbishop aims to move on from row (UKPA)
- Damian Thompson: The Archbishop of Canterbury eats his words (Daily Telegraph)
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Apr. 05, 2010 7:57 PM ET USA
“I wasn't intending to criticize or condemn" and terms like "lost all credibility" don't seem to go together, do they?
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Posted by: Frodo1945 -
Apr. 05, 2010 5:38 PM ET USA
Ah, Christian charity. Who needs enemies?
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Posted by: -
Apr. 05, 2010 10:13 AM ET USA
Williams' charge is not without truth, but it's a bit thick coming from him, head of the Anglican Disunion.
