Outgoing Anglican leader pushes for acceptance of female bishops
October 22, 2012
Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, has called for acceptance of women as bishops in the Anglican communion.
Writing in The Church Times, Dr. Williams—who has announced that he is stepping down as worldwide leader of the Anglican communion effective in December—said that continued opposition to the acceptance of women as bishops “risks committing us to a period of continued and perhaps intensified internal conflict with no clearly guaranteed outcome.”
The question of female bishops—which, along with questions about homosexuality and marriage, has caused deep divisions among Anglicans—will come up for discussion at the next meeting of the Anglican Synod.
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Posted by: -
Oct. 23, 2012 12:56 PM ET USA
The Anglican Church is in serious moral decline brought on by a crisis of Church leadership that has resulted in a breakdown of traditional Anglican beliefs and teachings. Anglican Archbishop Williams has enhanced this breakdown though his seemingly weak leadership that embraces dialogue and tolerance rather than enforcement of Church law (orthodoxy should be seen "as a tool rather than an end in itself..." It is not something which stands still.). As a result the Anglican Church now has a gay bishop, female priests, accepts homosexuality and same sex marriage, and is moving towards sanctioning female bishops. On the other hand, the Catholic Church in America, while not nearly as bad as the Anglican Church, is also facing similar orthodoxy problems. Fortunately the Catholic Church now seems to be aware of these problems and is beginning to take action - through the Pope’s new evangelization theme and by many US Bishops who are now forcefully speaking out and taking action where needed. So we have an Anglican Church which is fragmenting (other Protestant denominations as well), a Catholic Church that is going back to its traditional roots, and many traditional Anglicans who are finding themselves disenfranchised with nowhere to go except back to Mother Church. Could this all be part of God’s grand plan to prepare the way for the full reconciliation of Christendom? Now that would be something to behold!
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Posted by: geoffreysmith1 -
Oct. 23, 2012 10:44 AM ET USA
Why not appoint HM the Queen as the next 'Archbishop of Canterbury'? After all, she is the head of the Church of England. Liz would look just fine in a diamond-studded mitre.
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Posted by: SacredHeart -
Oct. 23, 2012 10:30 AM ET USA
The Anglicans are indeed in chaos, and Protestantism in general is rapidly disappearing. Pray that more will flee the sinking ship and come ashore on the correct side of the Tiber.
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Posted by: DrJazz -
Oct. 23, 2012 7:53 AM ET USA
So, in the way out the door, insist that the next guy (well, a guy for now, anyway) do the dirty work you didn't do. Way to show courage, Bish.
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Posted by: TheJournalist64 -
Oct. 22, 2012 8:15 PM ET USA
Well, Rowan has never seen a liberal cause that he doesn't like. The Anglicans are in chaos.