The BBC radio programme Sunday starts with an interview of Rowan Williams conducted by David Willey in Rome. Listen to it here. (Real Audio, about 6 minutes). This includes quite a bit about the Catholic Herald interview as well as about the visit to the Pope.
A brave and unequivocal apology from Rowan Williams to women priests. He did not try to explain it away either. It takes strength of character. The pope did not manage this over his carefully chosen words regarding a Muslim emperor, words that ruined an otherwise interesting (to be disagreed with) lecture. Now the pope may have to find words for 1204. Recently he wrote a book written since his papacy that he describes as private views and not Catholic doctrine, which by stealth is a huge revision of the myth of papacy. He wants to keep being a scholar, which… Read more »
“I am very, very deeply sorry for that” — gracious words; and he seems to have caught the ear of Benedict on women priests — remarkable!