Updated again Wednesday evening
Today, a press briefing was held at Lambeth Palace to launch the 2008 Lambeth Conference.
Here is the official press release.
Here is information about the programme.
Episcopal News Service has published Lambeth Conference program launched; audio streams available.
Press reports so far:
Riazat Butt Guardian Gay ‘climate of controversy’ clouds Anglican gathering and later Williams puts sexuality on the agenda for bishops.
Ruth Gledhill The Times Six hundred bishops sign up for Lambeth despite threats of schism and also blog article The importance of Archbishop Ernest and Boycott fear on conference.
Update Tuesday evening
Lambeth Palace has released video recordings of the press conference:
Update Wednesday evening
Dave Walker has written about the event at Launch of the Lambeth Conference. Dave has an important role in the Conference, as explained here.
“Gene Robinson has not been invited to the Lambeth Conference. It is proving extremely difficult to see under what heading he might be invited to be around.”
What an appalling bit of rubbish. Gene Robinson is a diocesan bishop, and as such is entitled to an invitation. Now that GAFCON is taking place, I think the objectors to +Robinson’s invitation have made it clear that they’re off anyway, so now is the time to atone for such outrageous inhospitality. To justify it with such smelly poppycock just compounds the sin.
“Gene Robinson has not been invited to the Lambeth conference and it is proving extremely difficult to see under what heading he might be invited to be around, and that is where we are.”
May I suggest to the Archbishop that the proper heading would be “diocesan bishop,” an office to which Bishop Robinson was elected and consecrated?
In fact, it seems easier to see why he should be invited, as opposed to why he should not be.
I would like to know if Schofield is invited. Likewise Iker and Dunkin’. How about Venables? I can think of lots of reasons not to invite these, whom Dante might relegate to the circle labled ‘sowers of discord.’ As the prior writers state, +Gene is the duly elected, consented to, and consecrated Bishop of New Hampshire, and that would be the heading under which the ABC should invite him.