Updated
The Archbishop of Canterbury has given TV interviews to several journalists ahead of his enthronement at Canterbury Cathedral this afternoon.
Meanwhile John Bingham at the Telegraph reports on Archbishop Justin Welby’s olive branch to gay rights groups and also Archbishop ‘convinced’ role will eventually be held by a woman.
The Most Rev Justin Welby, who will be enthroned at Canterbury Cathedral later today, sent a message to Peter Tatchell, the veteran human rights campaigner, last night inviting him to meet face-to-face.
In was in response to an open letter in which Mr Tatchell accused the Archbishop of being “homophobic” by opposing gay marriage and said that Anglicans had “colluded” in extreme suppression of homosexuality in Africa.
The gesture is likely to further infuriate leaders of the Anglican Church in Africa and the southern hemisphere – several of whom are said to be preparing to snub the Archbishop by absenting themselves from a celebratory get-together for primates after the enthronement.
The invitation for a meeting is in stark contrast to the relationship between gay rights groups and previous Archbishops…
The Open Letter to Justin Welby from Peter Tatchell can be found here.
The Guardian has several articles:
Peter Walker Archbishop of Canterbury admits to gay ‘challenge’ for church and Justin Welby, archbishop of Canterbury – in his own words
Andrew Brown Justin Welby’s ascension shines light on powerful evangelical church
Andrew Atherstone Justin Welby is no fluffy spiritualist – he’s the tough leader the church needs
And there is another article by Andrew Atherstone published at Fulcrum (though written for Church Society) Archbishop Welby and the E-Word.
I am a priest in the Diocese of luapula ,in zambia for the last 20 years working mostly in rural parts of the country. The issue of gay rights and its advocates has gone on in our church endlessly and is slowly eating away the church like a tarantula.in my pat of the world people rarely make public their sexuality and every body is aware of of the fact that sex and sexuality is cardinal in life and it is taking place every day. The question we often ask in this part of the world is , if one chooses… Read more »
Orientation is not a choice but a given. However, I am interested to learn what is the exact nature of “true Christian manliness”.
Fr Michael, if you ask us to respect the local situation in Zambia, can I ask you what you would advise the Church of England to do in its own local setting, where the Government is introducing marriage equality and where gay and lesbian people and their friends and families are already leaving the church because they see it as discriminating, patronising and anti-Christian? The world in the various countries of the Anglican Communion is very very different and if we are to bring people to Christ, we must respond to our local situation. Zambia is not ready for recognising… Read more »
Fr Michael, I appreciate the tone of your note here. I also would love to see the church focus on mission to those in need. Here are a few thoughts. 1. Sexual orientation isn’t a choice, it is a fact of birth as much as gender or race. The science on that is rather conclusive, as is the experience of LGBT persons. 2. Some countries are experiencing a movement for equal rights that is similar to the movement for equal rights for African Americans in the US and for women in many countries. This is reflected in the churches in… Read more »
Dear Father Michael, Your point of view was widely held in the UK also in previous generations, but we now have a different understanding about the fundamental nature of people’s rights in relation to their sexual orientation. A case in the UK Supreme Court in 2010 included the following observations by Lord Hope, one of our most senior Judges: “For many years the risk of persecution in countries where it now exists seemed remote. It was the practice for leaders in these countries simply to insist that homosexuality did not exist. This was manifest nonsense, but at least it avoided… Read more »
Fr. Michael –
Thank you for writing. I would merely note that this is NOT a private matter. Who one shares one’s life with is a very public matter. What you do with your wife at home may be private, but the fact that you have one is public. So it should be for gays and lesbians too.
‘if one chooses their sexual orientation, why must they make it public? that is to say, if they are gay or lesbian or transexual, why should it be a public matter for the whole church?’
Father, please tell me do heterosexual couples marry in your Church ?
Are these ceremonies held in private or at public liturgies ?
Are they occasions of huge joy, delight and divine grace which transform the lives of all concerned in the celebration of prayer and sacrament ?
If so, how can you say with any appearance of consistency the words I quote above ?
Dear Father Michael, Thank you for writing. Others have said that being attracted to one’s own sex or the opposite sex is not a matter of choice (I never chose to find men attractive, it just happened). What I want to say is that I do not know a single person who chose to make their being attracted to their own sex public as a matter of pride. They did it for two reasons. Firstly because they did not want to be dishonest – to lead people to think they were straight when actually they were gay. Secondly, they did… Read more »
Good for Peter Tatchell.
http://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2013/03/9432/
I wonder what the TA reaction to this Gay author’s position might be?