Updated again Wednesday morning
Here is the full text of the Archbishop of Canterbury’s sermon at the opening service:
The Archbishop’s sermon for Opening Eucharist at the CAPA All Africa Bishops’ Conference, Uganda.
ACNS African bishops’ meeting in Uganda told: “History will record what happens at this conference”
Earlier press reports:
Daily Monitor Anglican head arrives for bishops’ summit
New Vision Anglican Church must be practical by Canon Kodwo Ankrah
Later press reports:
AFP Homosexuality against word of God: African bishops
ENTEBBE, Uganda — African Anglican bishops voiced their strong disapproval of homosexuality at a meeting Tuesday attended by Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, as the issue continues to divide Anglicans.
“Homosexuality is incompatible with the word of God,” said conference host and Ugandan Archbishop Uganda Henry Luke Orombi.
“It is good Archbishop Rowan is here. We are going to express to him where we stand,” he added…
Another version of this report appears at Daily Nation African bishops say Anglicans in West strayed from God
New Vision Anglican bishops maintain anti-gay stand
ANGLICAN bishops attending the All Africa Bishops Conference in Entebbe have reiterated their firm stand against homosexuality.
In speeches, most of which received standing ovations, the prelates said the practice was alien and an “innovation of the truth”.
Present was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, whose open support of the practice has made him the centre of attraction for the media at the conference.
The seven-day conference, at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel, attracted over 400 bishops, a quarter of whom are from Nigeria. Participants were excited by the attendance of bishops from the Muslim countries of Sudan and Egypt.
As most clergy stood to clap at speeches critical of homosexuality, Archbishop Williams and two aides, who sat in the front row, were the only ones who remained seated…
Anglican Church in North America Archbishop Duncan Joins Leaders at All Africa Bishops Conference
Archbishop Robert Duncan was included with the other Anglican primates during the opening Eucharist, and shared in the distribution of communion, as did the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
Bishops from all of Africa as well as Anglicans from around the world are meeting together in Entebbe, Uganda, for the Second All Africa Bishops Conference August 23-29.
The conference, which is organized by the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA), calls together bishops and archbishops from 400 dioceses in Africa. Invited guests from around the Anglican world are also present.
Archbishop Robert Duncan, Bishop Martyn Minns, Bishop John Guernsey and Bishop Bill Atwood are among the Anglican Church in North America leaders who are attending the event. “The Anglican Church is expanding everywhere in Africa. There are now some 400 dioceses spread across the continent. As Archbishop I am here to learn and to stand in solidarity with this vigorous gospel mission,” said Archbishop Duncan. As the leader of the Anglican Church in North America, Archbishop Duncan was included with the other Anglican primates (leaders of Anglican provinces) during the opening Eucharist, and shared in the distribution of communion, as did the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams.
Archbishop Williams told the gathered bishops that the 21st Century may well be the “African Century.”
Archbishop Duncan, as well as Archbishop John Chew of Southeast Asia, have also been invited to sit with the primates of the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA) during their meetings.
Box Turtle Bulletin “There is Already A Break”: Ugandan Archbishop Declares De-Facto Schism
…In Williams’ opening remarks, he didn’t address homosexuality specifically, but said this in his typically indirect, round-about way:
“We must learn to listen to those we lead and serve to find out what their hopes and needs and confusions are. We must love them and attend to their humanity in all its diversity,” Williams said.
But African clergy weren’t waiting to hear Williams’ watered-down messages, and they were far more direct in speaking with reporters…
New Times (Rwanda) African Bishops to re-examine the issue homosexuality
THE All African Bishops International Conference kicked off yesterday in Entebbe, Uganda with the clerics promising to strengthen their position on intolerance of homosexuality in the Anglican Church.
The one-week conference being held under the theme; “Securing our future; Unlocking our potential,” is jointly organized by the by Church of Uganda and the Council of Anglican Provinces of Africa (CAPA).
The Bishop of Butare Anglican Diocese, Nathan Gasatura, who is among the twelve Bishops representing Rwanda at the conference, said that the meeting would also reinforce the need for a common voice among African bishops.
“We shall consolidate our position to really stand against homosexuality now with one voice,” he told The New Times in an interview yesterday.
“Sometimes we have been speaking with dissenting voices because this is one of the planned topics that is going to be consolidated.”
Cape Times (South Africa) Anglican church ‘out of touch with word of God’
Weeellll, I guess Uganda didn’t run Rowan Williams out of town on a rail after all. Reading Rowan this time clangs loudly, gone rather tinny toned. He preaches ever so grandly about big, really big, matters – servanthood, grace, metanoia, and (gasp?) listening. It is just a bit much, to hear RW go on about listening, after how he has carried on to collapse and police the global big tents, and daintily encourage Anglican queer folks to go back into hiding, closeted, as quickly and as often as possible – so that traditional straight believers need not be disturbed by… Read more »
Kudos and then some, to the Canon – for getting real, eh? Wow, Wow, Wow.
I grow weary of the self-importance that seems to be such an inextricable part of these affairs. “History will record…” etc. No doubt it will.
That, along with the celebration of massive growth in numbers — as if the number of souls was of chiefest interest to God — is tiresome. Let’s see some of the fruits of the Spirit, such as kindness, gentleness, self-sacrifice, humility and so on, rather than the vain trumpeting of a church supposedly coming into its own.
I should like to highly recommend reading Canon Kodwo Ankrah’s letter, which goes far beyond the headline of ‘Anglican Church must be practical’. It is quite brief, and to the point, and it makes the pontification by Rowan Williams and others look ridiculous: ‘As I spent almost 30 years of my life serving the Church of Uganda, I feel that my experience and commitment to the Church allows me to respectfully make some comments and proposals. I cannot help but notice that our church leaders on the continent delight in attending conferences where lofty statements, declarations, and resolutions are made.’… Read more »
How I wish it weren´t so…how I am wishing these old boys, and they mostly are old boys, had shut their arrogant mouths and come to their common senses as they REALLY listened to something other than the sound of their own clanging voices…can you imagine the disaster of a hands-on ministry these unthinking holy men offer back in their home dioceses seeping with vertical corruption, war, greed and fear and hate? Can you imagine the lies for every-day-survival and necessary deceptions that are, and will be, responses to such ignorance and bigotry? PEOPLE WILL HIDE (and harm others with… Read more »
Baby Blue has posted a scan from today’s session which has Rowan Williams and the deposed former bishop of Pittsburgh in the main line-up, separated only by Henry Orombi and CAPA chair Ian Ernest. Presumably Duncan stood to applaud the anti-gay stuff?
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_6SVzaxaHvV8/THRnM99PciI/AAAAAAAAHHk/exbifCdtLIg/s1600/Rowan+Williams+and+Bob+Duncan+at+the+CAPA+Meeting
I see Archbishop Duncan is being accorded primatial status and is photographed with the primates and Rowan!
“When we are made bishops, we pray that we may be given the grace to follow the one Good Shepherd, Our Saviour Jesus Christ, knowing that only in following him will we be set free to help bring about in his world the changes that he desires.” – Archbishop Rowan’s Sermon @ CAPA – “The changes that (Christ) desires” – this is a highly significant clause in Archbishop Rowan’s eirenic sermon at CAPA, signalling, as it does, what is at the heart of episcopal ministry – to be listening to the Holy Spirit on a daily basis and endeavouring to… Read more »
What a sad bunch of hypocrites, white washed tomb stones. Sound a fury signifying nothing. Nothing but pride and hate.
While Africa and the World cries out for the Gospel of Freedom and Love through Jesus Christ, Our Lord and Saviour.
RW is caught between and hard rock, and a stony place. I would vomit if I had to be there.
Pray for the priests and laity of Africa who seek to do Gods will, while their prelates puff themselves up with words of sound and fury.
Fr John (Scotland)
My thanks to Baby Blue for the picture; it’s almost certainly worth more than a thousand words.
And none of them are wearing their mitres…
Mr. Williams, the mourning period for Pio nono is over. You should try and move on.
With regard to the African Bishops meeting as sex summit, are there any articles, or is there any news that anyone knows about, regarding Africa, the church, and the U.N. Millennium goals i.e. is there anything relevant coming out of this meeting?
I’ve been trying to find a full report of the speech made by Prime Minister Nsibambi, unsuccessfully so far. However, I have found some observations made by him regarding the recent World Bank report, which ranked Uganda in the 129 position out of 183 economies in the ease of doing business: “THE Government will undertake strategic interventions in the economy to improve Uganda’s ranking in investor confidence… reforming policies to boost private sector investment growth. “We want to improve the country’s regional and global competitiveness rankings by enhancing areas that make it easy to do business in Uganda like the… Read more »
The whole of post colonial Africa in a most dreadful state. Millions dying from starvation and aids, Zimbabwe ( once the prosperous albeit racist Rhodesia) reduced to a ruin of its former self…and they spend all this time on homosexuality.
For a fast growing Church, their influence is negligible.