Posted on 05/10/2006 12:42:16 PM PDT by sionnsar
Robin Eames is to retire. To read the official blurb, look at the Church of Ireland website here. But as he revealed today, he has been handed one more 'hot potato' by Rowan Williams to sort out before he goes. Besides continuing to advise the Archbishop of Canterbury on the gay crisis, it appears that the Anglican church's main troubleshooter is going to be asked to bring the skills of mediation learned in Ireland to bear on the crisis in North and South Korea. The details are patchy still, and Lambeth Palace will say more in the next few days. A spokesman said: 'Obviously, when looking for the Anglican Communion's expert on divided communities, there is only one name in the frame. He is going to have a look at issues in Korea. We are at the stage of looking at whether we might become involved in that situation. It is hoped he will make a unique contribution to whatever the church is able to do.'
Eames made his retirement announcment to hundreds of clergy in the closing minutes of his presidential address to the General Synod of the Church of Ireland in Armagh. He revealed afterwards that he had informed the Archbishop of Canterbury beforehand and that Rowan Williams had one more task for him in his remaining seven month. 'He has handed me another project, described as another hot potato, and I am looking forward to the challenge of that,' the Press Association reported. Lambeth Palace confirmed late Tuesday evening that the 'hot potato' was Korea.
Ordained in 1963, Eames became a Bishop just 12 years later and Archbishop of Armagh in
1986. The son of a Methodist minister, he had intended to become a lawyer and studied law at Queen’s University, Belfast, where he was chairman of the Law Society, and went on to become a Research Scholar and Tutor in the Faculty of Laws. But instead of following the legal path he headed to Trinity College Dublin to study Theology. He led the all-Ireland church through some of the worst years of the troubles in Northern Ireland and is regarded by many as one of the most outstanding Church of Ireland leaders of the past century. He was a leading contender to succeed Robert Runcie as Archbishop of Canterbury but the post went to George Carey when the shortlist went to Downing Street for final selection. He played a major role behind the scenes in the approach to the 1993 Down Street Declaration, with which John Major paved the way for the Good Friday Agreement of 1998. Lord Eames said he had 'seen evil face to face' during his years in the ministry and met many shadowy figures.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams.
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