Posted on 09/12/2011 1:28:56 AM PDT by Cronos
The spiritual head of the Anglican Communion, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, will resign his position next year almost a decade before he is due to retire in order to return to academic life, a newspaper reported on Sunday. Williams, 61, who has worked hard to prevent the worldwide Anglican community from splitting over the ordination of women and gay bishops, may take up a senior post at Cambridge University, the Sunday Telegraph said.
...
Williams has regularly come under fire for his outspoken comments, most recently making headlines in June with an attack on the British government’s deficit-cutting austerity programme. “With remarkable speed, we are being committed to radical, long-term policies for which no one voted,” wrote Williams, prompting Prime Minister David Cameron to say the cleric was free to speak out but that he profoundly disagreed with his comments.
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.reuters.com ...
Good riddance. Hope for N. T. Wright to replace him, who is a leading Anglican theologian (great author) and reasonably conservative.
I’m sure someone just as stupid will replace him.
Meanwhile, Pope Benedict’s “Anglican Provision” seems to be making admirable progress as clergy and congregation, in the words of the Blessed Cardinal John Henry Newman, “come home”. The Church of England looks more and more like a train wreck.
Only 61 years old, you say? Plenty of time left to reflect upon the results and rot of your splendid stewardship, Archbishop. I’m sure its stench will follow you wherever you go.
You’re probably right.
How will the next archbishop be given the post? Are they appointed by the crown, or is there some kind of conclave/election?
May he have a peaceful and completely anonymous retirement in a location with a pleasant climate.
I like that he is against killing the unborn and the elderly.
I'm not sure I completely understand his position on gay marriage etc.
It's a committee appointment with all the evils that brings
I wonder about that -- the Anglican communion has been irrevocably destroyed under Rowan's watch, but it can be argued that the dice were already loaded in that direction from before his tenure.
What’s not to understand? He’s against gay marriage and civil partnerships. Seems pretty clear to me.
I’m surprised that Rowan is stepping down. He could have another 20 years to destroy the Anglicans.
Thanks for that update
The English church was created to basically get the money that went to the Vatican for themselves and to mainly have a church that catered to their whims (marital and otherwise_) and let Britain dictate how things would be religiously and what was and wasn’t ‘real’ Christianity. In the past, to end their marriages, the monarchs applied to the Vatican for dispensations and also discussed with priests about politics that would be likely to have an effect on relations with the Vatican. Second, the clergy were a check on the more worldly actions of the monarch and provided (theoretical) guidance on whether or not certain laws would be just and good for the betterment of the realm. In the event that a monarch thought that God wanted them to do something, the monarch would talk it over with a priest and then if it got serious, there would consultations with the Vatican where in Rome there would be a deliberation.
With the Church of England, the monarch is the fount of all spiritual knowledge and as a result, go figure, the monarch can now dictate to the Church how things can and cannot be and what is and isn’t Christian. Breaking away from the Vatican resulted in the Tudor monarchs running amok and a lot of problems were created because of the break with Rome, most notably that the royal succession has been chronically disrupted because the overthrow of the Stuarts and instatement of William of Hanover. It never would have happened if in fact there had been no break with the Holy See. The Anglican Chruhc is a Church of convenience, not of being closer to God so it’s no wonder it has ended up the way it has, is it?
Of course having N.T. Wright replace Williams as Archbishop of Canterbury would be a dream come true for all orthodox Anglicans. However, my guess is that he will be replaced by a lesbian. It is the thing to do now.
N.T. Wright is a conservative Anglican who has authored several books and is known in the evangelical circle as a proponent of the New Perspective on Paul theological stance which has many critics. He is decidedly orthodox and traditional in his walk with Christ and is currently the Bishop of Durham. I highly doubt he would be selected to head the Anglican Church given his conservatism, though.
Unfortunately, I think you are correct. I would be highly surprised to see any conservative clergy selected. The homosexuals would never allow it.
He’s a good man. I thought you might have had more information I wasn’t privy that made you suspect otherwise!
Here’s hoping that NT becomes the new archbishop!
I beg to differ. If Rowan had stood up for God and his truth, he would have been blessed and so would the Anglicans, regardless of which way the winds blew.
Their split was not inevitable, and Rowan did nothing but exacerbate the split. He could have chosen to lead, he could have chosen to stand for God, but he chose neither. He chose to do anything but lead.
I say this as an ex-Anglican. There were and are a great number of traditionalists who watched the inexorable slide and Rowan did nothing. He did not discipline wayward bishops, and eventually the good people got sick and left. Rather then accede to the congregation, the wayward bishops fought to keep the buildings.
They won, but at great cost, because now they have the buildings but not the people. Where was Rowan in all this? Nowhere to be found.
He would have stood for the new way except for the fact that he never came out and made a statement, except to condemn those who left for seeking Christ.
“How will the next archbishop be given the post? Are they appointed by the crown, or is there some kind of conclave/election?”
The crown appoints someone on the advice of the prime minister and the committee. Should be interesting with the Conservatives in power who they select. Thatcher chose Carey, who was unable to stop the slide at Lambeth in 1998, with the women priests.
At least we should be thankful that Charles is not making the selection.
I don’t like his New Perspective stuff but it would be an amazing plus if this man took over as head of the Anglican Church.
Cronos is definitely against gay marriage and has also spoken out against the homosexual lifestyle.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.