Posted on 03/16/2012 3:13:27 PM PDT by NYer
LONDON (AP) — Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams is stepping down at the end of the year, calling an end to a tumultuous decade as leader of a global Anglican Communion that has been sharply divided over sexuality and gender.
Williams, 61, renowned for his formidable learning, announced Friday he will take up a new post as master of Magdalene College, Cambridge.
"I would hope that my successor has the constitution of an ox and the skin of a rhinoceros," he said.
He was appointed in 2002 as archbishop of Canterbury, the senior official in the Church of England and the spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, which says it represents 85 million people worldwide.
A self-described "hairy leftie," Williams is instantly recognizable due to his thick beard and vigorous eyebrows. His statements, often dense and complex, invariably were gently spoken.
He is the author of more than two dozen books, ranging across theology, poetry, history, economics and the writing of Fyodor Dostoevsky. He eagerly shared debating platforms with his opponents, including atheist biologist Richard Dawkins.
Much of Williams' time as archbishop was devoted to trying to hold the diverse churches within the Anglican Communion together despite an often bitter dispute over homosexuality, which put conservative and growing African churches at odds with liberal churches in the United States and Canada.
Within England, Williams disappointed liberal supporters by not backing the appointment of a gay priest, Jeffrey John, to a bishopric. Yet conservatives in the church remained suspicious of Williams because, as archbishop of Wales, he had knowingly ordained gay men as priests.
(Excerpt) Read more at google.com ...
Williams maintained warm relations with Roman Catholics even as Pope Benedict XVI created an ordinariate to receive traditionalist Anglicans who remain opposed to female priests and could not accept female bishops and other changes within the church.
Catholic ping!
What a total flop he was. A disaster of epic proportions. Lucifer won this round. No question.
About time they got rid of this cretin.
OK, this is it, folks. Either the Anglican church installs another gay-promoter and puts the nail in the coffin of a 1,000 year reign of Christ in that land, or they wake up and install a Bible-believer.
I would hope his successor has a heart for Christ and ears to hear truth, sadly missing in Williams' reign.
Follow the Bible and he won’t need the skin of a rhino. Amazing that you would have to suggest that to a Church leader.
Good bye Dumbledore...
Prayers that the C of E appoints a Christian to the position next time.
GOODDDD I know for a fact Prince Phil Queen husband hate him he don’t like him reason is acception of Poof that Brit slang for gay in Clergy
Accroding to Wikipedia, he’s a homosexual pro-muslim leftist nut-bag.
Didn’t he say that he did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God?
'The same Archbishop of Canterbury who once said Sharia law in the UK was “unavoidable” and wouldn’t be a problem....
LONDON — Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams says Jesus would have joined protesters from the anti-corporate Occupy movement who have been camped outside London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral for more than seven weeks. In a British magazine, the leader of the world’s 78 million Anglicans worldwide insisted that Jesus would be “there, sharing the risks, not just taking sides.” '
The search entry 'Rowan Williams say stupid things' causes Google to offer nearly a million sites, suitable for fun and merriment and a very good look into the present confusion of the once dominant Protestant denomination.
How about a brain bigger than an oyster. "Formidable learning" my ass. What good did it do him, all his aimless book learning? He presided over his church falling apart around him and did nothing but hold a secret communion for his homosexual friends. What a prince.
Well leave to London bookies make prediction
Well he can still have a long career as an atheist.
“His statements, often dense”.... yes....
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