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ENGLAND: Williams may meet gay US bishop during London trip
Risk of deepening crisis in Anglican communion. Archbishop has 'no qualms' about visit
By Stephen Bates, religious affairs correspondent
THE GUARDIAN
October 20, 2005
Plans are being made for Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, to meet the Anglican communion's most controversial cleric, Gene Robinson, the gay bishop of New Hampshire, for the first time when he visits London next month.
The Guardian understands that Dr Williams has no objection to meeting the bishop whose consecration two years ago convulsed the 70 million-strong worldwide communion, outraged church conservatives and strained relations with the Vatican. No appointment, however, has yet been arranged.
Bishop Robinson has been told in the past that he is not authorised to conduct services or administer communion in England and will not be invited to the next gathering of the rest of the world's Anglican bishops at the Lambeth conference in 2008. For the past 15 years the bishop has had a male partner, Mark Andrew, a health service worker, whom he met after the failure of his marriage.
An Anglican communion source involved in negotiations at Lambeth Palace said: "I know Rowan has no qualms about him coming and there have been no problems with his schedule while he is here."
The archbishop has already held private meetings with Jeffrey John, the celibate gay cleric whom he forced to stand down as suffragan bishop of Reading in 2003 and who is now dean of St Albans.
But a meeting with Bishop Robinson would exasperate conservative evangelicals and primates from the developing world who see the bishop as a satanic influence. His consecration in November 2003 was described by the conservative American Anglican Council as a "grievous day" in the church's history and denounced by the Archbishop of Kenya, who said: "The devil has entered our church."
Dr Williams is due to attend a meeting of bishops from the developing world in Egypt next week. The Anglican Church in Nigeria - the biggest in Africa - recently revised its constitution to delete references to its communion with the Church of England following the English bishops' decision in the summer to allow clergy to register same-sex civil partnerships so long as they guarantee that they remain chaste.
The Rev Rod Thomas, spokesman for the conservative evangelical group Reform, said: "Anything which appears to be going further in the direction of a liberal agenda is likely to exacerbate the crisis facing the Anglican communion. The archbishop must not appear sympathetic to those who have caused the crisis."
Bishop Robinson will speak at an Oxford Union debate and attend events to mark the 10th anniversary of the gay Christian pressure group Changing Attitudes, and services at St Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square and in south London.
The Very Rev Colin Slee, dean of Southwark, said: "I think it is critical that Rowan meets him. This is a guy who has been legally, canonically, elected according to the statutes of his church and for the archbishop not to speak to him would be a major injustice."
The Rev Nick Holtam, vicar of St Martin-in-the-Fields, said: "It is such a significant thing to have the bishop at the centre of the controversy being able to speak directly to people here."
END
