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LONDON: Top dean attacks gay 'witch-hunt'
BBC News July 12, 2006
The Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London has attacked traditionalists in the Anglican church for conducting a "witch-hunt" against homosexuals.
"The thought that anybody should be shown the door by the Church, I just find deeply offensive," said the Very Reverend Dr John Moses.
The Dean made the comments on the eve of his last service at St Paul's before his retirement in August.
He said the Anglican church must adapt to global conditions.
"It has to be recognised that we live in different cultural contexts, and pastoral questions which are deeply sensitive might have different solutions in different places," said Dr Moses, one of the most influential members of the Church of England.
"What I do know is that I don't find the truth by slamming the door on the debate. I do not actually want to know about people's sexual orientation, if I am honest, I take people on trust."
Controversial row
The Anglican Communion has been bitterly rowing over the issue of homosexual and women bishops, and in recent weeks, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, has faced the issue of how to deal with a split church.
He suggested the communion, which is the loose network of individual Anglican Churches around the world, could be divided into "associated" and "constituent" provinces.
The US Episcopal Church fuelled the split by ordaining Gene Robinson, the first openly gay bishop in 2003, and recently choosing Dr Katherine Jefferts Schori as its first female head.
The ordination of gay Gene Robinson outraged conservative Anglicans.
Such moves have angered conservatives, particularly in Africa, which has the largest number of Anglican worshippers in the world.
Dr Moses, who has been Dean of St Paul's for 10 years, did not comment on the issue of women bishops but said seeing the acceptance of women as priests at his own cathedral had "mattered a great deal" to him.
Canon Lucy Winkett was appointed weeks after he joined as Dean in 1996 and two more women have also joined the hierarchy.
Final service
Dr Moses, who has led services for Asian tsunami and the 7 July bombings, conceded that he had no answer for the bitter dispute but "hated" the idea of exclusion from the Church.
"We are preoccupied with one small matter and it is being presented as a question of Biblical truth and fidelity to scripture. I think this is simply not good enough.
"Because on that basis, you will not have a divorced person, you will not have a woman, and I could go on."
Around 2,000 people, including Baroness Thatcher, attended Dr Moses' final service at St Paul's on Wednesday evening.
His sermon was based on the theme of "Be Thankful" and he told the congregation: "How could I fail to be thankful in such a place, at such a time. That is not too difficult."
END
