Archbishop Challenges the Church
Cape Town's Ndungane Calls for Acceptance of Gay Episcopal Cleric

By Jason Kane
Religion News Service
May 13, 2006

CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Twelve years ago, Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu successfully fought for the end of legalized racism in apartheid South Africa. Now, his successor, Archbishop Njongonkulu Ndungane, has turned his sights on his own church and says the time has come to abandon its "practices of discrimination."

Ever since the 2003 consecration of openly gay Episcopal Bishop V. Gene Robinson, Ndungane has made himself an anomaly in Africa by raising a liberal voice on a continent where Robinson and the American church have been loudly condemned.

"The Anglican Communion should be on the forefront of fighting social ills and not bothering about what Gene Robinson may be doing or not doing," Ndungane said in an interview here. "He has been elected by his people and the people are comfortable with that."