The letter refers to Archbishop Carey's actions in retirement, including a recent visit he made to the United States to conduct a confirmation ceremony for 300 candidates who don't accept the authority of the Bishop of Virginia. That's because he consecrated a gay bishop, Gene Robinson.

The letter has already attracted at least 120 signatures world wide, many of those from Australian clergymen and women, including two Australian bishops, George Browning of Canberra-Goulburn, and Robert Farren of Newcastle. In fact the letter originated in Australia. One of those who's been involved in writing the letter is the Reverend David Wood of Joondalup parish in Perth, in Western Australia.

David Wood: Well I don't think Stephen, anything cataclysmic led to the production of the letter; I think it was just a quietly growing sense of frustration, and those who wrote the letter and decided that it should be circulated were really just testing the water, to see what sort of level of concern there was out there. And it seems, from the response we've been getting, that there's quite a level of concern, mostly from fairly thoughtful people I think.

Stephen Crittenden: Just by way of historical background, you mention in the very first paragraph of the letter the discourtesy that you say was displayed by Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher after he retired, when he criticised his successor as Archbishop of Canterbury, Michael Ramsey. What happened on that occasion?

David Wood: Geoffrey Fisher was continually interfering in matters that were no longer his concern after his retirement, and I think that was a huge irritation to Michael Ramsay, I mean it's all there in the Chadwick Biography and even in the Fisher biography, I think Fisher later realised himself that he had far too much to say and should have kept quiet. But that was a different kettle of fish in some ways. I mean no-one's suggesting there are really close parallels here. Geoffrey Fisher mostly confined himself to private criticism, whereas Bishop Carey's activities are very widely reported.

Stephen Crittenden: Well of course he has a lot on his plate still, even though he's retired as Archbishop of Canterbury, he's doing a lot in the Middle East for example.

David Wood: Absolutely.

Stephen Crittenden: There are a lot of things he's doing that are widely reported. What is he doing that's undermining Rowan Williams?

David Wood: I think our concern doesn't touch on most of what he's doing. By all means let him have a very active retirement, and he has all sorts of valuable connections and can have a very positive influence, not least in inter-faith dialogue in those sorts of areas. We are simply concerned that he should keep out of highly contentious matters, particularly the most contentious matter facing the Anglican community of churches right at the moment.

Stephen Crittenden: Right, and how has he interfered there?

David Wood: Well he's interfered in any number of ways. In the open letter we only give two examples, to demonstrate what we're concerned about. One is accepting invitations from the Bishop of Virginia to administer the sacrament of confirmation to people who are disaffected and refuse the Bishop of Virginia's ministry. And the most recent one I think is his involvement with a group calling themselves Concerned Episcopalians. And that was really a fairly political exercise I think. They were taking a survey in the run-up to the 2006 General Convention.

Stephen Crittenden: These matters both relate to the occasion when Gene Robinson was made a bishop, a practicing gay man.

David Wood: Yes, it's all traceable back to that single issue.

Stephen Crittenden: It's not the only issue though, is it, because a couple of years ago when he published his memoir, he basically outlined a range of private conversations that he'd had with Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles.

David Wood: Yes, it certainly raised a lot of eyebrows, and it made a lot of us very concerned that a priest should, whatever his station in life, should do something like that. I mean some things are really highly confidential and I certainly had people in my own parish expressing the view that they were glad they've never had the opportunity to confide in George Carey.

Stephen Crittenden: Is there any particular reason why this letter originated in Australia, and why there are so many Australian signatories?

David Wood: There's no particular reason I think why it originated here, except that these things always simply depend on some sort of catalyst, I suppose, so it could have arisen anywhere I think. I think the reason for so many Australian signatories is that until very recently at least, it's mostly been circulating within Australia. But we do have a sprinkling of people from the UK, from Europe, from North America. I suspect that this will widen in the next few days. There are indications that a number of English bishops are keen to sign, there are indications that a number of cathedral Deans in England are very interested in signing. One bishop has certainly already said that he'll put his name to it definitely. So I think really the idea that this is just an Australian thing that can be dismissed as some sort of aberration happening in the colonies, is about to be exploded.

Stephen Crittenden: The office of the Archbishop of Canterbury says relations between Rowan Williams and George Carey are just what they've always been: they're warm, and cordial. What should we read into that?

David Wood: I don't know that I would read anything into it particularly. I think that's the sort of statement that Lambeth Palace is likely to make. And I think it has to be said that Archbishop Rowan Williams is one of those incredibly gracious, courteous people who will always say that, regardless of the provocation. It was certainly widely understood that George Carey, when he was Archbishop of Canterbury, had a hand in blocking the appointment of Rowan Williams as Bishop of Southwark in South London in those days. It's hard to demonstrate that there is a warm and cordial relationship, I really do think that's just the Archbishop of Canterbury being gracious.

Stephen Crittenden: Is there any possibility a letter like this could backfire? I've already in fact read one commentator suggesting that it makes Rowan Williams look more like a wimp than he'd looked before.

David Wood: Well I suppose there is that danger, that's certainly the furthest things from our minds that it could be read that way, and I very much hope that it won't. I think Rowan Williams needs to be surrounded with all the support and encouragement that's available in a really unenviable task.

Stephen Crittenden: Thank you very much for being on the program.

David Wood: Pleasure, Stephen.

Stephen Crittenden: That's the Reverend David Wood, of Joondalup parish in Perth in Western Australia, and we'll put that letter on our website after the program.

Well we're joined now by Archbishop George Carey, or Lord Carey of Clifton, as he's known these days. Archbishop, thank you for joining us.

George Carey: Good morning, lovely to be on your program.

Stephen Crittenden: Can I get you first of all, to give us a reaction to this letter, many of whose signatories are Australian clergymen.

George Carey: Yes, I'm very disappointed really. I think it's an unfair and ill-founded letter. The authors didn't even have the courtesy to check up facts with Bishop Peter Lee in the United States, and certainly not myself. The first I heard about it was when Father David Woods sent me the open letter. I think it's a reprehensible way of behaviour for Christians and I'm very disappointed in them because in fact I'm not interfering, I'm not feuding with Archbishop Rowan, who's a friend of mine, and indeed his office sent out a statement to say that warm and cordial relationships exist between us. So I don't know what the nonsense is about.

Stephen Crittenden: What about a range of matters relating to the fact that Gene Robinson was made a bishop, and particularly your involvement in a group of confirmations, in a way that some might see as making it very difficult for Rowan Williams at a very difficult time.

George Carey: Well it could only be difficult if I'm opposed to him, which I'm not. He is wanting the American church to support the Windsor Report, and I guess the open letter people don't want that. It seems to me that they are a liberal group of people who don't like the orthodox position. But when you talk a range of things, I'd like to know what they are, and you mentioned one thing only, and that is, the confirmations in Virginia, and I'm going to be doing another one in two weeks' time, at the request you note, of the bishop himself whose ministry is not acceptable for 20 parishes, large evangelical parishes, because of the stance he took on Gene Robinson, but because he wants to hold them in the diocese, he doesn't want them going under some African bishop, he's invited me to take the confirmations, and I think as a result he's brought peace to his diocese. I can't see anything wrong about that, and I can't see how it undermines –

Stephen Crittenden: You're not shifting blame onto the Bishop of Virginia for asking you to do this, refusing to take responsibility for accepting his invitation at such a sensitive time?

George Carey: No, no. He asked me to do it. I did not interfere, he asked me to do it because I'm acceptable - he's a good friend of mine, I know the parishes pretty well as well. Now if I'd said No, what would have happened is that those people, those priests, would have gone to other bishops who were not acceptable to Bishop Peter Lee.

Stephen Crittenden: I wonder though whether you're perhaps turning yourself into a kind of flying bishop, the very phenomenon in fact which gave you such a headache when you were Archbishop of Canterbury.

George Carey: Well no, I mean actually flying bishops, no problem at all, we did that in Britain in order to create peace, and I think if the American church could do that as a policy, I think that that would be a very good way forward.

Stephen Crittenden: You've said that the ordination of Gene Robinson as a bishop was a huge mistake that's damaged the Anglican church.

George Carey: Yes, there's no question about that, he's done huge ecumenical damage, it's done damage to our nation in Muslim countries, and I think it's split the Anglican communion. I think it was very unwise, and I hope that the general convention which happens I think in June, will back away from that and not do any other consecrations. If they did, I think, I fear, a major schism in the communion.

Stephen Crittenden: How far to the heart of the Anglican faith does it go?

George Carey: Well I think it goes pretty deeply. I mean it undermines marriage itself, it undermines our traditional attitude on sexuality. This is not to say that homosexuals are unwelcome, far from it. We are talking about express behaviour, and I think there is a debate that rolls on on these questions. When I presided over the Lambeth Conference of 1998, we put the issue on hold. I think we found the mind of the church in a very overwhelming way, when a huge number of bishops, not only from Africa, but around the world said No to practising homosexuality, and within five years the American church had gone ahead instead of actually letting the debate roll on. So that's where we are today, and again, it is a very difficult situation for us.

Stephen Crittenden: You mentioned the Lambeth Conference there. I know it's the view of some of the signatories to this letter that the division over this issue that the Anglican communion worldwide is experiencing now, does indeed go back to that Lambeth Conference. They would see it as something that you helped create at that Lambeth Conference, that in a sense the church is suffering for that further down the track.

George Carey: Well not suffering from. What the Lambeth resolution did was to express the mind of the assembled bishops so very clearly, so there was no change of policy and what the Lambeth resolution did was to say "This is where we stand. But the debate and discussion with homosexuals must continue". And so the American church really has brought that to a halt by making the decision which undermines that resolution so clearly.

Stephen Crittenden: I come back to the question, why is this such a big issue?

George Carey: Well it is an enormous issue in terms of our attitude towards scripture itself, our interpretation of scripture, our understanding of the sacramentality of marriage, the social order, and so on, the nature of ordination. All these things are very important indeed, and let me say this, I don't want to be seen as a leader of a party in opposition. I'm a retired Archbishop, I spend most of my time in inter-faith and educational matters, but all I'm responding to your questions see this as a very concerning matter, and it is very difficult now for the Anglican communion to resolve it.

Stephen Crittenden: Was it almost verging on being a heretical act?

George Carey: Oh, I think so, yes.

Stephen Crittenden: Why would you say that?

George Carey: Well I want to go back to the points I've already made, and that is to do with the nature of marriage itself, the nature of our sexuality, and these are not issues that can be handled easily in a quick telephone conversation. But there's a lot of detail out there. I refer to things I've written as well on this matter. I'm not an absolutist on this, I want to make that clear. I think it was a mistaken act. I mean there was a man who was married, fathered two children, divorced, living in a relationship with a man, and appointed bishop. I think that in itself in Britain would have been a very surprising thing. I couldn't see it happening because our whole canon law would have resisted that. And here is a man who is now an alcoholic, as well, and so all of these issues combine to question that position.

Stephen Crittenden: There are plenty of straight priests in the world of course who are alcoholics.

George Carey: Yes, I know. I think what I'm saying is if you look at the whole issue, it causes us enormous pain, and I cannot see that that decision, when was it, a few years ago, was a good decision that helped the communion. It certainly didn't. If you look at the American church today, it's suffering very hugely as a result of that decision.

Stephen Crittenden: David Wood, one of the signatories who we've spoken to of the letter, says there's also a widespread view that you blocked Rowan Williams from becoming Bishop of Southwark because of his, I guess liberal views on homosexuality. Is that true?

George Carey: No, it's not true, and indeed I cannot go into that because I was part of the Crown Appointments Commission looking at the appointment of the Diocese of Southwark, and there were issues there that were very, very complicating indeed and I refrain from commenting on that.

Stephen Crittenden: Just finally. How weak is the position of Archbishop of Canterbury in general, in 2006, because of this issue?

George Carey: I think Rowan of course is a splendid man, and a wonderful theologian and we need his guidance as we find a way through this swamp of different ideas and interpretations. His position is handicapped by the fact that his position has been taken by the American church which makes the matter so much more complicated. But I have to say that the Windsor Report over which he presided, is a splendid document, and if we could all get behind that document, and support it all heartily, the Anglican communion could emerge from this greatly strengthened. I think it's a wonderful document and that is what I'm trying to support. My ministry is not to get in his way, but support him whenever I can.

Stephen Crittenden: Thank you very much for being on the program.

George Carey: Thank you very much indeed, bye-bye now.

Stephen Crittenden: The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr George Carey.

OPEN LETTER TO LORD CAREY OF CLIFTON

Grace
ANGLICAN CHURCH JOONDALUP
PO Box 573 Joondalup, Perth,
Western Australia, 6014
frdavid@westnet.com.au
www.joondalupanglican.com

The Reverend Dr David Wood B.A., B.D., M.A., Ph.D
Parish Priest
Anglican Chaplain to Edith Cowan University

11th May 2006

Open Letter to Lord Carey of Clifton

Dear Bishop Carey,

Many of us remember the discourtesy displayed by Archbishop Geoffrey Fisher in retirement when he offered embarrassing critiques of his successor Michael Ramsey, and policies then being implemented by the Church of England.

Your actions in retirement are similarly discourteous to Archbishop Rowan Williams, as he attempts to hold together the Anglican Communion of churches at a particularly difficult time.

By your visit to the USA to conduct a confirmation for 300 candidates unable to accept the authority of their own bishops, and your role in the current survey of American bishops on their attitude to the consecration of Bishop Gene Robinson and the future of the Episcopal Church, you appear to be offering yourself as an alternative leader.

The Archbishop of Canterbury deserves our respect and support, not the disloyalty which you currently display.

We respectfully request that you desist from further intrusions into areas now beyond your control, and honour the convention of not undermining the work of your successor.

Yours in Christ,

The Reverend Dr David Wood, and 119 others

Mr Stuart Allen - Melbourne, Australia Emeritus Professor
David Aspin - Melbourne, Australia
Ms Jill Batterbury - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend David Battrick - Perth, Australia
The Reverend John Beer - Sydney, Australia
Professor Peter Bedford - Perth, Australia
The Reverend Des Benfield - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Paul Black - Melbourne, Australia
The Very Reverend Dr Stuart Blackler - Hobart, Australia
Dr John Bollard - Canberra, Australia

The Reverend David Bradbury - Perth, Australia
The Reverend Graeme Brennan - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Sue Brooks - Melbourne, Australia
The Right Reverend George Browning - Canberra, Australia
The Reverend Grant Bullen - Melbourne Australia
Mr Peter Burke - Adelaide, Australia
The Reverend Dr Alan Cadwallader - Adelaide, Australia
The Reverend Paul Cannon - Perth, Australia
The Reverend David Conolly - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Dr David Cole - Melbourne, Australia

The Reverend Dr Scott Cowdell - Canberra, Australia
The Reverend Kim Cruickshank - Melbourne Australia
The Reverend Dr Paul Dalzell - Alexandra, Australia
The Reverend Doug Dargaville - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Greg Davies - Perth, Australia
The Reverend Stephen Delbridge - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Dr Ron Dowling - Adelaide, Australia
Ms Eileen Dunnicliff - Melbourne, Australia
Mr David Dunnicliff - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Catherine Eaton - Melbourne, Victoria

The Reverend Keith Edwards - Melbourne, Australia
The Very Reverend Peter Elliott - Vancouver, Canada
The Reverend Canon Dr Michael Evers - Perth, Australia
Mr C. Fasces - Melbourne, Australia
The Right Reverend Dr Brian Farran - Newcastle, Australia The Reverend Roger Featherstone - Florence, Italy
The Reverend Douglas Fenton - New York City, USA
The Reverend Ross Fishburn - Melbourne, Australia
Mr Robert Fordham - Melbourne, Victoria
The Reverend Timothy Fox - Melbourne, Australia

The Reverend Wendy Gilbert - Newcastle, Australia
The Reverend Kay Goldsworthy - Perth, Australia
Sister Catherine Grace, C.H.S. - New York, USA
The Reverend Dr Helen Granowski - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend R. W. Hartley - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Canon Theresa Harvey - Perth, Australia
Mr Chris Haynes - Perth, Australia
Mrs Elizabeth Haynes - Perth, Australia
The Reverend David Head - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Ken Hewlett - Melbourne, Australia

Dr David Hilliard - Adelaide, Australia
Ms Helen Howells - Sorrento, Victoria, Australia
The Reverend John C. Howells - Sorrento, Victoria, Australia Mr Alan Howie - Melbourne, Australia
Ms Rebecca Howie - Melbourne, Australia
Ms Wendy Hudson - Melbourne, Australia
Mrs Carole Lloyd-Flanders - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Harry Kerr - Melbourne Australia
Mrs K. J. Kozlowski - Melbourne, Australia
Sister Leslie, C.H.S. - New York City, USA

The Reverend David Lord - Perth, Western Australia
The Reverend Willy Maddock - Bendigo, Australia
Mr Greg Magee - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Carey Mansell - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Peter Martin - Geelong, Australia
Ms Lesley McKay - Foster, Victoria, Australia
The Reverend Jim McKenna - Christchurch, New Zealand
The Reverend David McMillan - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Canon Albert McPherson - Melbourne, Australia Ms Marion Middenhall - Melbourne, Australia

The Reverend Stephen Miles - Melbourne, Australia Ms Elizabeth Millett - Perth, Western Australia The Reverend David Moore - Christchurch, New Zealand The Reverend Richard Murray - Melbourne, Australia The Reverend Caroline Nancarrow - Paynesville, Australia Ms Janet Nelson - Melbourne, Australia Mr John Nelson - Melbourne, Australia Mr Ray Nelson - Melbourne, Australia The Reverend Gerry Nixon - Perth, Australia The Reverend Dr Ron Noone - Melbourne, Australia

The Venerable Andrew Oddy - Melbourne, Australia The Reverend Canon Dr Colleen O'Reilly - Melbourne, Australia Mr Hans Paas - Melbourne, Australia Ms Janet Paisley - Barwon Heads, Victoria, Australia The Reverend Sarah Park - Auckland, New Zealand The Reverend David Peake - Melbourne, Australia The Venerable Michael Pennington - Perth, Western Australia The Reverend Canon Dr Anthony Phillips - Canterbury, UK The Reverend Dr Brian Porter - Melbourne, Australia The Reverend John Pinder - Portsmouth, UK

Mr Laurie Pole - Melbourne, Australia Ms Bernadette Reeders - Melbourne, Australia The Reverend Graham Reynolds - Melbourne, Australia The Very Reverend David Richardson - Melbourne, Australia The Reverend Val Rogers - Melbourne, Australia The Reverend Tim Russell - Perth, Australia The Reverend Neal Salan - Daylesford, Australia Ms Janice Schmidt - Melbourne, Australia Mr Anthony Sell - Melbourne, Australia The Reverend Christine Simes - Perth, Australia

Dr David Sloper - Phnom Penh, Cambodia The Reverend Roger Sharr - Newcastle, Australia The Reverend Braden Short - Perth, Australia The Reverend Stuart Soley - Melbourne, Australia Dr Alan Smith - Melbourne, Australia The Right Reverend Andrew St John - New York City, USA The Reverend Malcolm Thomas - Coleraine, Australia Ms Diana Thompson - Perth, Australia The Right Reverend George Tung Yep - North Queensland, Australia The Reverend Matt Ward - Leeds, UK

The Venerable Angela Webb - Perth, Australia The Reverend Canon Edgar Wells - New York City, USA
The Reverend Tony White - Woodend, Australia The Reverend W. G. C. Winsall-Hall - Seymour, Australia
Ms Mary Williams - Melbourne, Australia
The Reverend Peter Williams - Christchurch, New Zealand
The Reverend Stephen Williams - Newcastle, Australia
The Right Reverend Bruce Wilson - Mount Victoria, Australia
The Reverend Michael Wood - Perth, Australia

END