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WALES: Archbishop Launches Attack on Anglican Church
April 12, 2005
The Archbishop of Wales last week launched a shocking condemnation of his own Church. Dr Barry Morgan expressed his view that is becoming increasingly difficult for the world to take the Anglican Church as well as the Church of Wales seriously due to the continuous warring taking place within the Communion.
He used the opportunity to express his opinions as the world’s eyes
focussed on Christianity, as Pope John Paul II’s funeral too place.
Morgan questioned how the Anglican Church could now call on the world to show compassion, peace and justice when within the Communion it was not even clear if this was being practiced.
Morgan accused the Church members of being unable to hold a civilised debate among themselves and gave a stark warning to the Church not to be drawn into a "theological rant" or to throw "verbal grenades" at one another.
It is thought that much of the speech came as a lead up to the meeting
of the Anglican Consultative Council in two months time when the issue
of sexuality in the Church will be examined.
Morgan said, "What is needed at the ACC is not a theological rant or a
throwing of verbal grenades at people who happen to disagree with our
particular positions, but a reasoned, balanced discourse of some of the
issues involved and the giving of space and time to every viewpoint. It
would be better not to have a hearing at all in June if it is going to
degenerate into some kind of verbal slanging match."
He continued, "If the church of God can't conduct a debate in a
civilised way when it claims to be a reconciled and reconciling
community - what message does that give to the world? We cannot as a church call for compassion, peace and justice in our nation and in our
world if we as Christians do not exemplify those virtues in our own
lives and in our dealings with one another."
Morgan also used the opportunity to turn the focus of the Anglican
Church once again on the issue of homosexuality. He seemed to talk out against traditionalists and be leaning more towards the more liberal
views on the issue.
However, in response to Morgan’s comments, Rev David Phillips – the
general secretary of The Church Society said, "Christians have accepted the teaching of the Bible for 2,000 years, but the Archbishop seems to be saying you have to make things up as you go along. The Church of Wales lost four out of 10 members in two decades, which is the sharpest decline in the Anglican Church on these islands."
Phillips went on to condemn the Archbishop of Wales’ message of
liberalisation on the issue of homosexuality by saying, "If he thinks
he's right can he show us any church which is growing by giving this
message? Those that are growing are those that are not giving
compromising messages."
END
