Archbishop Of Canterbury: I Would

Wooh! Etc.

PS I think that 'mitre' might are be one of the greatest Photoshop disasters of the week...

Pink News: What A Difference Two Hours Makes!

Pink News.

Whatever.

Verily this was the most important, revealing and gripping interview since Frost/Nixon.

Archbishop Of Canterbury: I Vow To Thee...

The Independent (and i, obvs).

Good for you.
Well done.
And not a century too soon.

Archbishop Of Canterbury: You Don't Understand, This Is All About Me!!!

'Saturday's Telegraph headline appears to be "Justin Welby: Why same-sex marriage is all about me, not loving couples"' @TheStevenThomas

The Archbishop of Canterbury has suggested he is powerless to provide blessings for gay marriages because to do so would split the global Anglican Church.

In an interview with The Telegraph, the Most Rev Justin Welby says that the Church had probably caused “great harm” to homosexuals in the past — but there was not always a “huge amount” that could be done now to rectify the situation.

Although indicating that he was sympathetic to calls for the Church to publicly honour gay relationships, the Archbishop says that it is “impossible” for some followers in Africa to support homosexuality. In the interview, the leader of the Anglican Church, which has 77 million followers globally [sic], speaks movingly of the persecution faced by Christians in parts of the world. He indicates that the Church must not take a step that would cut off these groups, most of them in the third world, however much this angers parts of society in Britain...

Welby claims he was misquoted when he spoke about this a fortnight ago - even though he said it in a radio interview.

Here's the Telegraph's story.

Archbishop Of Canterbury: Eh?

African Christians will be killed if the Church of England accepts gay marriage, the archbishop of Canterbury has suggested. Speaking on an LBC phone in, Justin Welby said he had stood by a mass grave in Nigeria of 330 Christians who had been massacred by neighbours who had justified the atrocity by saying: "If we leave a Christian community here we will all be made to become homosexual and so we will kill all the Christians."

"I have stood by gravesides in Africa of a group of Christians who had been attacked because of something that had happened in America. We have to listen to that. We have to be aware of the fact," Welby said. If the Church of England celebrated gay marriages, he added, "the impact of that on Christians far from here, in South Sudan, Pakistan, Nigeria and other places would be absolutely catastrophic. Everything we say here goes round the world."

This reasoning has until now been kept private, although both Welby and his predecessor, Rowan Williams, anguished about it in private.

The Guardian. 

No, me neither. 

Archbishop Welby: Old News

The Archbishop of Canterbury voiced opposition to same-sex couples adopting children and insisted that the Bible is “clear” that gay couples should not have sex, previously unpublished writings show.

In one letter to his parish in 1999 he criticised the Church of England charity The Children’s Society’s decision to lift its ban on placing children for fostering or adoption with gay couples.
He spoke of the parish having to “review its decision to support them” in light of the change and urged the charity to rethink.
Since then the law has been changed making it illegal for charities to discriminate against gay couples, a move which effectively forced the closure of all Roman Catholic adoption agencies in England...

In the same article Rev Welby, as he then was, discussed the admission by Michael Portillo, the former Tory Cabinet minister, to having “homosexual experiences” as a student.
While emphasising that this did not matter for Mr Portillo’s political career, he went on to speak of sexuality as a “powerful force” leading people “astray” adding: “The standards of expected sexual morality are clear.
“Throughout the Bible it is clear that the right place for sex is only within a committed, heterosexual marriage.
“Interestingly, all recent research also shows that the children of such a relationship are likely (not always but often) to be happier and more stable.”
More controversially he also spoke about a belief that people can change their sexuality.
He criticised the media for “[talking] as though his sexuality is exactly the same now as then”...

The Daily Telegraph.

Hmm...
Despite the scary strapline the comments were made in a single article written more than a dozen years ago in a parish newsletter (so how can they be "unpublished"?)
They're taken from a new biography the Telegraph will be serialising. 
I really don't want to defend this man, he's clearly no friend to The Gays; an "evangelical traditionalist" who was silent over the recent great gay marriage debate (he supports civil partnerships) and homophobia in the African church, but this article perhaps is more about seemingly adding "moral support" to the Telegraph's own anti-gay views.

Marriage: A Loon Speaks (Though He Didn't Actually)

In his first official day as leader of the Church of England, the Rt Rev Justin Welby is expected to say that marriage should remain “between a man and a woman”.

As MPs prepare for the vote on gay marriage on Tuesday, Bishop Welby will give his first interviews after being officially confirmed in the post at a ceremony in St Paul’s Cathedral in London.

“If asked he will say that marriage is between a man and a woman, and always has been,” a source close to Bishop Welby said, adding that the Archbishop was expecting to be asked for his views and had prepared his response. 

The Daily Telegraph. 

This is in the Telegraph, so could be balls, especially as it's attributed to "a source" - a usual sign of a made-up quote.
Maybe the Archbishop thinks there are more pressing issues to speak out about - like war, poverty, hunger, and homelessness?
Or maybe he's a loon who believes a man can walk on water and then turn it into wine?
In which case we should deffo take him seriously. 

Religious News: Cognitive Dissonance

"We must have no truck with any form of homophobia in any part of the church."

Justin Welby, Bishop of Derby, and the next Archbishop of Canterbury, speaking at a press conference.
Welby is opposed to the ordination of gay bishops, and same-sex marriage.

"But I also know I need to listen very attentively to the LGBT communities and examine my own thinking carefully and prayerfully.
“I am always averse to the language of exclusion, when what we are called to is to love in the same way as Jesus Christ loves us.
“Above all in the church we need to create safe spaces for these issues to be discussed honestly and in love.?

Let us see...

Daily Mail: Praise Be!

The Daily Mail cannot conceal their joy today.
Justin Welby is also an old Etonian.
Cause if there's one thing we need, it's more old Etonians running this country, right?
Though not as homophobic and woof-woof barking as John Sentamu, unlike Rowan Williams Welby even opposes the appointment of gay bishops. 
I do like the idea that all their silly antediluvian rows about The Gays could still destroy the Church of England.
Let us pray.

Archbishop Of Canterbury Resigns: Gays To Blame

"The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is to resign after a bruising battle with liberals over the future of the Anglican Communion and the issue of homosexuality...
"The Archbishop was appointed largely because of his liberal credentials but disappointed the liberal wing of the Church by siding with conservatives over the issue of gay priests.
"Sources close to Dr Williams said that the final straw was the prospect of defeat over the Anglican Communion Covenant, which was drawn up to find common ground around which the various provinces could unite after the ordination of an openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson, by the US episcopal church..."

The Times.

'Rowan Williams to stand down day after government gives the go-ahead for gay marriage ... so will Britain now have its first black Archbishop of Canterbury?'

Mail Online headline. 
Whilst part of me wants to think the Mail is drawing a rather spurious link, Williams must have realised what people would read into the timing.
So the race is now on to find his successor.
The Archbishop Of York, John Sentamu?
He's clearly mentally ill, a raging homophobe and publicity whore.
Should be a shoo-in.