Lectures

Whatever one could say about the Archbishop of Canterbury’s address at the Gregorian University (and, given time, one could say a great deal) the fact remains that it is on his watch that doctrinally orthodox anglo-catholics are being driven inexorably out of his Church, and that he seems constitutionally (read that as you will) unable to do a thing about it.

His words in Rome are somewhat akin to a leper saying to a healthy man, “if only you could be more like me everything would be fine!”
Overstated? In bad taste? Put it down to a splitting headache and the ‘flu!
But it’s only in bad taste if one is able to disregard the doctrinal and ethical chaos and disintegration of the Communion he leads and of which we, at present, like it or not, are a part. And it’s only overstated if one disregards the souls who are being lost as a result.

As we have said all along, women’s ordination (originally presented to the Anglican Communion as a fait accompli by a group of arrogant and lawless Americans) is just a presenting symptom of the disease from which we as Anglicans are suffering, but I can only say that I would be a little more hesitant about recommending that the Catholic Church should follow our example in not trying to preserve itself from even the lesser indications of a potentially fatal malady.

I have a profound admiration and liking for Archbishop Rowan Williams, for his great learning, his holiness of life, and for his kindness and pastoral sensitivity (including to me, personally, in the past)  which puts many of us to shame. He is one of those people who has the ability to make God a reality for those who encounter him.
Having said that, it now pains me to think that maybe he was always just the most intelligent, understanding, patient, and compassionate of our enemies.