The Bishop of Durham Justin Welby, a foe of equal marriage in the UK, has been named the next Archbishop of Canterbury, succeeding Dr. Rowan Williams in the post.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the leader of the Church of England and the symbolic head of the worldwide Anglican Communion, a 77-million-strong denomination and the third largest Christian sect worldwide.
While his predecessor has admitted the Church’s attitude toward gay relationships has been “harmful” and that it should be advocating equality, Welby is expected to take a more hardline view—even if he wants to keep the dialogue polite.
“I support the House of Bishop’s statement in the summer in answer to the government’s consultation on same-sex marriage. I know I need to listen very attentively to the LGBT communities, and examine my own thinking prayerfully and carefully.
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.”
The issue of gay marriage has threatened to fracture the Anglican Church, as African diocese threaten to break away if the Mother Church embrace it—some have said Williams failed “restore the Communion to Biblical faith and morality.”
Welby, a former oil executive, will be enthroned on March 21, 2013.
Photo: Diocese of Durham
2eo
Frankly the position is looked at with polite discourse in 2012. He has little actual power, it is mostly ceremonial and with government moving towards equality he and his 1 million followers in the UK wield no real influence.
They were always going to move right with a conservative archbishop after Rowan Williams, I’m glad they didn’t pick the ultra conservative archbishop of York in John Sentamu who would be far worse for the UK.
In private Sentamu has supported the death squads in his home country of Uganda.
As a gay atheist living in the UK in a northern city I am a lot happier with Welby, their influence is dying but without Sentamu I think we shall avoid many death throes.
Ron Jackson
Ugh! Religion is stupid.
Tracy
He doesn’t “dance around” gay marriage. He has categorically voiced his opposition to it.