Christianity Today, Week of June 17 Brothers: I'm having a little problem with the Web browser. If you receive this twice, please accept my apologies. Below is the Christianity Today comment on Archbishop Williams. Take a look at the last paragraph. Does a conservative affirmation in regard to the Doctrines of the Virgin Birth and Resurrection of Jesus make up for ordaining to the priesthood an openly practicing homosexual? Rub-a-dub-dub. I don't see three men in an ecumenical tub any time in the future. Can you picture Patriarch Bartholowmew I, Pope John Paul II and Archbishop Rowan Williams agreeing on anything more significant than Al Gore's speech on the environment? Assuming that the Times article is correct, it would appear that Queen Mum, Tony Blair, and the old boys of the CE that are promoting Archbishop Rowan Williams were not thinking ecumenically. Cardinal Ratzinger and his committee has just been made responsible for handling discipline problems with priests who misbehave sexually anywhere in the world. Since the RC is trying to improve its image it seems doubtful that Cardinal Ratzinger would want to hold hands with a bishop who ordains openly practicing homosexuals. Charles ======================= Meet Rowan Williams, the Next Archbishop of Canterbury Compiled by Ted Olsen posted 06/20/2002 Christianity Today Church of England picks Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Wales, to lead Anglicans worldwide The Times of London reports today that Archbishop of Wales Rowan Williams will almost certainly replace George Carey as Archbishop of Canterbury and leader of the Anglican Communion worldwide. The Church of England listed him first of two names submitted to Prime Minister Tony Blair for approval. "He is very impressed by Rowan and thinks he is a terrific theologian," an unnamed Labor Party source tells the Times. "There is huge enthusiasm both in the Parliamentary Labor Party and in Downing Street. Virtually every Labor MP with a Christian interest wants Rowan." After Blair signs off, it goes to the Queen for approval. (That the Queen and Prime Minister get to choose the leader of Anglicans worldwide is a matter of some debate. That the Church of England gets to choose the leader of 80 million Anglicans worldwide, though it has only 2 million active members, is not.) The Times reports, "Williams will … provide a liberal balance to the 11-year incumbency of an evangelical at Lambeth." Likewise, the Guardian says, the appointment will "dismay the rump of Anglican conservatives, rightwing evangelicals and some fundamentalist African bishops who lobbied openly against him because of his stance on homosexuality." But that's painted with a bit of a broad brush. Williams is liberal on sexual ethics issues (he has admitted ordaining at least one practicing homosexual), but much more conservative on other theological issues than many other British bishops. Unlike, say, former Church of Scotland head Richard Holloway, Williams affirms the bodily resurrection of Jesus and the Virgin Birth. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Yahoo! - Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com