Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 05:43:28 EDT CAREY ROCKS THE WORLD WITH SPEECH HAMMERING HETERODOX BISHOPS News Analysis By David W. Virtue HONG KONG-The headlines from around the world speak for themselves. "Rows over Gays could split Church, says Carey." "Carey Warns of church splits on Gays." "Carey Predicts Schism on Gays". "Gay Debate tearing Church apart, says Archbishop Carey." Shrewd observers say that Carey's words to the Anglican Consultative Council was his best performance since Lambeth '98, uttered in the framework of a manageable pan-Anglican meeting. New Westminster Bishop Michael Ingham's intemperate response only heightened Carey's leadership whose evangelical theology is clearly recognizable by Global South bishops. Carey also took a swipe at the Sydney Diocese for its drive to allow lay people to give Holy Communion, and he took another pot shot at the AMiA for being schismatic, but his sternest words were reserved for the bishop of New Westminster and the bishop of the Diocese of Pennsylvania, whom he viewed as having the potential to unglue the whole Communion. But this was not the first time Carey had gone out on a limb. He took his first swipe at Ingham at the Oxford Conference on Renewal earlier in the year, which surprised both this reporter and delegates to that conference. Then he told delegates that Ingham's actions violated the Lambeth Conference resolution, sought to undermine marriage and reflect badly in ecumenical dialogue. He said much the same again here this week in his final swan song at the ACC conference. One Archbishop I spoke with tried to soften the blow to suggest that Carey was appraising his 11 years as the Archbishop of Canterbury and had to mention both the good and the bad. That is a fair comment. And naturally the media picks up on just the interesting news parts that make for good headlines. Notwithstanding, Carey was obliged to say the things he did, not out of bravura, or because he wants the Communion to split. He doesn't. He did it but because he had too. Not to do so would have undermined his credibility. Carey has not been the strongest leader the Anglican Communion has ever had, but he is an honest broker for his evangelical convictions, and one must give him credit for that. He goes out on a high note because he publicly stated the truth even if the liberals hate him for doing so and the orthodox and Evangelicals says it is too little, too late. One must give him credit. He did the right thing this week and he will take a lot of hits for doing so, but this writer applauds him for standing up for gospel truth in the face of an increasingly liberal mind set in certain parts of the Anglican Communion. The history books may yet treat George Carey a lot better than he is being treated today, and you can be sure that in "that day," he will hear those words, "well done thou good and faithful servant." END _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com