The openly gay US bishop whose consecration in 2003 polarised the worldwide Anglican Communion, says he believes that one day the Church will regret its rejection of homosexuals the way that it now regrets its past support for slavery.

Claimed tension and hostility between religion and gay people is considerably over-emphasised by out-of-touch faith leaders, suggests new research from the campaigning equalities group Stonewall.

Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu has renewed his call for global Anglican leaders to focus on the gospel as a message of hope and healing for the world, and to move beyond factional in-fighting as they gather in Lambeth.

In a campaign comment ahead of today's election in Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe has condemned Archbishop Rowan Williams as lacking a "moral compass" and said that gays in the church are a sign of "moral degeneracy".