Sexuality row may be irresolvable, says ex-Archbishop
-11/12/05
A much-admired former A
Sexuality row may be irresolvable, says ex-Archbishop
-11/12/05
A much-admired former Archbishop of York, whose own sexual orientation he once described as ìa grey areaî, has said that he cannot see any resolution to well-worn arguments within the Anglican Communion about homosexuality and women priests ñ certainly in his lifetime.
Father David Hope, who took the unusual step of resigning early from the second highest post in the Church of England in order to go back to parochial ministry in Yorkshire, was speaking on the famous BBC Radio 4 programme ëDesert Island Discsí ñ where guests intersperse an interview with choosing eight pieces of music or speech which mean most to them.
Father Hope, a deeply traditional Anglican on the Catholic wing of his church, said that he could see no way in which deep divisions on whether the church should recognise people in stable gay relationships could be resolved.
Talking to journalist Sue Lawley, he said that on this question, and on the issue of the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopacy, he only heard ìthe same people repeating the same arguments over and over againî.
His own hope for the churchís future, he said, now lay in the local parish, where people were relatively unconcerned with these questions ñ being much more concerned with everyday issues of life and death, and questions of morality like world poverty or the war in Iraq.
Father Hope, whose successor, the Most Rev Dr John Sentamu is already making a media splash with his lively views on mission and multiculturalism, was admired as a quiet, pastoral and caring man.
But during his tenure his tough Yorkshire streak was seen in the way he rebutted attempts to ìoutî him as an alleged homosexual.
He refused to be bullied, he said, going only so far as to refuse to talk of his private life, to say that he adhered firmly to the teaching of the church, and that his sexuality had been something of a ìgrey areaî.
Dr Sentamu, who was recently installed as the new Archbishop of York, has strongly urged the warring factions in the Church to ìcool it, just cool it.î
Interviewed earlier this month by the Reuters agency at the medieval palace that is his new home, the number two in the Church of England hierarchy was brutally frank about the dark clouds gathering in the 450-year-old church.
Asked if he thought the church could be headed for a split, the 56-year-old archbishop said: ìIt may happen. I have got to be realistic.î
Deepening divisions among the worldís 77 million Anglicans have been focussed by the ordination of openly gay New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson in the US and the blessing of same sex marriages in Canada.
ìWhat I would say to the two sides is cool it, just cool it,î said Sentamu, who is seen by some as being in a unique position to build bridges between progressives and traditionalists in the Anglican Communion.
Last month a further row broke out over a letter from Archbishops in the ëGlobal Southí to Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, who holds privately affirmative views towards lesbian and gay people, but is seeking to hold the majority antipathetic line for the sake of unity.
What looked like 17 (but turned out to be 11 or 12) out of 38 Anglican primates expressed respect for Williamsí theological depth, but said he must do more to discipline those who went against official teaching.
Initially two and then four of the supposed signatories ended up distancing themselves from the letter, circulated from the office of controversial Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola.
It transpired that the procedure for issuing the letter was poorly handled and disputed, with some saying it was intended to be private. But Dr Akinola has declined to back down.
Some traditional Anglican leaders, such as biblical scholar Dr Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, have described the letter as unhelpful.
Other church leaders and scholars believe that a positive view of the contribution of lesbian and gay people to the life and ministry of the Christian church can be adduced from scripture and other traditional sources.
A collection of essays along these lines has been published as Gays and the Future of Anglicanism.
[Also on Ekklesia: New black archbishop Sentamu receives racist hate mail; Church must face racism, says black archbishop; Britain’s first black archbishop inaugurated; C of E’s first black archbishop takes up post; Black archbishop prays for racist abusers; Black archbishop attacks multiculturalism; New archbishop: Government’s asylum policy ‘inhuman’; New Archbishop to launch forum in terror link city; Akinola denies rift over Primates’ letter to Williams; Historic first meeting for gay Nigerian Christians; Bishop’s name removed from disputed letter to Archbishop of Canterbury; Anglican Primates deny attack on Archbishop of Canterbury;
Primates disown open letter to Archbishop of Canterbury; Pro-gay Anglicans say Nigerian Church ‘obsessed’ with gays]
Sexuality row may be irresolvable, says ex-Archbishop
-11/12/05
A much-admired former Archbishop of York, whose own sexual orientation he once described as ‘a grey area’, has said that he cannot see any resolution to well-worn arguments within the Anglican Communion about homosexuality and women priests – certainly in his lifetime.
Father David Hope, who took the unusual step of resigning early from the second highest post in the Church of England in order to go back to parochial ministry in Yorkshire, was speaking on the famous BBC Radio 4 programme ëDesert Island Discs’ – where guests intersperse an interview with choosing eight pieces of music or speech which mean most to them.
Father Hope, a deeply traditional Anglican on the Catholic wing of his church, said that he could see no way in which deep divisions on whether the church should recognise people in stable gay relationships could be resolved.
Talking to journalist Sue Lawley, he said that on this question, and on the issue of the ordination of women to the priesthood and episcopacy, he only heard ‘the same people repeating the same arguments over and over again’.
His own hope for the church’s future, he said, now lay in the local parish, where people were relatively unconcerned with these questions – being much more concerned with everyday issues of life and death, and questions of morality like world poverty or the war in Iraq.
Father Hope, whose successor, the Most Rev Dr John Sentamu is already making a media splash with his lively views on mission and multiculturalism, was admired as a quiet, pastoral and caring man.
But during his tenure his tough Yorkshire streak was seen in the way he rebutted attempts to ‘out’ him as an alleged homosexual.
He refused to be bullied, he said, going only so far as to refuse to talk of his private life, to say that he adhered firmly to the teaching of the church, and that his sexuality had been something of a ‘grey area’.
Dr Sentamu, who was recently installed as the new Archbishop of York, has strongly urged the warring factions in the Church to ‘cool it, just cool it.’
Interviewed earlier this month by the Reuters agency at the medieval palace that is his new home, the number two in the Church of England hierarchy was brutally frank about the dark clouds gathering in the 450-year-old church.
Asked if he thought the church could be headed for a split, the 56-year-old archbishop said: ‘It may happen. I have got to be realistic.’
Deepening divisions among the world’s 77 million Anglicans have been focussed by the ordination of openly gay New Hampshire Bishop Gene Robinson in the US and the blessing of same sex marriages in Canada.
‘What I would say to the two sides is cool it, just cool it,’ said Sentamu, who is seen by some as being in a unique position to build bridges between progressives and traditionalists in the Anglican Communion.
Last month a further row broke out over a letter from Archbishops in the ëGlobal South’ to Archbishop of Canterbury Dr Rowan Williams, who holds privately affirmative views towards lesbian and gay people, but is seeking to hold the majority antipathetic line for the sake of unity.
What looked like 17 (but turned out to be 11 or 12) out of 38 Anglican primates expressed respect for Williams’ theological depth, but said he must do more to discipline those who went against official teaching.
Initially two and then four of the supposed signatories ended up distancing themselves from the letter, circulated from the office of controversial Nigerian Archbishop Peter Akinola.
It transpired that the procedure for issuing the letter was poorly handled and disputed, with some saying it was intended to be private. But Dr Akinola has declined to back down.
Some traditional Anglican leaders, such as biblical scholar Dr Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, have described the letter as unhelpful.
Other church leaders and scholars believe that a positive view of the contribution of lesbian and gay people to the life and ministry of the Christian church can be adduced from scripture and other traditional sources.
A collection of essays along these lines has been published as Gays and the Future of Anglicanism.
[Also on Ekklesia: New black archbishop Sentamu receives racist hate mail; Church must face racism, says black archbishop; Britain’s first black archbishop inaugurated; C of E’s first black archbishop takes up post; Black archbishop prays for racist abusers; Black archbishop attacks multiculturalism; New archbishop: Government’s asylum policy ‘inhuman’; New Archbishop to launch forum in terror link city; Akinola denies rift over Primates’ letter to Williams; Historic first meeting for gay Nigerian Christians; Bishop’s name removed from disputed letter to Archbishop of Canterbury; Anglican Primates deny attack on Archbishop of Canterbury;
Primates disown open letter to Archbishop of Canterbury; Pro-gay Anglicans say Nigerian Church ‘obsessed’ with gays]