Anglican Communion News Service - Digest News

In his keynote speech to the Synod of the Anglican Diocese of Cape Town today, Archbishop of Cape Town, Njongonkulu Ndungane, addressed, among other matters, what he called the 'critical issue' of the abuse of women and children.

The Archbishop said that churches have not done enough to overcome their past histories of conspiring with patriarchy to devalue, marginalise and oppress women, both within church structures and in wider communities.

"It is a terrible fact that the evil of HIV/AIDS feeds off the evil of oppression of women and girls and violence against them," he said.

He reminded delegates of a meeting held in Cape Town in May this year, with representatives from all sectors of society, which addressed these issues. A study document on this issue has been commissioned, calling for the building of 'communities of peace'. The document is still in production and will be launched later this year.

This Synod is the first to be held in the re-structured Diocese of Cape Town. The diocese used to include the regions of Saldanha Bay (covering the entire West Coast) and False Bay (extending to the Overberg) which have now become Dioceses in their own right. This leaves the Cape Town Diocese as a far smaller and more manageable entity.

The theme of the Synod is 'New Beginnings' which will address the specific challenges of Cape Town and surrounding urban communities.

Archbishop Ndungane also spoke of the election of his successor, which will take place in September 2007. The new Archbishop will take over in 2008 as Archbishop Ndungane retires.

He has said that his purpose in giving such lengthy notice is to allow the church time to consider the appropriate profile of his successor. He pointed out that, in this era of unprecedented change and increasing complexity, responsibilities of the Archbishop have altered and expanded in every area. The Archbishop-elect needs an opportunity to reflect on and interact with these issues before taking on the incessant demands of the job itself.

In particular, changes within the worldwide Anglican Church were inevitable - given the current disagreements precipitated by the issue of gay marriages - and engaging with these would need 'time and space' said the Archbishop. "It is not something to be fought out at the limits of conservatism or liberalism, as if they were the only possibilities before us," he said.

ENDS

For further information or a copy of the full address please contact Penny Lorimer, Media Liaison for Archbishop Ndungane, on +27 082 894-1522.